Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-05-12
Home without a Mother.

Yes, truly, IN the words OF the song
sWhat is home without a motherg-
Father is away from home all day on
business. Brothers and sisters are off at
school or elsewhere-but mother? Her
place is at home. Every one else can be
spared-every one else is spared and not
SO much missed whom gone; but moth
er? Ali it is a dreary thing for father
and brothers and sisters when they take
their accustomed places in the family cir
Gle at night and mother is not there.
When mothers gone. how all the
wheels of tho domestic machinery go
wrong! While she is at home you do
not notice how all important her simple
presence is to the comfort of the whole
family. Things seem to go right of
themselves as long as her watchful eye
and careful hand and quiet presence are
in the house; but if sho goes away-if it
be only for day-you feel a! once that
the motive power which kept the whole
establishment in harmonious motion has
been withdrawn.
There are thousand little things nee
ccssary to the general comfort which no
one but mother ever thinks Of doing-a
thousand such little things which no one
can ever do just as she does them. You
thought it was "Mary" who kept the
children quiet, but you will find out your
mistake if mother goes away. Poor lit
tie things! They wander restlessly about
the house calling out: Where's moth
erT Il want motherr why doesn't
mother come home!' And then they
get into hitherto unknown mischief, and
do all sorts of wrong things, and make
themselves and everybody around them
uncomfortable-get their clothes torn
and dirty, and their faces, too, and by
the fact of their heads being 10 state of
permanent uncombedness. as to hair, you
may know that mother is away from
home. And the baby! Did you ever
see or hear of baby that wouldn't cry
all day--and all night, too-wheu moth
er's gone? don't care if it is the brag
baby Of the world, and big two-year-
old at that, it cannot get along without
mother; and it has too much sense to Try
to do so.
Who can manage Bridget or Katarna
as she can! Not you or l, surely !
The dinner is always half an hour too
late when mothers away from home
And what kind of dinner is it, after all |!
Everything comes up cold-over done Or
UNDERGONE beef, waxy potatoes, salad
spoiled by too much mustard and vine
gar in the dressing. aud a failure in the
way of dessert. Then the salt spoons OF
the napkins are forgotten.
The tea-table is, Impossible, still more
desolate. 1t just spoils your appetite to
look over to her vacant place and miss
her dear, familiar countenance from be-
hind the tea-urn, or if substitute sits
there, don't you feel inclined to BE- spite
ful? As if anybody could ill mothers
place!
Then, the clock is sure to run down,
and the sitting room is untidy. The car
pet is Uttered and the hearth not swept.
How father hates that sort of thing =
And it never seems like evening at home
when mothers gone. Everybody feels
lost and dismal-everybody misses moth
er. Poor children! They go off to bed
cross and disconsolate, crying for mother!
All but the baby--sensible little creature
it has decided not to go to bed ut all
without mother. 1t repulses all poor
fathers pacifcatory efforts with disdain.
And if he was so i'll informed or so I'M
grateful as to entertain poor opinion of
mothers importance, | guess he is likely
to alter this estimate before morning If
baby and lost sleep can exert any infu
ence over him and his opinions. All
this because mother is not at home to
oversee and look after and soothe and
make everything 60 right with her gen.
tie ways and patient words, aud kind,
loving face.
Very, very dreary isthe family heart
stone when her place is untitled! Very
dismal are the rooms of the household
when she moves not through them with
her matronly step and air, unconsciously
dispensing cheerfulness and light and
identifying the humblest duties by the
sweet, womanly way in which she per-
forms them. Bear in mind that l speak
always of the HOME MOTHER.
And when she goes out from her ac-
customed place to come no more forever;
when we miss her gentle hand and ever
wakeful, ever patient love and her self
sacrificing acts, what a gloom falls over
the neglected household! All were de-
pendent in her. Who shall ttly fill her
place? Who, indeed ?--Hoa0ard GZyn-
don.