Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1859-06-17

noon, the children were az home. and the
poor mother was prepared for trouble. Ere
long George came in crying, and said Mary
had struck him.
"No. | didn't mother ?" cried little Mary.
earnestly. 81 didn't strike him. He run
right against me-"
30. mercy what children; There, do
stop that boys mouth. Here, Ellen-where
are you' Take George out, and keep him
still
"But I've got my Sunday school lesson to
get" was Ellcn's answer.
"Do as tell you, this instant" was the
quick, angry rejoinder.
Ellen took the boy by the hand and in no
very good humor led him out, murmuring to
herself as she did so.
whats that you say; demanded the
mother, as she heard the muttering
"Nothing," was the reply
Don't tell me that. There-now go along"
A smart slap on the side Of Fllen's head ac-
compained this. and with sharp, quick cry,
the girl started away, dragging her brother
after her After a while, Ellen made bar
gain with Mary to take care Of George, she
wishing to study her lesson, and thus gained
the opportunity Perhaps this was wrong, as
her mother had directly commanded her to
take care of the boy but then she was often
forced to exercise her own Judgment with re-
spect TO her mothers commands for she very
frequently received orders which she could
not obey
And how many mothers there are that do
the same And yet how few women realize
the effect of their course.
For instance. the mother in moment ofg
passion. tells the child to get out of the way.
"There-be of-don't let me see you again
for week l"--and hundred other remarks
Of this kind. Now, these seem very simple
to the more capacious mind. but to the chill
dren they come with more confusing power.
The youthful mind is not wholly able to dis
tinguish always between the meaningless eb-
ulitons and orders which may be given in
good faith. And candid persons can see
what the result must be.
Somehow. about fifteen or twenty minutes
after Mary had taken charge of her brother.
Ellen was aroused by hearing loud cry. and
on hurryng around to the back door Of the
porch. she found George houndering in a tub
of dirty water. She got him out as quickly
as possible. and in a moment her mother was
on the spot.
"O." thought Ellen, ''if my mother would
only be kind now, wouldn't disobey her
again
But kindness was something poor Ellen
seldom experienced at her mothers hands.
especially when she was in fault.
"Now. what is all this - was Mrs. Green's
first exclamation.
81 don't know" returned Ellen; 81 got
Mary to take care Of George while | studied
my Sunday school lesson, and"
".Studied your Sunday school lesson and
didn't ! tell you to let your lesson be |
wish the Sunday school was sunk ! Now.
just look what a pretty mess you've been
making for me. you careless, good-ior-nothing
jade, you ("
But there is no need OF picturing the whole
scene. All we're in i'll temper-the mother
stormed and slapped-and the whole ended
by wish on the mothers part, spoken plain
" 70 the children. that there'd never been
such thing thought Of as a child She often
gave utterance to this sentence when she was
angry, and poor Ellen had heard it until she
really believed that her mother wished that
she had never been born.
When Mr. Green came home, he found his
wife in very ill-humor, and she gave as cause
that the "chidren had almost worried her life
out of her" The father felt at first like
correcting them, but when he remembered
how foudly they had welcomed him home,
and how little Ellen had laid her head upon
his bosom as though it ached, he could not
find it in his heart to chide them.
It was about week after this that Mrs.
Green had another blow with Ellen The
child had broken pitcher, and, upon confes-
sing the fault her mother spoke very harshly,
so harshly that Ellen did what she never
had done before-returned an impudent an
swer. More words followed, and finally the
mother sent the child off to school.
500" she said, ''and l hope ! may never
hear from you again.
Many mother who has used words to the
same effect, may shudder at this. Words
spoken in the heat Of feeling anger do not
fall upon the speakers soul with the same
force as when in print. The oath we hear
another use sounds much more harsh than
when, in anger, we may say the same sort of
words ourselves.
But Ellen went away to school. and all the
afternoon her head ached severely, so much
so that the teacher sent her out before the
school was over. With her head bowed. and
her shawl drawn snugly about her ears, she
podded on in the middle of the road, and
did not hear the team that came furiously
behind her
The driver saw her, but it was too late.
One Of the horses had struck her upon the
shoulder, and she was thrown violently down,
but fortunately far enough one side that the
wheel passed clear of her. The driver stop
ped his horse as soon as he could, and having
picked up the child. he recognized her at ouce,
but she could not speak.
Mrs. Green uttered wild cry when she
saw her child covered with blood, and her
first movement was to sink down in a swoon,
But she quickly revived, and having seen Ell
len laid on the sofa, she got the teamster to
hurry after the doctor
And now the mother was left alone with
her child She knelt by the little ones side,
and spoke to her, but no answer was returned.
"She is dead y groaned the frightened moth
er, claspng her hands in agony. And then
she remembered the words she had spoken to
her eldest born.
But the doctor came at length. He caused
Ellen's wounds to be washed, and, after
careful examination, he discovered that the
skull was not fractured, though there was a
deep wound upon the head, and a severe con
fusion, and also strain in the side. He
dressed the wound, and having prescribed
the necessary medicines, he gave strict orders
4 l.. L.