Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-06-25
Children,
I" And little child shall lead Them"

"And little child shall lead them"
One cold market morning l looked into a
milliner's shop, and there saw hale, hearty,
we'll Drowned young fellow from the country,
with his long cart whip, and lion shay coat,
holding up some little matter, and turning it
about on his great fist, And what do you
suppose it was? A baby's bonnet A little,
soft, blue, satin hood, with swans down Dor
der, white as the new fallen snow, with a frilI
of rich blonde around the edge. By his side
stood a very pretty woman holding with no
small pride the baby-for evidently it was the
baby ANY one could read the fact in every
glance, as they looked at each other and the
little hood land then at the large blue unconscious
eyes and fat dimpled cheeks of the little one
1t was evident that neither of them had ever
seen baby like that before
But really, Mary, isn't three dollars very high?
Mary very prudently said nothing, but taking
the little bonnet, tied it on the little head, and
held up the baby. The man looked and grin
ned, without another word down went the three
dollars-all that the last weeks butter came to !;
and as they walked out of the shop it was hard
to say which was the most delighted with the
bargain.
All, thought ], little child shall lead them.
Another day as was passing Il carriage fac
tory along one of our back streets, | saw a
young mechanic at work on wheel. The
rough body carriage stood beside him-and
there wrapped up snugly, all hooded and cloak
ed, sat dark eyed girl, about one year old,
playing with a great shaggy dog As Istopped,
the man looked up from his work and turned
admringly towards his little companion, as to
say, see what have got here?
Yes, thought !, and if the little lady ever gets
glance from admiring swans such as that, she
will be lucky
All, these children little witches! pretty even
in all their faults and absurdites winning even
in their sins and iniquites See, for example,
yonder little fellow in naughty fit-he has
shaken his long curls over his deep blue eyes,
the fair brow is bent in frown-the rose leaf
lip is turned up in infinite defance-and the
white shoulder thrust naughty forward. Can
any but good child look so pretty even in their
naughtness
Then comes the instant change-hashng
smiles and tears, as the good comes back all in
rush, and you ale overwhelmed with protest
tons, promises and kisses They are irresist-
able, too, these little ones They pull away
the scholars pen-tumble about his papers
make somersets over his books,-and what can
he do? They tear up newspapers, litter the
carpets, break pull and upset, and then iabber
unmaginable English in sef-defence, and what
can you do for yourself?
III had a child says the precise man, you
should see.'
He does have child, and his child tears up
his papers, pulls his nose like other children,
and what has the precise man to say for him
self Nnthing-he is like every body elsa
little child shall lead him
Poor little children, they bring and teach US,
human beings, more good than they get in re-
turn.-How often does the infant, with its soft
cheek and helpless hand, awaken a mother from
worldliness and egotism to whole world of
new and higher feeling How often does the
mother repay this, by doing her best to wipe off,
even before the time, the dew and fresh sim
plcity of childhood, and make her daughter
too soon woman of tie world, as she has
been
The hardened heart of the worldly man is I'M
locked by the guiIelcss tones and simple caresses
Of his son-but he repays it, in time, by impart-
ing to his boy all the crooked tricks, and hard
ways, and calIous maxims, which have undone
himself
Go to the jai-to the penitentiary, and inC
there the wretch most suen, brutal and harden
ed. Even look at your infant SON. Such as he
is to you, such to some mother was this man.
That hand was soft and delicate-that rough
voice was tender and lisping-fond eyes follow
ed him as he played-and he was rocked ant
Graded as something holy. There was a time
when his heart, soft and unworn, might have
opened to questonings of God and Jesus, anC
sealed with the seal of heaven. But harsh hand
seized it-6erce, goblin Ineamen is were presset
upon it--and all is over.
So, of the tender, weeping child is made tn
callous man-of the all believing child, tn
sneering skeptic--of the beautiful and modest
the shameless and abandoned--and that is wha
the world does for the little one.