East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1865-02-15
Little Girls.

incomplete than that one where there
is no little girl to stand in the void of
the domestic circle which boys can
never fill, and to draw all hearts with
in the magic ring by the nameless
charm of her presence. There is
something about little girls which is
especially lovable even their willful,
naughty ways seem utterly void of evil
where they are so soon followed by
that sweet penitence that overflows in
such gracious showers. Your boys are
great, noble fellows, generous, loving,
and full of good impulses, but they
are noisy and demonstratiye, and dear
ly 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 tho slippers for papa, and
with her pretty dimpled fingers, UNI
folds the paper for HIM to read she
puts on thimble no bigger than
fairy's, and, with some very mysteri-
Gus combination of "doll rags" fills
up 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 the
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 woman,
and there is long and shining track
from the half-latched door of child
hood, till the girl blooms into the ma
ture woman. There are the brothers
who always lower their voices when
they talk 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 i'll all tho little
minor details of home life, of which
they would grow up ignorant if not
for her. And what shield she is
upon the dawning manhood wherein
so many temptations lie. Always her
sweet presence to guard and inspire
them, check upon profanity, 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 incipient beaux,
or love of young mon met on the
promenade. A girl like that has no
empty space in her head for such
thoughts to run hot in, and you don't
find her spending the evening in the
dim parlor with 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 he is ashamed
TO, there is no room for him there. -
Jenn:e's young heart has not been
filled by the pernicious nonsense which
result in SO many unhappy marriages
or hasty divorces. Dear girl, she thinks
all the time of what a good home she
has, what dear brothers, and on bond
edknees, Graves the blessing of Heaven
to rest on them; but she does not know
how far, very far, for time and eternity,
her own pure example goes, how it
will radiate as blessing into other
homes where q sisters memory will
be tho consecrated ground of the past.
Cherish, then, the little girls, dimp-
led 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 theirdoll babies to their hearts
content, and don't tell them Tom
Thumb and Red Riding Hood are
fctions, but leave them alone till they
find it out, which they will all too
soon. Answer all the funny questions
they ask, and don't make fun of their
baby theology; and when you must
whip them, do il so that if you should
remember it, il would not DO with
tears, for a great many little girls lose
their hold suddenly before the door
from which they have escaped 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 find great many
hard problems to solve.