Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-08-06
Mtsrelianeous.
From the Summit County Deacon.
THE FAIRIES ON THE BROW;
THE MOTHERS OF SYMplTHY.

- $1,000
Ross, bringing down the fat iron with which she
was polishing a shirt bosom, and accompanying the
thump with a stamp of the foot and a frown Of
v~exstion. "There! you have made me so nervous
and fdgety that | hardly know whatI am about,
and my starched clothes will not 30 ct to be Sc en-,
at this rate p she continued, rubbing briskly with
the corner Of a wet towel, over q slight soil upon
the linen.
"Oh, poor Dolly You have got der arm of,
lnie brother, and i can never put it on again. ]
/ sm 50 sorry-my own pretty little doll, that came
here all new aud clean last Christmas. Oh, it is
too bad ~ and disconsolate little Emma sobbed
aloud.
Il an 30 sorry, too, sister, if / hadn't caught
my foot 10 the carpet, l wouldn't have fallen down
and split the play-tbings 80. See, my little bark
ing dog is knocked of his bellows, and l cannot
make him bark any more, and my head struck the
corner of my block box too, and feels so badly
oh, | do wieh l hadn't fallen down" And frankie
rubbed his bruised forehead, and gazed wocfully at
detbroned Towser, and manned Dolly who main
tanned her rosy cheeks, bright eyes and smiling
lips in spite of the amputation she had just suffer
ed.
Mrs. Ross was tired and nervous-she had been
heh - W 80 u b'Nihih6t pSibB N VI tbOcV
''Martbas" who are always careful and troubled
about many things, No matter how much help
she had, she could never throw of any Of her
housekeeping responsibilities, but still bore her
burden Of care, and fretted and worried for fear
everything would not be done at just the right
time and in the most approved manner, till she
grew to be impatient and fault-fnding herself
and. in her anxiety to make her home O model of
neatness and comfort, often rendered those around
her uncomfortable by her care worn, wearied look
her hasty expressions, or her gloomy silence
When demonstrated with upon this failing; which
her husband declared to be the only one she had,
she always attributed it to her unfortunate tenn
permanent, never attempting to control the fault by
resolutely assuming q cheerful look and tone
and passing lightly over the petty annoyances tc
which she was daily subjected. Her children had
become accustomed to the shadow upon her brow
and were not OF all alarmed at her predictions OF
''going distracted, flying away" &c, &c.-and they
usually needed her words for a moment or two,
when, seeing her busy a. work, they would resume
their prattle, and soon forget that ''mother was
nervous and fdgety." So it was on this occasion,
they were soon as noisy as ever and were COM
manded in a 2eevish, ungentle tone to ''leave the
room that there might be a little peace and quiet
in the house,. They obeyed, but the cloud still
brooded over the mothers face, and she sighed,
Bit her lips, and toiled YEARLY on, Disconnected
with life, dissatisfied with herself, and vainly seek
ing to lay the blame upon some other person,
which belonged to herself. She was sure her hus-
band did not appreciate her trials and duties-she
believed the children were trying to see how much
they could tease her, and that Biddy was too care
less and stupid to attempt to relieve her Of any Of
her cares. She was a poor abused woman, at bes,
born to plod YEARLY along over a rugged weary
way. "Oh dear !" she sighed, and, looking up
encountered the sympathising gaze of her lame
SOD, quiet, gentle Jamie, who had been sitting
near her all the morning, bending over the pages
of a new book, more than once (though she would
have blushed to confess i'll exciting her envy By
the picture of ease und enjoyment he presented
leaning back in his stuffed chair, while the sof
April breeEes lifted bis chestnut curls, and famed
his broad white brow with their fragrant Wings
A vase of violets stood in the open window, bee
lowered around with their CHEEKY hum, and bird
warbled among the apple boughs; jamie had no
thing to do butdrink in the pleasures of the Sprinl
morning, lounge, to read at his leisure, and net
"'S A"hShS1c ~ "oo a. hoPPfNo
being about the house. He had ceased to be inter
ested in his book however, and sat gazing at til
sad, anxious face of his really kind mother, an,
bis warm heart yearned towards her. So he said
"Mother, l wish | could help you, you feel a.
most sick don't you2P
81 do feel badly this morning-I work too har
and get nervous and tired, and, and" Mrs
Ross could say no more, she bent closer than eve
over her work, as the tears gathered in her eyes
and it required q strong effort to subdue her risinI
emotions.
"'Cannot Biddy learn to iron, Mother 7" aske
Jamie, after o short pause. at q e-
II have never put her upon such work she iron
the coarse clothes very well, but l could not trus
her with my clear ~starching and fine Clothes"
"Why Mother, l believe | could do it myse
with a little teaching. Wont you show mt hov
and let me try 2" and selling his cratches b
swung himself lightly to her side. ID
Mrs. Ross was smiling now, the sun had broke
through the clouds and the genial light of her To-
ing heart shone through the mist of tears like th
sunbeams after an April shower.
'Thank you Jamie, my boy! don't want 20
to learn though. / can do it myself; perhaps
will let Biddy try it next week. But really"-an
she laughed at his playful attempts TO wrest tn
fat-iron from her grasp.
swell, Mother. I'll be good and mind now, onl
do keep your own happy smile on, love it
much.n And he kissed her cheek as be turne
away. q
o, what a change had been wrought by tho
few kind words, and what a healing balm had tn
little exhibition Of sympathy poured into the wea
heart Of thar mother, from whose face the disco
tented and peevish frown had departed, and Civ,
place to a look of quiet happiness as she appli
herself with renewed energy to her work scarce
realizing what she was doing, SO interested.bad s
become in the pleasant sketch which jamie re-
aloud in a clear musical tone sometimes pausil
to attract her attention to some object of beau
and interest-some sweet sound or refreshil
LEaeza tLat stnlk in at the nnen winding or 10 ma