lane] 



THE CHILD'S NEED OF PETS 



211 



roundings ; his love for the world has been stimulated ; he has 

 become a better individual. 



Children who have pets derive much happiness from them. 

 This happiness would be lost entirely without the opportunity of 

 childhood friends. Parents take much pleasure in providing their 

 little ones with playthings, and the children relish the oppor- 

 tunity thus afforded for amusing themselves. No one would 

 think of discontinuing this practice. 



There is a great deal more to be gained by the children from 

 pets and live playthings than there is to be gained from mechan- 

 ical contrivances. Neither should be omitted from the child's 

 life. 



By having pets and animals, the imagination of children 

 is stimulated and strengthened. We often see a boy with a goat 

 or dog hitched to a little wagon. His mind while accomplishing 

 this feat considers many features of work carried on by men, 

 and the child evidently is thinking of what he will do when he 

 arrives at his majority. 



