Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-08-30
Our 5youn9 folaa,
One Unguardcd Uoulrnt.


II was the close ct busy Apr day.
To "a mothers ear spring has other yoiee-
chan those off birds and brooks Tae call
ot blossom and bul is often lost in the
louder call within home.
closed the >cwing-macbue. and folded
the little unfinished garments Hita "a tired
sigh. and went for goodnight Kiss no
tie children. who had just gone to bed. As
each white-robtd figure SAT- up 70 fold my
neck. with small loving arms telt vague
IS conscious OF wrong to them during the
carc-irauEht hours Of the long day. Eth-
oss Of hasry words ana sharp tones came
remorseiuIy back to my ear, now IN this
-tj.icr atmosphere. aul the gentle voice o.
One who taught that the life j. more
than meat, and the body than raimeut,
sounded clear above them Tears limmed
my eyes, ana with lingering good night
kiss | left them. and went back to the
sitting room.
Gentle kind Aunt Mary whose visits
the children love. sat ia the quiet rwiIi -ht.
and as I entered, She sand, ONE Kate.
aud sit Gown by me Ii the large chair II
vii. 10 you good 10 rest awhile. | have 4
story 10 ten you I nave Been Watching
sou and the children, aud I Trims sou
need g hear i. II you viii learn s lesson
hY my bitter experience. It will comp en~ate
me for Il e pain q recalling it." With her
motberIy arm around me ! sat down 70
listen.
When | was young, busy mother
ike yourself, and Arthur was about your
WHY'S age | was max ing him little new
L. - e. 4.
icate shade, and contra>ted beautifully with
his fair face and soft black eyes, and
was 50 proud and happy ia every stitch
of the work. 1t was for Christmas, anu
when 1t was nearly done I called him q
try it ON for the last time.
The little, cklesS, dancing fellow
found il hard work to stand still, and made
it almost impossible for me 70 tel. what
changes it needed Turning him around
to see the back Of it, | did not notice that
he caught up the scissors from a chair.
When | took a front view again, / saw
that he had taken the oily wlpug-cloJh
that lay on the sewing-machine aud had IT
pressed tight against the breast Of hi,
dress, trying to cut it. IN utter veXatIou
and dismay. | roughly snatched the rag
and scissors from his haud-ju-t a. YOU
caught the book and pencil from Willy
this morning-only giving them an addi-
tiouai unnecessary twist from loss of tenn
per. A sharp cry Of pain from my baby
boy, and the stream OF blood pouring iron
his little hand, sobered me Instantly. In
some way his finger had been between the
blades, and my wrench OF the scissors had
brought them together, so that the tender
little finger was cut through to the bon,
on both sides. | lost no tine, though al
Of my heart bed with it. The jsggcc
wound was gaping widely apart on eact
side, and no doctor with two hours Of Us
| summoned all Of ny sense to my aid
and succeeded quickly in dressing anC
binding it up, and then sat down, with Ar
thur on ny lap, to find ways Of beguiling
him from the sense Of his pain.
My heart was dumb with excess OF
suppressed emotion. | could see the crue
cut plainly as if it opened before me, and
| knew that it would leave a lasting scar
felt, as though a dreadful dream, that
his mother, had mutilated the preciou.
dimped finger in a moment Of causeess
anger with baby, and that it would re,
main i mute witness against me as long a;
he lived.
Kate, no one but God can ever know
what felt as | sat smiling to the darling
on my knee | told him 5 'ories-all Of
his favorites. l sang and laughed even
while kissed the little swathed finger
But his lips quivered with pain, and deep
sobs heaved his breast long after he lay
sleeping on my arm. Kate, words cannot
tell the agony Of grief and shame that
overwhelmed me as | knelt beside the
crib when laid him down. He slept the
sound sleep Of exhaustion, and l yielded
to the tempest of remorse that utterly