Delaware State journal and statesman., 1865-02-03
LITTLE GIRLS.

| cannot well imagine home more in
complete than the one where there is no
little girl to stand in the void of the do
nestle circle which boys can never fill,
aud to draw all hearts within the magic
ring of her presence. There is something
about little girls which is especially love-
able; even their willul naughty ways
seem utterly void Of evil when they are so
soon followed by the sweet penitence that
oyertlows in such Gracious showers Your
boys are great noble fellows, generous,
loving, and full Of good impulses, but
they arc noisy and dcmonstratiye, and,
dearly as you love them, you are glad
their place is out of doors; but Jennie,
with her light step, is always beside you
she brings the slippers for papa, and,
with her pretty, dimpled fingers, unfolds
the paper for him to read she puts on
thimhe no bigger than fairy's, and,
with some very mysterious combination
Of ''doll rags fills up a small rocker by
mamma, with wonderful assumption Of
wOmanly dignity. And who shall tell
how the little thread of speech, that flows
with such sweet, silvery. lightness from
those innocent lips, twines itself around
tho mothers heart, never to rust, not even
when the dear little face is hid among the
daisies, as so many mothers know
But Jennie grows to be a woman, and
there is o long and shining track from
the hali-latched door of childhood till the /
girl blooms into the mature woman.
There are the brothers who always lower
their voices when they tall, to their sister.
and tell of the sports, in which she takes
almost as much interest as they do, while
in turn She instructs them in all the little
minor details Of home life, of which they
would grow up ignorant if not for her
And what HELD she is upon the dawn |
ing manhood wherein so many temptations
lie Always her sweet presence to guard |
and inspire them, Il check upon profanity,
u living sermon on immortality. How
fragrant the cup of tea she hands them
at the evening meal how CHEEKY her voice
as She relates the little incidents of the
day. No silly talk Of incipent bcaux, or
love of young men met on the promenade
A girl like that has no empty space in
her head for such thoughts to run riot in,
and you don't find her spending the even
ing in the dim parlor, witha questionable
young man for her company.
When her lover comes, he must say
what he has to say in the family sitting
room with father and mother, or, if
ashamed to, there is no room for him there.
Jcnnies young heart has lot been filled
by the pernicious nonsense which results
in so many unhappy marriages, or hasty
divorces. Dear girl, She thinks all the
time Of what good home she has, what
dear brothers, and, on bended knees, Graves
the blessings Of Heaven to rest on them
but she does not know how far very far,
lor time and eternity, her own pure ex.
ample goes, how it will radiate as a
blessing into other homes, where a sisters
memory will be the consecrated ground
of the past.
Cherish, then, the little girls, dimpled
darlings, who tear their aprons, and cut
the table-cloths, and eat the sugar, and
are themselves the sugar and salt of life
Let them dress and undress their doll
babies to their hearts, content, and don't
tell them "Tom Thumb" and "I,ed Riding
Hood" are fiction, but leave them alone
till they find it out, which they will all
too soon. Answcrall the funny questions
they ask, and don't make fun of their baby
theology and when yon must whip them,
do il so that, ilyou should remember it, it
would not be with tears, for great many
little girls lose their held suddenly before
the door from which they have just es-
capped is shut. and find their way back TO
the angels So be gentle with the darlings,
and see what % track of sunshine will fol-
low IN the wake Of the little bobbing heads
that daily lind great many hard problems
to solve.