The Ohio organ, of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, [Ohio]) 1853-1854, 1853-03-25
ChiIdrsn's Rights
pY FANNY FERN.

. Mems rightsl Women's rights! /
throw down the gauntlet for children's
rightsl Yes, little petsS Fanny Fern's
about "takin' notes, /" and she'll "print
'en, too" if you don't get your dues.
She has seen you seated by a pleasant
window, in a railroad car, with your.
bright eyes dancing with delight, at
the prospect Of all pretty things you
were going to see, forcibly elected BY
some overgrown Napoleon, who fan
cied your place, and thought in his
wisdom that children had no taste for
anything but sugar candy. Fanny
Fern knew better. She knew that the
pretty trees and flowers, and bright
blue sky, gave your little soul a thrill
Of delight, though you could not tell
Why and she knew that great big
mans soul was a great deal smaller
than yours, to sit there and read a
stupid political paper, when such a
glowing landscape was before him.
that he might have feasted his eyes
upon. And she longed to wipe away
the big tear you didn't dare to let fall;
and she understood how little girl
or boy that didn't get a ride every day
in the year, should not be quite able
to swallow that great big lump in the
throat, as he or she sat jammed down
in a dark crowded corner Of the car,
instead of sitting by that pleasant win
dow. aa5
Yes, and Fanny has seen you some-
times, when you've been muffled up
to the tip Of your little nose in woolIen
wrappers, in close, crowded church,
aodding your little drowsy head, and
keeping time to the sixth-lie and sew
enth-lie Of some pompous theologian,
whose preaching would have been
high Dutch to you, had you been
awake.
And she has seen you sitting jike
little automatons, in a badly-yentilated
school room, with your nervous little
toes at just such an angle. for hours;
under the tuition of a Miss Nancy
Nipper, who didn't care ush-hght
whether your spine was as crooked as
the letter s or not, if the Great Mogul
Committee, who marched in once
month to make the "grand tour"
voted her a ''aaodel SchooL-marns."
Yes, and that amt all. She has
seen you sent of to bed just at the
witching hour Of candle-light, when
some entertaining guest was in the
midst Ct a delightful story, that you,
poor, miserable "little pitcher" was
doomed never to hear the end Off
Yes, and she has seen "the line and
plummet'' laid out to you SO rigidly,
that you were driven to deceit and
evasion; and then seen you punished
for the very sin your tormentors
helped you to commit. And she has
seen your ears boxed just as hard for
tearing hole N your best pinafore,
orbreaking china cup, as for telling
as big a lieas Ananias and saPPhira
did.
And when, BY patient labor, you
had reared an edifice Of tiny books,
Fairer in its architectural proportions
to- your infantile eye, than any palace
in ancient Rome she has seen it ruth
lessly. kicked into a shattered ruin by
somebody in the house whose dinner
hadn't digestedl
Never mind / wish / was mother
to the whole Of you! Such glorious
times as we'd have!e Reading pretty |
books with no big words in 'em; going
to school where you could sneeze with
out getting rap on the head for not
asking leave first; and going to church
on the quiet, blessed Sabbath, where
the minister, like the dear Savior
sometimes remembered to ''take little /
children, in their arms, and bless
them. q wv ''l ,2aN'i N a'
o'ThehYif you asked 1hbesad question, !