It is harder for some natures to sympathise with the little ones in their play than in their grievances. To do the latter is natural to every kindly heart, but very often we find it the hardest possible task to be a child with a child. The healthy little one is not often quiet in play-time, and busy mothers, weary with very real work, are glad to confine all romps within nursery walls, or to banish the players to any place out of sight and hearing. Believe me, there is no time when a mother’s supervision is more needed than during play-time. I was brought to realise this, as I had never done before, quite lately. A young mother, herself one of a large family, said to me, “My childhood would have been one of the happiest possible, if only my mother had been oftener with us in play-hours, but she had no idea how miserable I was then. One of my sisters, younger than I, had a passionate temper, a will of iron, and a selfish, exacting disposition combined with unusual beauty and—when she chose—with the most winsome ways imaginable. By these combined qualities she dominated the nursery, got all her own way, and generally succeeded in making everyone appear to be in the wrong but herself. My mother knew this too late to prevent my childish happiness from being spoiled, and both she and my father grieved over it. ‘Why did you not speak?’ they said. ‘We should have believed you, for you were always true.’ “The fact was, I felt powerless before the strong will of my sister, who succeeded in making me think myself of no account in comparison with herself. I was not beautiful like her, and she was constantly taunting me with what she called my ugliness. Well, I can thank God that whilst my parents still lived, things were put right with them, and no one was so near to them as I was. And, if I possessed a less share of good looks, I had enough to win the love of a true heart and keep it; so I must not complain. Only I cannot quite forget that I lost the happy childhood my parents meant me to have, for want of my dear mother’s more frequent presence during our play-time.” When you attain to the glory of motherhood, beloved girl friends, let each of you learn to be a child with your children. You will not lose by this, and they will gain enormously. I spoke of our four-footed friends. Look at puss with her kittens. Does she stand on her dignity at play-time? Or the mother doggie. Does she disdain a game at romps with her fat, roll-about puppies? Both these furnish examples for human mothers, and depend on it, such will learn far more of their children’s real dispositions during play-hours than at any other time.