Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-02-17

and splashes her dress A eats ice.cream,
which trickles on the founces; drops her
sandwich in her lap buttered side down,
and comes home altogether sore, spotted,
and dilapidated little maiden. Then the
unnatural mother need not stand up with
an I.am-holier-than-thou air, and add TO
the midgets distress by saying, u told
you So" She may comfort and calm her,
and assure her that life Is tolerable even
after one has spotted ones only silk gown.
But there is the spotted dress teaching
Kitty the inexorableness of law, the neces-
sity of prudence, the wisdom of parents
II has no tenderness, no affection for Kitty,
and all her signing will not diminish
augbt Of stain or splash. Every time
Kitty puts 1t on the ugly defacements say
to her, Kitty, your mamma was right.
It Is better to wearIwash- -goods-to pic.Iiics,
in order that you may not have to wear
shabby silks year afterward." So Kit
| ty learns to respect her mothers author
| ity, and to Judge of finess In garments,
and has thus started on the way of
prudent, careful womanhood.
No; she does no such thing, because her
| fond and tidy mother steps in and spoils
everything. What let her child wear
that shabby dress to dancing school and
church, Let those stains and spots stay
on9 She would be considered q tidy
housekeeper, indeed-a thrifty woman, o
careful motherl Not she SO she upsets
all the arrangements of Providence, takes
out the grease with French chalk and a
warm iron, puts in new breadth for the
splashed one, and sends Kitty forth, smil-
ing and happy and fresh as new, and there.
fore not in the least benefited by her ex.
perience. Because her mother has inter.
posed between error and its result, Kitty
will forget both. Mamma acts for Kitty's
good, does she? Oh, MOI it is for the
/, good of Kittys gown; ii is for the good
of her own name. She forbids Kitty to
wear the silk, in the first place, to save
the silk. She Is more concerned that the
fine frock shall be unspoiled than thai
Kitty's mind shall brace itself up to self
action. She rejuvenates it, in the second
place, because she is more concerned tC
have the reputation of thrift with hel
, neighbors than to have Kitty receive {
!, thorough and wholesome lesson. All, thu
selfishness of these mothers!
Some children have what appears to bt
an ineradicable tendency to lateness
: Whether the errand be duty or pleasure
5 they are always behindhand. Their pa
| rents are continually urging and reminding
3 drumming them up, as the phrase goes
: Whether they are going to church, or t
) school or to Il pleasure drive, the few las
? moments are tempestuous with hurry
: Father is angry; mother is angry too, bu
: keeps it down because father is and i
won't do to have both in rage together
and for half an hour every one is nervous
flushed and uncomfortable-and declare
Ella if you can't beready in season l will
? go without you. won't have such fus
;, every time you are going anywhere.
: Yes, you will, papa, have just such
4 fuss and you won't go off without her
s and Ella knows it, That is just what yol
e ought to do, and just what you will not do
Ella is fourteen years old now, and if yol
3 had been going to do anything, you woulC
4 have done it seven years ago. And nov
t easy thing it is to do! You announce a
? the children who are ready then may driv
t with you. Ella is Of an age to take car
t of herself, and you say nothing to he
l about being in season. If she does not be
s gin TO dress soon enough, keep still. Don
t suggest TO her that in fifteen minutes tn
G carriage will be here. Leave her to tn
: logic of events. And don't be severe, anC
: stern, and virtuous, my Pharisee, for yol
s are probably ten times worse than Ella
Q only there is nobody to stand over yol
: and tell you so. Be sunshinny and natu
e raj and affectionate; and when sever
o'clock strikes, and Ella is rushing arount
frantic after her boot buttoner, bid he
goodbye cheerily, and hope you will hav
her company some evening before she i
|. twenty-one, and drive off; and don't sa,
J. anything about it afterward. Don't irri
o tate her with long, prosy harrangues abou
the evil consequences of tardiness. An,
,, don't run mad on the suppositlon that yO
a are to do everything for the children
Let them alone, and give nature chance
n Events will train them if parents will no
i. insist on putting their hands in and max
d ing tangle. When Ella, left to her ow
o devices, has lost half dozen drives, an
. receives half dozen tardy marks 6
O school, and walked six times to churcl
:. blowzy- -frowzy and alone, she will yiel
r. to the inevitableness of law, and best
q herself in season. At least would try i
III