The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1862-06-04
I" MOTHERS BOY"

y
large family of brothers and sis;ers-the
children of a wealthy but hard-working
farmer and his invalid wife. And of all
the flock David was the only one who re-
sembled his mother, either in the external
likeness of feature and expression, or in
those mysterious resemblances of spiritu-
al life which serve to bind two beings,
thus situated, in a stronger union than
that Of mere consanguinity.
"Ah! yes. That's David. He's al
ways sitting in the chimney-corner, poring
over books. 1 s'pose he'll have college
larnin' He's mothers boyI' his stal-
wart brothers were wont TO inform stran-
gers, with an expression as like sneer as
their stolid features could be made to as
sumo.
And so his sisters, persisting in the,
to them, pleasant fiction that books and
papers, and such like literary material,
were but useless lumber, would assail the
innocent student with much "sound and
fury" driving him per force OF broom
sticks and busters, to the safe refuge Of
mothers room," and flingng after him
the shrill voiced tauEt that there was his
best place, since he was lazy milksop
and mothers own boy"
And David liked well this calm retreat.
He would scarcely ever have left it, in all
the long hours of his puny childhood, had
not his careful mother sent him forth to
gather roses from the winds aud balmy
air. She knew the close, sickly air of that
invalid's chamber was not adapted to the
healthy development of this puny human
plant, and she would deny herself the
pleasure of the sight of the fair, pale face
and curly hair of her darling for many
an hour, in which she thought he was
gathering strength.
And SO, as he grew up she spent starv-
ing days-days in which her heart was
all an hungered and athirst for his love-
while he went to school and feasted his
eager mind on such meagre stores of
learning as his country pedagogue could
imparL.
He was at home now, well-grown lad,
though palIid and fragile indeed, as he
stood beside those ruddy Anakins who
cultivated his fathers fields and dared to
sneer at him whose all wealth and power
lay snugly compact in that gracious, we'll
poised head.
David was like his mother-we have
said that before. But his fate was likely
to be happier than hers, so at least the
poor woman thought. He must care for
his health, and then, being man, he cod
achieve all the rewards and triumphs for
which he longed. He should, he must,
and thus, not wholly unsatisfod, she sho'd
through him enjoy and achieve likewise
those things of which her youth had
dreamed, but which her sordid, suffering
life had been denied her. q
Her husband stood before her-come
10 pay his daily vista tall man with
hard withered face, producing a general
impression of knottiness and knobbiness,
from the fact that hard work and "rheu-
matiz" had made many of his joints more
stiff and prominent than quite accorded
either with beauty or use. ''
"Wall, how are you this mornin',
mother? Pretty peart, ehT
Mrs. Graham had answered these ques-
tions daily, in various ways, for score of
years, but never had she administered
such q sensation Of astonishment to her
husband as when, after assuring him that
she Uas moro "peart" than usual, she
added that she wished TO speak with him,
and asked him to sit down little while
by her side.
Il think I've been a good wife to you,
Mr.. Graham, have | not ?" she began, at
least till became sick and helpless"
Of course, mother-of course ye have.
Nobody ever heard me complimentary
says complain, do theyl 'Taint goin' to
ruin me if yon're sick, and sickness as ex-
pensiye. / wish ye was well, but I don't
complain if you don't"
81 know sickness is expensive, but do
not cost you much, and / worked very
hard twenty years before fell i'll. Oh,
no, ! never heard that You complained"