The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-02-05
OBJ Columbia Gourirr
A w ,rd for s.,e s:Erirea.

Childhood i; erca, Institution, and al
though sometimes in the concrete it may be
a little tyrannical, yet in the abstract it is
never overratcd. The hope OF the void
lies IN its children; not only It's hope Of
Continuance, but OF physical and moral ial-
provenent. The au lit specimens ofhuman-
ity are all ofth m imp rfect, nay, Cor the
most par prejn'lic,sl and i,uprac,cabc =
Full of the nobleSt capacities we have just
ms 'cfl Of noblcne,S. Overfl win with the
milk ofhum,n Kindness, it has all be cur-
died by single acdu'ous drip. After run
ming vigorously in the race Of life f,r years,
we fad that we started through mistake,
very slightly in the wrong direction, and
have gradually reced.'cl from the goal. But
here at our feet in era lbs, cribs and carriages,
are the young creatures who shall atone
for all our wrongs. Taev ere the ciohers
That, annexed to our significance, shall in
crease its value tenfold They are our excuse
and beautiful one. for having presumed 70
live. We are monarchs who confessedly
have governed i'll, but we al,di ate in favor Of
our children.
They give tie race n chance for that phv.
steal improvement which it so greatly needs.
The tree that has been girdled by vcruia or
scathed by lightning, blossoms, fully for
single spring, AMI drops plentcous fruitage
among the last leaves it shall gather strength
to shed; saying pathctically. II perish, but
thesesrcmain. | bequeath you the germs Of
many healthful lives, in return for 'one that
is stricken and doomed" Even tn IS, like
blighted tire we stand, a group Of dyspep-
tics gannt and gray. rejoicing only in the
transferred life that shall quicken fairer
forms than ours.
bright as his manly sire the son sha nsse.
In mind and soul, but ali, more biest than he.
Such is the fathers unuttered sentiment,
and the hopeful burden of the mothers
crowning song BIT, really as we are to
yiel Tour own lives for those 50 much richer
in promise, our self abnegation is neither
uniform nor consistent. We often wrong
these young creatures through our very weak
ness as the falling tree brushes the saplinss
that should ha replaced its loss. 1t is de
light!nl to Us to treat them with inju icious
indulgence, and we do not scruple to do so.
well knowing that they must suffer for the
perishable joy We snatch. An exchange
speaks of the proncness Of Nurses to push
their young charges backwards in their lit
tie carriages and recommends substituting a
rope for tn. pole, thus compelling them to
draw instead Of pushing. The fault, with
US, is not confined to domestics. We have
seen mothers prnpelling the pnny passenger
before them, not so much bccaIseit is cas'-
or as because they Thus lave the precious
darling constantly in sight. And for this
indulgence, they give him his daily drive in
such direction as would spoil one for
themselves They tell us that h, soon gets
accustomed to it. More's the pity. That
mole of locemotton is unnatural an inj,,ri.
GUS, physically and morally. Life was
never meant to he re'rogra'le; Tt should be
progressive, from what is confessedly impcr.
feet, to the better and the best. Let the lit
tie ones look onward in the course where as
yet we lead, though sooa to yield precedence
to their more agile feet. Though We may
often Be forced to pause AMI look thought
fully behind US, lc. their young faces. be
always turned tn,meet,thc "good time com
ing"