"Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise."
CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR THE BOYS.
"Please suggest a suitable Christmas present for a boy of nine."
The above, addressed to the New York Sun, elicited the following reply, which may be read with much profit by all parents of young hopefuls.
If your nine-year-old has developed any mechanical taste, gratify it by a small kit of tools. The chests of cheap tools sold in the stores are not good for much. Select a few tools of good quality at a hardware store, and put a substantial work bench, such as carpenters use, in the play room. Never mind an occasional cut finger.
Pet animals or birds, which may be found in great variety in the bird fanciers' stores, always delight the boys. But city boys do not always have room to keep them.
An aquarium of moderate dimensions, stocked with half a dozen varieties of fish, turtles, snails, seaweed, etc., is a very useful and interesting present for any boy or girl. In the spring add a few pollywogs, and watch them in their evolution into frogs. You will be interested in the process yourself.
What do you say to a microscope?
If your boy lacks muscular development for his years, get him a set of apparatus for parlor gymnastics. He will have lots of fun and it will do him good. A bicycle isn't bad either.
If he hasn't learned to skate yet it is time to start in. Get him a good pair of steel runners.