Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1868-09-16

At this moment the mother threw from
her hands the work upon which she was en-
gagged, and starting up in passion, came
with quick step and reso!ute air, into the
room where her children are in dispute
Didn't | tell you to give your sister her
dolls bonnet?'' she exclaimed. srizing the
now frightened little boy by the arm, and
holding him with a tight grip Say, didn't
| tell you to? what do you mean by such cen
duct?' And without waiting for an expa-
nation she struck him one or two blows.
Il did give it to her, said John. as som
as he could find his voice. There it is, ly-
ing at her feet now'
You didn't give it to me. You only
threw it at me, was Indignantly answered
by Amy.
The mother saw that Amy had partly de-
ceived her, and that she had been too quick
to punish.
You are naughty storytelling girl y
she said, turning with new Indignation to-
wards Amy and raising her hand to punish
her also. But something in the aspect of
the child stayed the uplifted hand, and the
smarting strokes fell not upon the frighten-
ed culprit.
Naughty childrenl' she said, as she re-
gained little self possession. Naughty
children, to be always quarreling with one
another I'm surprised and ashamed of
you What will your father think when he
hears of this? How will he feel wien he
IL h., i Il
angry with one another? 1t makes me sick
and sad 10 think that my children should
act so wickedly -
Very little of right impression did the
mothers censure make upon the minds of
her unhappy children, the sunshine Of whose
pl asant day her own darkeuing anger had
clouded. They stood with partly averted
faces; silent, moody, and with unkindness
in their hearts. Their apparent want Of
penitence fretted their weak mother mind.
She looked for, or at least required, an obe-
dient yielding on their part. She expected
them to kiss and be friends again. at her
word as if love and kindness were vassals
that came and went at anothers bidding.
But she could not command the sun of love
to shine, nor scatter with the breath OF her
lips, the shadows that were around their
spirits.
Il must separate you p she said at last,
with stcrnness OF voice aud manner that
showed more of angry Indignation than love.
Amy, do you go over into my room and
stay there alone, until call you; aud you,
John, 90 off to the garret, and don t let me
see your face until your father comes home.
| shall tell him of all this
As if any place would be more agreeable
than that in which their mothers presence
smote them, the two children at this com
mand went quickly away; Amy into her
mother room and John into the lonely
garret. Both, the instant they were entire
ly alone, abandoned themselves to tears
Amy sobbing TO herself as If her little heart
would break, and John standing still in the
centre of the garret floor, with scalding drops
upon his burning checks. To the boy there
was cruel mystery in the sudden change
towards him which his sister had manifest
ed. He understood that her mother had re-
fused to let her have a pair Of scissors to cut
out dresses for her paper dolls, and ne could
understand how this would fret her mind
but he was too young and unskiled in the
philosophy Y of mental Transitions TO compre-
hend how the disappointment should have
wrought in her so great change of feeling
/ towards himself, and caused her to act with
selfish unkindness.
If Johns mother had not punished him.
he codd have forgiven Amy. But the blows,
though felt only for moment by his shrink
/ ing body, still smarted on his spirit as pain
/ fully as when they were given in sudden an
/ ger. In little while the boy stears ceased
/ to flow. Sitting down on an old chest, and
in the shadow of an unhappy mood, he
/ brooded in loneliness and sorrow over the
/ early mystery of life, and learned one of his
| first lessons of hate towards those by whom
1 he felt that he had been wronged. An evil
seed had been sown in the earth of his
/ young heart, and, alrea dy its latent princi-
( pie of life was moving with vital force
'.Ill look up all my picture books" he
said to himself spitefully. Amy shan't
/ look into one of them again as long as she
lives | won't play with her any more, nor
paint ano her dolls dress for her. I'll throw
her kitten from the window, and let the ca
nary out of the cage-and III burn every
one of her playthiugs that l can put my
hands on. -
Now, though John never executed any of
these dreadful threats against his little sister,
he was really iaearnest when he made them,
so full of bad feeling was his heart. And
though on that very day he passed hours
with her in sport, he did not feel right to-
wards her, aud was not so willing to yield
his wishes for her pleasure as he had been
in times past.
As for Amy. poor child! She was wretch
ed enough, alone in her mother room, when
but for her mother angry refusal to let her
have a pair of scissors, she might still have
been playing happily with her brother, who
had been separated from her, and sent away
up into the garret, where she was afraid tc
stay all by herself even for single moment.