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Show dren of this generation. Take them by and large, are they not very pleasant? Are they not pretty well mannered considering con-sidering the defects of their parents? Does It not really surprise you to see them outgrow faults as they come to' fuller knowledge? Don't you think they are very sensible for their years, and aren't you constantly surprised at sudden sud-den evidence of their kindness and affectionate af-fectionate consideration? Our children are rather more familiar with their parents than we were with ours, but 1 cannot see that they are really lacking In the essentials of respect. If comradeship com-radeship between parent and child begins be-gins earlier than It used to. is not that a gain? Let perfect love cast out fear; It need not, and it does not. cast out manners. If there Is a defect in manners, man-ners, it is due to something else than the maintenance of standard barriers between parent and child. E. S. Martin In the Metropolitan Magaiine for December. ) f)5X5 No Children, I No Christma? I It is one of the strong points of children chil-dren as Christmas -makers and as reconcilers re-concilers of grown-up folks to holidays, that they are different every year. They keep the panorama moving, showing new pictures, inciting the organ-man to new tunes and bringing fresh topics to the expounder. And when they finally grow up and settle down, and life as It concerns them begins to be something like a fixed condition, behold at the extreme ex-treme left of the canvas a curly-head, a penny whistle. Infancy coming past again, a new generation all novelty. aU surprises, expectations, new problems, v delights. o we shall keep Christmas this year the same as usual, and-qext year again, because there are children to make It for and to make It for us. And if the quality of the Christmas is determined by the quality of the children, I look for no falling off In merriment or in good will. I. don't believe there ever were likelier, or better disposed and behaved be-haved children than the American chil- i |