Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 January 1892 — Child Lite in Slam. [ARTICLE]

Child Lite in Slam.

It is always interesting to learn how boys and girls in distaut lauds amuse themselves. In this account—taken from “Siam and Loas”—the most noticeable thing is that no mention is made of schools. When the Siamese young folks get up in the morning, they do not go to the washstand to wash their faces, for the simple reason that Siamese houses can boast no such articles of furniture. So our little Siamese friend just runs down to the foot of the ladder—for the house is built on posts—to a large jar of water with a cocoanut-shell dipper. There she washes her face by throwing the water over her hands and rubbing them over her face. She needs no towel, for the water is left to dry. She does not brush her teeth, for they are stained black by chewing the betel nut. Her hair does not require combing, either, for it is all shaved except a little tuft on the top of the head, and that is tied in a little knot, and not often combfd. After breakfast is over, the children go off and find some pleasant place to play. The girls play at keeping house, and make dishes of clay dried in the sun. Little images of clay washed with lime are their only dolls. The boys in Siam are very fond of pitching coins, and spend much of their time in this game. They play leap-frog, and very often jump the rope. Now, that so many foreigners come to this country, they have learned to play marbles, too. In the month of March, though, usually dry and hot winds are blowing. At this time, the Siamese, young and old, are much engaged in playing games with kites, which are fitted with whistles, and the air resounds with noice produced by the boys and shouts of the multitudes of people engaged in the sport. As the streets in Siam are almost all rivers and canals, the Siamese boys and girls eaily learn to row, and paddle their little boats almost as soon as they learn to swim, which they do when they are only four or five years old.