The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-06-08
MY STEPSON-HOW I WON HIM.

"Who ever heard of anything so foolish,
so downright absurd, as Molly Brightwell
has done? Just think of it, Married a
widower who has three children and his
father beside to care for. She either fancied
he had heart-room plenty, or was willing
to occupy very limited portion herself, to
become a shareholder with such posse.
And then there are all the first wife's rela>
tions to please or displease. Oh, what a
fatew
al pity her. 1 wonder at her !" says
one.
81 pity him !" says another.
81 pity the children :" chimes in third.
II pity that poor old man exclaims a
fourth.
"Spare your pity until it is needed. I
do not borrow any trouble about little Mol
ly Brightwell. She is true woman. She
will wear with becoming grace the matri-
monial requisition, 'love, honor and obey
and in return will be duly loved, honored
and obeyed. Don't worry, girls, don't wor-
ry about little Molly and her affairs. She is
young, know, younger than any of US here,
but she has sound mind, of strong, ener-
getic will, is very conscientious, and will do
right. The wife and mother makes the home
and keeps the hearts that gather around the
hearth, if they are kept at all. There is no
home if woman's heart is not in the right
place; but when she is, as she ever ought
to be, the angel of the household, all hearts
will be sure to cluster around her and rest
serenely in the sunshine of her presence"
"Well spoken, Mrs. Blunt, we'll spoken
| am ready to endorse all you have said
Let Molly alone let her husband alone !;
and above all, do not meddle with the child
ren. Oh, leave the tender heart of childhood
free from cold suspicion and distrust. Do
not make them quake with fear before the
shade of a terror cometh. Leave them
alone in peace, and you yourselves will soon
forget that the shade of stepmother's wings
broods over their household. Treat them
at all times as you would any other family,
and you will soon find them settled down
comfortably to their own ireside enjoyments
as happy as people generally are. Mischief
does not make itself-it is miscellaneous
compound prepared by meddlers, chiefly for
their own amusement and the annoyance of
others. So do not meddle. beg ofyou to
keep yourselves clear from such heinous
crime. cannot call it anything less than
crime. Meddlers are domestic nuisance,
with whom as a class of concentrated mean
ness there is no parallel at least have
never found one. Ispeak from experience.
1t was in that incompatible school that /
was taught this bitter lesson, that the un-
timely interference of others often causes
trouble in families where, but for such in
reference, no discord would ever have ex-
listed. For example, you say to Molly
Brightwell how pity you to think you are
going into such family. Such family
repeats Molly to herself. was not aware
before that they differed materially from the
average mass of families. Such family,
she again repeats, and in sailor parlance be
gins to look out for breakers ahead and
trim her sails accordingly; and it will be
marvel if with your assistance she is not
doomed to find it is indeed such family.
And just so it will be with each member o.
the family if you 60 to pouring out your
unealled for pity upon them. Now to elu-
cidate my position will give you wai
from my experience if you would like to
have me-"
"Indeed we would"
Grandmother Southside mad not lived
three score years without purpose. She
must kave had some marked passages in her
life history, and we would be very happy il
she would point them out to us. 1t would
do us good, we were sure, to listen to the
words that dropped from the lips of expert
ence and wisdom. Our hearts always grew
tender in her presence, and we have often
wished that our gentleness of soul might
make our youthful faces as fair and beauti
full as hers, with all its wrinkles. There
may be handsomer women in the world than
Grandmother Scuthside, but none more
beautiful. A living type of pure, spiritual
loveliness, she walked among US our coun.
selor, guide and friend. So calm, so peace
full was her life, we surely thought she al
least had never drank of the bitterness that
is full often mingled with the sweet in the
cup of life. We saw the brightness of her
countenance, but what her memory looked
back upon was to us veiled picture.
"It is simple story, girls, but it may
serve to interest you for an hour or two, anG
keep you from borrowing too much trouble