Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1846-08-06
BURLINGTON, IOWA, AUGUST 6, 1916.

4 ,cM speak gently she murmured
and went in to Harry, who was still cry
ing ou. fretfully.
'Wha, do you want, my SOM she said,
in quiet. kind voice.
The boy looked up with surprise; his
eye frightened, and the whole expression
of his face was changed instantly
Il can! find my stockings. mamma
he said.
There they are, under the bureau
returned Mrs Burton, as gently as she
had at first spoken.
oh. yes, so they are cheerfuly re.
piled Harry;'l couldn't see them now.
/ here
Did you think crying would bring
| them'
This was said with smile and in
tone so unlike his mother, tina, The child
looked up again into her face with a sur
prise tina. was, Mrs Burton plainly saw,
mingled with pleasure.
DO you want anything elsel' she ask.
ed.
No. mamma he replied, cheerfully,
Il can dress myself now
I This first little effort was crowned with
the most encouraging results to the moth
er; she felt a deep peace settling in her
| bosom, the consciousness Of having gain
ed true victory over the perverse ten
denotes of both her own and the heart Of
| her boy. II was little act. but it was
the first fruits, and the gathering even Of
SO small harvest was sweet TO her spir-
it.
At the breakfast table the usual scene
was about being enacted, when speak
gently coming into her mind prevented
its occurrence. II seemed aImos, a mys.
terry to her-the effect of words gently
spoken on one who had scarcely needed
her mos, positive and angrily uttered re-
proofs and injnnctions.
Although Harry was not as orderly in
his behaviour a, the table as the mother
could have wished, yet he did much bet
ter than usual. and seemed really 10
desire to do what was right. For nearly
the whole Of tina. day Mrs Burton was
able to control herself and speak gently
10 her boy, but towards evening she be
came fretfGl again from some cause or
other. From The instant this change
made itself apparent, she log! the swee,
influence she had been able TO exercise
over the mind of her child. He no longer
needed her words, and she could no
longer feel calm in spirit when he showed
perverse and evil ,empers. When night
closed in. the aspect of affairs was bu,
little different from tina. of any preceding
Heavy was the heart of Mrs Burton
when she sought her pillow. and the
incidents and feelings of the day came up
in review before her mind. In the morn
ing her heart was calm aud her percep-
tons clear; she saw her duty plainly and
felt willing to walk in its pleasant paths.
In treading these she he'd experienced an
internal delight unknown before; but ere
the day had passed, old habits, strong
from frequent indulgence, returned. and
former effects followed as a natural con
sequence
As she lay for more than an hour re-
solving aud re.resoving 10 do better, the
face of Harry often came up before her.
Particularly did she remember its peculiar
expression when she spoke kindly, in.
stead of harshly reproving him for acts
Of rudeness or disobeGience. At these
times she was conscious of possessing a
in any Of her angry efforts to subdue his
stubborn will.
On awaking in the morning her mind
was renewed; all passion had sunk into
I; quiescence; she could see her duty and
feel willing TO perform it. Harry, too
, awoke as usual, and tina, was in fretful
captious mood, but this ripping Of the
, surface Of his feelings all subsidized when
J the voice Of his mother in words gently
spoken fell soolhingly upon his ear. liz
] even went so far as to put his arm!
, around her neck and kiss her, saying. a.
he did so-'Indeed, mamma, will be
: good boy
! For the first time in many months tn.
: breakfast hour was pleasant to all. Har
ry never once interrupted the converse
' tinn that passed a. intervals between hi,
/ father aud mother. When he asked fo
5 anything it was in way pleasing to all
. Once or twice Mrs Burton found i, ne
4 cessary TO correct some little fault o
\ manner. but The way in which she did i,
no, in The least disturbed her child s tenn
1 per. and instead of not seeming 10 hea
e her words. as had almost always been III,
d case, he regarded all that she said am
a tried to do as she wished.
i There is wonderful power in genll
. words, remarked Mr. Burton TO his wife
i. after Harry had left the table.
! Yes, wonderful, indeed; their effec
e surprises me-
: love is strong
so it seems-stronger than any othe
j, influence, tina, we can bring to bear upo
il human being
Whether that being be child or
S full grown man.
d True, without doubt; but how hard
e thing is i, for us to so control ourselve
y tina, the sphere of all our actions shall b
re full Of love. All, me. the love theory
5, beautiful one. but who of us can AWAY
' practise l!--For me, confess that
If cannot
n mo. for the sake Of your chldren''
d For their sakes would make almo