The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-03-24

terry in the sudden change towards him
which his sister had manifested. He under.
stood that her mother had refused to let her
have a pair of scissors to cut out dresses for
her paper dolls, and he could understand
how this would fret her mind; but he was
too young and uuskilled in the philosophy
of mental transitions to comprehend how the
disappointment should have wrought in he,
so great a change of feeling toward himself,
and caused her to act with selfish unkind-
ness. ..-.....-. ..- ....
IfJohn's mother had not punished him,
he could have forgiven Amy But the blows
though felt only for moment by his shrink
ing body, still slnarted on his spirit as pain
fully as when they were given in sudden an
ger. In little while the boys tears ceased
to flow. Sitting down on an old chest, and
in the shadow of All unhappy mood, he brood
ed in loneliness and sorrow over the early
mystery of life, and learned one of his first
lessons of hate towards those by whom he
felt that he had been wronged. An evil seed
had been sown in the earth of his young
heart, and, already, its latent principle oflife
was moving with vital force.
"I'll lock up all my picture books he said
to himself, spitefnlly. "Amy shan't look in
to one ofthcm again as long as she lives.
won't play with her any more, nor paint an
other dolls dress for her. I'll throw her kit
ten from the window, an let her canary out
of the age-and I'll burn every one of her
playthinss that can put my hands on.'
Now, though John never executed any OF
these lireful threats against his little sister,
he was really in earnest when he made them
80 full of bad feelings was his heart, And
though, on the very next day, he passed
hours with her in sport, he did not feel right
toward her, and was not so willing to yield
his wishes for her pleasure as he had been in
times past ....... ...-
As fqr Amy, poor child! She was wretch
cd enough, alone in her mothers room, when
but for that mothers angry refusal to let her
have pair Of scissors, she might still have
been playing happily with her brother, who
had been separated from her, and sent away
up into the garret, where She was afraid to
stay all by herself even for single moment
An hour after the muthor had punished
her Children, she laid aside her work and
went over into her chamber to see what AMY
was doing
Into same miSch,f, I'll warrant! she
said to herself, as she thought how very qu-
ct the child had ssl.ncn ssBut she found her
asleep on the floor, with the tears yet un. lricd
upon her checks. A sudden tenderness came
over her feelings, and lifting the beautiful
sleeper in her arms, she laid her upon the
bed, and smoothing back the moist hair from
her forehead, stool and ;.,oiei G,p IN mo-
ments into her still sad face She sighed
heavily as the mothers love came rushing
back into her heart, and bending down to the
little one, she kiss ID her tcn'lcrly.
Then thought of John caused h-r to
turn from the bedside and go out INTO the
passage, and up to the third story of the
house. SG.niing at the foot of the carr t
stairs, she called him in snpprc >sed voice.
No answer came. She waited for few mo-
ment|, AMI then called once more. Bat on
ly the echo of her voice came down to her
listening ears. A few hurried steps brought
her to the room up to which she had banish-
ed her offending boy. lie, too, was asleep,
lying upon the old chest. where no had at
first seated himself His head was resting
upon the hard wood, and the position of his
body was, in all respects, most uncomfort-
able one.
"John! She laid her hand upon him
The boy started up with terrified air
He had been dreaming .f his sister-they
had quarrelled in the dream, and he had
struck h heavy blow on the head with a
piece ofiron, and seen her fall bleeding upon
the floor. AT this moment the voice Of his
mother had awakened him.
"Oh, mother! didn't mean to do it ~ he
cried out. ioeking fearfllly around him.
"Do what my childy" was asked in a
soothing voice.
For a moment or two, John continued to
glance around him in bewiliered manner,
ard then said, as he leaned his face upon his
mother, and burst into tears
ut was only dream"
Tenderly his mother drew her arm around
him, as she said, in tones of gentle admoni.
ton
Naughty feelings bring naughty dreams, u
All, if she could have known that for this
naughty dream" she was responsible, and
not the child, it might have been better for
that child, and for all of her children, in the
great future of their lives.
Mothers, be patient with your children
Wrong them not by sudden anger. Mar no,
the beauty Of their young spirit. Ifthcy are
wont to be angry with one another, to quar-.
'cl in their plays, to have the sunshine ol
good humor suddenly fade, look close to
yourselves, and see if the cause thereo: does
not lie mainly at your own doors. OF one
thing YOU NAV be ycry sure imnatient mn