Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1846-08-06
rather would go with you, l will do

and then returned to the dining
room.
Naughty boy!' said Aunt Mary,
as he entered, locking sternly at
him.
A bitter retort come instantly to the
tongue of Clarence, but checked him.
self with a strong effort, and took his
place at the table. Instead of sooth-
ing the quick tempered boy, Aunt Ma
Try chafed him with her words and
manner during the whole meal, and it
was only the image of his mothers
fearful face, and the remembrance that
she was sick, that restrained an out
break of his passionate temper.
When Clarence left the table, he
turned to his mothers room and laid
his head upon the pillow where hers
was resting.
4 love you, MOTHER he said afec-
tionately. you are good. But hate
Aunt Mary
20, no, Clarence. You must not
say that you hate Aunt Mary, for Aunt
Mary is very kind to you. You mustn't
hate any body
she isn't kind to me, mother. She
calls me a bad boy, and says everything
to make me angry when | want to be
good
Aunt Mary didn't know that you
( were sorry, l am sure. When she
calledyou naughty boy what cid you
say"
4 was going to say you're fool, ,
but | didn't; tried hard not to let my
tongue say the bad words, though l
wanted to-
/ why did you try not to say them:?'
! Because it would have been wrong,
and would have made you feel sorry.
And | love you
Again the repentant boy kissed her.
His eyes were full of tears, and so were
the eyes of his mother.
| While talking over this incident
with her husband, Mrs. Hartley said:
'Were not all these impressions so
light should feel encouraged. The boy
has warm and tender feelings, but |
fear that his passionate temper and
sel6shness will, like evil weeds, COM
, pletely check their growth.
The caseis bad enough, Anna, but
not SO bad, | hope. asyou fear. These
good affections are never active in vain.
They impress the mind with an indeli-
BILE impression. In after years the
remembrance of them will revive the
states they produced, and give strength
to good desires and intentions. Amid
all his irregularities, and wanderlngs
from good, in after life, the thoughts
of his mother will restore the thoughts
he had to-day, and draw him back
from evil with cords of love that can.
not be broken. The goodnow implanted
will remain, and, like ten just men,
save the city. In most instances,
where men abandon themselves finally
to evil courses, it will be found that
the impressions made in childhood
were not of the right kind. That mo-
theirs influence was not what it should
have been. For myself, ! am sure that
a different mother would have made
me different man. When boy, l
was too much like Clarence; but the
tenderness with which my mother al
ways treated me, and the unimpassion-
ate but earnest manner in which she
reproved and corrected my faults, sub
due6 my unruly temper. When be-
came restless or impatient, she always
had book for me, ora story to tell,
or had some device to save ne from
myself. My father was neither harsh
nor indulgeat towards me; cherished
| his memory with respect and love; but
| l have different feelings when | think
of my mother. | often feel now las
if her cheek was laid to mine. My
father aoould place his hand upon my
head caressingly, but my mother
would lag her cheek against mine. |
did not expect my father to do more;
] do not know that | would have loved
him had he done more-for him, it was
a natural expression Of affection. But
no act is too tender for mother. Her
kiss upon my cheek, her warm en-
|brace, are all felt now, and the older l
grow the more holy seemed the in
fluenne that surrounded me in child
hood.