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Montessori mother - Kamelini Montessori

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A MONTESSORI MOTHER 25<br />

once more and went through very slowly all the<br />

necessary movements. The child's big, black eyes<br />

fastened on her in a passion of attention, and I no-<br />

ticed that his little empty hands followed auto-<br />

matically the slow, distinctly separated, analyzed<br />

movements of the teacher's hands. When she gave<br />

the napkin back to him, he seized it with an air of<br />

resolution which would have done honor to Napoleon,<br />

grasping it firmly and holding his wandering babywits<br />

together with the aid of a determined frown.<br />

He pulled his collar away from his neck with one<br />

hand and, still frowning determinedly, thrust a large<br />

segment of the napkin down with the other, spreading<br />

out the remainder on his chest, with a long sigh of<br />

utter satisfaction, which went to my heart. As he<br />

trotted back to his place, I noticed that the incident<br />

had been observed by several of the children near<br />

us, on whose smiling faces, as they looked at their<br />

triumphant little comrade, I could see the reflection<br />

of my own gratified sympathy. One of them reached<br />

out and patted the napkin as its proud wearer passed.<br />

But I had not been all the morning in that children's<br />

home, perfect, though not made with a <strong>mother</strong>'s<br />

hands, without having my <strong>mother</strong>'s jealousy sharply<br />

aroused. A number of things had been stirring up<br />

protests in my mind. I was alarmed at the sight of<br />

all these babies, happy, wisely occupied, perfectly<br />

good, and learning unconsciously the best sort of<br />

lessons, and yet in an atmosphere differing so en-<br />

tirely from all my preconceived ideas of a home. All

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