The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-09-23
.RAyENNA, @, WFDNEs DAY, SEPTEMBER %, 1868

ed on the plainness of speech which has dis
turbed you.'' @
The red spots fade of from the mothers
cheeks. The keen light went ont of l-er eyes
Go on,' she said, hor. voice dropping dowl
from its sharp key.
Edward had called over to see the chill
dren.. We always like to have him come
He is never rude, nor coarse in his manners,
but gentlemanlv in learing beyond what is
usually seen in lads of his age. 1 have, more
than once, compared him With, my Oldest son,
and wished that j Ohm resemhled him ii mary
things. The two boys were in the parlnr
alone. John, / ani sorry to say, is not railways
/ to be trusted, He is over curious, and apt to
medde with things that should he sacred from
his touch. Recently he has become interest
ed in insects, and has begun to collect and
preserve them. There was a vase of wax
4 flowers on the parlor mantei-p!ece, the inge-
4 MUS maker of which had placed several in
tations of moths and beetles among the leaves.
4 The vase was covered with glass. Johns
z new formed interest in entomology had given
special attraction to these wax moths and
beetles; and on this occasion he went so fat
as 10 Fifth glass covering that he mi ght OBJ
tain closer view. In yenturing to5-do this,
one of those accidents that so freq iently hap,
pen with children aud grown pc pie, when
they are not doing just right, occurred. aaThe
, glass shield slipped from Johns hand, and
:. cracked to pieces on the floor. The uoise
staItle and excited me. / went hastily 10
the parlor, ana saw at glance the damage
which had been done, and also comprehended
the cause of the disaster. Edward looked
pale and frightened; John flushed and griev-
ed. Repentance and self-condemnation had
come with the accident Even through my
, Indignation, which could not be stayed, saw
that. Hard words were struggling to come
f through my lips, butI repressed them Ex-
periegce warned me to keep silence until
: could speak calmly, and under the influence
of reason.
: II stood, for few moments, looking at
5 the shivered glass, aud then, without trusting
my lips to say anything, went out for the
dust pan and brush. l was glad that I had
. controlled myself. LIS my experience, that
;, scolding almost always does harm; and even
where it works corrections of bad habits,
:. am certain that different way would have
been better was quite telf-posscssed wher
:, returned. As I stopped to gather up tho
! broken fragments of glass, John came u}
& close to ne. / did not speak to- nor look a
him. Edward had drawn away to distan
"a part of the room. Silently the work of col
lectirg the pieces of glass went on, Joll
: standing near me all the while 1t was done
, and was about rising, when l felt his arm
:, across nry shoulder. Pm so sorry he said
: in penitent voice, laying his face dow
: against mine, which 1 had turned towards him
1t was wrong to touch it, I know; but
!, thought would be so CAREFUL I eau't tel
= what made it slip out of my had' Acci
dents are almost sure to happen with us, m
:. son., l answered gently, but tseriously, whe
1e we are not doing just what is right. {
this disaster stand as a lesson fa. the future
l. : You shall take my money, and tuy ne'
: case, MOTHER he answered, in spirit
y manly justice that was grateful to my ears
IVY If this little experience will make you MOI
II of us viii very deeply regret the aecident.'-
He put his arms around my neck aud kiSse
~ me. l kissed him in return, and then wer
out, thanking God in my heart that He ha
IL helped me to seif-control in moment of TT
al, when passion would have hurt my 10y.
Not long afterwards heard the boys tall
ing together. Edward said, If it had bee
irt my mother, she would have scoIded at m
nd until was mad enough to break everythiI
it in the house. Why didn't your mother SEQ
,es you {? Because she loves me, and know
-. that scoldng wouldn't make me half so sor
10y as ann L wished that my mother ,lovt
Ter me- said Edward, in a tone of voice so S;
rty and longing that it brought the tears into n
$ eyes''
,,s The mother of Edward caught her brea
at this. Her lips moved as if she were abo
wh WE TO speak but she repressed what was in Ii
III, thoughts, and kept silent. -
or Sc OF course Your mother loves you,' a
no swered ,!ohp.'' So the friend continued.
" But Edward said, No, Pm sure she does
ou love me- Why do you say that p que
toned John. If she loved me, She would
VAS be always scolding me, and hurting
an hard words, no matter what do. Oh, J oil
if had such mother as you have, I'd
the happiest boy aliyel I'd dc anything
hey herr
v
tful broken by the friend, who said
,res =, {" Forgive me for having told you this.
NJ, The wounds of friend are better than t
any kisses of any enemy. Forgive what m
ory seem an exaltation of myself above you
ears who knows my heart knows that in it Their
,in- no pride of superiority. He knows how we
- l am How often fall short. How of
isie passion gets the better of reason how nea
the was to bearing me down yesterday. 1t wa
His strength that overcame, and helped
said boy instead of hurting him. In His siren.
: En- you may overcome also, and win the love
= :. - a child whose heart is athirst for your love
sss is the dropping flower athirst for the dew
ust- rain.'' 5.. ss5
a. The mother of Edward bowed her face
her to her hands. For little while, her bt
-. shook with half choked sohs Then
use. use looked up at her friend. Her eyes We're Y
arm her face pale, her lips curved with pain
wiser grief.
ems q You are not hurt with me ?''
No, no. she answered. '' Not with Y
'no but with myself, What have been don
-. What madness has possessed me? kr
my that love begets love-that, in Mrs. Howl
,an,s beautiful words, it has reader will than
stor - know, also, that hardness begets hardin
10 that driving is more difficult and far less
T. tain than leading. And, yet. knowing all t
lmly I have sought 10 rule my children bv pas,
ex- and force; to drive instead of leading Il
hos. into the right ways No. no. lam not
= with you. For all this plain speaking. vi
'e ol ! so much needed, / thank you from
is it depths of my heart H.it is not better '
imp, both me and my children in the future, it
-, not ha Cour f,ult Rut II shall he ha+tar