Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1864-03-08


this protracted meeting. One of those La
dies was Mrs. Eldridge Twas passing 10
her neghhorhocd about four O'Clock, aud
as owed her call, thought the opportu-
nifty good one for returning it. 90 en-
tering, my ears caught the blended music
os piano, and ohiliren's happy voices
From the front parlor, through the partly
opened door, q sight, beautiful to nv eyas,
was revealed. Mrs. Eldridge was seated
at the INSTRUMENT. her sweet babe asleep
on one arm, while, with q single hand, she
was touching the notes of familiar air, to
which four children were dancing. A
more Innocent, loving, happy eroup have
never seen. For nearly ten minutes gas
ed upon them un0bserv ed, so Interested til at
i forgot the questionable propriety of my
conduct, and during that time, not an un-
kind word was altered BY one Of the. chill,
dren, nor did anything occur 20 mar the
harmony Of the scene. It was q sight on
which angels could have looked, nay, did
look with pleasure; for, whenever hearts
are tuned to good affections, angels are
present. The music was suspended, and
the dancing ceased, as presented myself.
The mother greeted me with happy smile,
and each of the children spoke to her visi-
tor with an air at once polite aud respect
full.
''I've turned nurse for the afternoon, YOU
see.' said Mrs. Eldridgs. cheerfully, Its
Alioe's day TO 20 out, and never like to
trust our little ones with the chambsrmaid,
who isn't over fond of children. Wegen.
orally have a good time on these occasions,
for give myself no to them entirely
They've read, and played, and told stor
los nntil triad aDd Nom Tf1a ,r.ak H., .
| ened them up, body and mind, with q
dance
And bright and happy they all look
| ed.
Nov run up into the nursery for little
while, and build block houses said she,
| while have little pleasant talk with my
friend. That's good children. And want
| you to be very quiet, for dear little Eddy is
fast asleep, and Pm going to lay him in his
crib
Away went the children and heard no
more of them for the half hour during
which / staid. With the child in her arms,
! Mrs. Eldridge went UP to her chamber. and
l vent with her. As she was laying him in
the crib, l took from the mantle small
porcelain figure of a kneeling child, and
was examining it, when she turned to me.
u
ed. We call it our Eddy, saying his
prayers. There is o history attached to it.
| Very early teach my little ones to say an
| evening prayer l therefore seek to i'm
| plant, in the very dawning of thought, an
idea of God, and cur dependence on him
! for life and all our blessings, knowing that.
if duly fixed, this idea will ever remain,
and be the vessel. in after years. for the
/ nf IL.
great source Of all truth. Strangely enough
my little Eddy, so sweet in temper as be
was, steadily refused to say his prayers
l tried in every way that could think 81
to induce him to kneel with the other chill.
dren. and repeat few simple words ; but
no, his aversion thereto was unconquera-
BILE. at last grew really troubled about
it. There seemed to be vein in his char
actsr that argued no good. One day saw
! this kneeHng child in q store With the
! sight of it came the thought Of how / might
use it / bought the figure, and did not
| show it to Eddy until he was about going
to bed. The effect was all had hoped tC
| produce. He looked at it for some mo-
| ments earnestly, then dropped Oh his littlt
! knees, elasped his white hands, aud muir.
INJURED the prayer / had so long and 81
vainly strOve strOve to make him re-
peat
Tears we're in the eyes of Mrs Eldridge
as she uttered the closing words. / fel
that she was true mother, and loved hel
children with high and holy love. Ant
now, let me give you picture that stron e
lS contracts with this. Not far from Mrs
Eldridge, resides lady, who is remarka
BILE for her devotion to the church, and,
am compelled TO say, want of charity tow
ards all who happen to differ with her
more particularly, if the difference involves
church matters. 1t was after surdowu
still being 10 the neighbJrhoOd, ! embrac
ed the opportunity 70 make q call. Or
ringing the bell, heard. Immediately, I
chatter Of feet down stairs and along thu
passage accompanied by children's voices
loud and boistrous. Ii was some time be.
fore the door was opened, for each Of tn
four children, wishing to perform the Of
fce each resisted the others attempts t
admit the visitor. Angry EXPLANATIONS
rude ouicries, ill names, and struggles 70
the advantage continued, until the ccOk
attracted from the kitchen by the noise, ar
rived at the scene of contention, and, afte
Jerking the children so roughly as to sc
the two youngest crying. ewing it open
, and ertered. On gaining the parlol
| asked for the mother of these chi
dren.
) "She isn't at home said the cook
J ashes gone to church, said the Oldest
t he children.
"I wish she'd stay at home remarke
the cook in q very disrespectful way, an
3 with a manner that showed her 10 be mue
frstted in her mind. 'It's Mary's day on
3 and she knows can't do anything. vii
t the children. Such children never saw
!, They don't mind q word you cay, 90
quarrel so among themselves, that it maxi
me sick to hear them
| AT this moment headless doll struC
against the side Of my neck. It ha
q been threwn by one child at another; mi
q sing her aim, che gave me the benefit
+ her evil intention. At this, cook lost q
patience, and seiziug the offending lit
one, boxed her soundly before could il
terfere. The language used by that chill
q. as she escaped from the cooks hands, VI
shocking. 1t made my flesh ersepl
"Did understand you to say that yo
mother had gone to church, I asked
the oldest child.
:, Yes, ms'am,' was answered, she
i been every day this week. There's pI
tracted meeting
"Give me that bookp screamed chill
at this moment. CHANGING across the ROOF
saw two of the little ones contending
10 possession of large family Bible, viii
e, lay upon small table. Before l cou
: reach them, for l started forward, an il
ID pulse of the moment, the table was throy
over, the marble top broken, and the Gov
ir torn from the sacred volume
i'll The face of Mrs. Andrews became
is stantly of a deep crimson. Not seeming
al notice this, her friend continued
at As the table fell. it came within an in
of Of striking another child on the head, "
y, had seated himself on the floor. Had
ne done so, fractured skull, perhaps
slant death, would have been the con-
er Quence.'