Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1872-12-07
LItIIe Feet.

Mothers. II you know VOW soon
the little fingers might be stilled for
ever, would you scOld because they
/ were misehievOus:
II YOU knew your noisy boy, who
shouts 30 loud that your heat aches,
would be silent forever before he
troubled you so again, could YOU send
] him OutOG your presence with angry
! uordxs II YOU knew the little mud
/ dy feet, tracking dirt over your i'm
l maeulate carpet, or your spOtless
! fi9or would so soon be lying side by
side, forever free from eaFth's stains.
! could you seold him for bringing in
mud uDOn his little boots! Ah, nOi
no! no!
II only the mothers thought of
this, they would not, they could not
scOld the children as they do.
But the cares Of domestic life are
many, and never ceasing, and il is
discOuraging, when the anxious
mother has everything arranged
about the house 20 her satisfaction;
and is cOngratulating herself upon
having the last speck of dirt re-
moved from the house, TO have
Johnny, or Tommy, or Willie come
lounging along the halls, over the
carpets, leaving the prints OF his
muddy boots at every step
And the careWOrn mother does
not think Of the possibility OF little
feet being forever still, when she
only looks forward, through days,
and weeks, and months and years,
and sees her boy growing more noisy,
naa mi q
the carpet, and before she is aware
of the meaning Of her wOrds she
has driven him away from her, with
his little heart grieved almost to
bursting, because the mother, who
is to him the best friend he has in
all the world, has told him he was
s'the worst boy ever mRdel always
bringing in dirt! and the torment
of her life."
Idle words, soon forgotten by the
mother, but how long treasured up
in the heart of the child.
Perhaps he goes out again, only
TO find the charm gone from his play,
and presently he steals softly TO lay
his head on mothers shoulder, and
cry.
lie is called "cross" and "bad,"
and children are condemned as a
nuisance
But sometime every unjust word
is remembered by the hearl where
il originated.
l never look upon sweet little lips
sealed in death, but / think with
womanly pity of the mOther-heart
that is breaking with regret that she
has ever hushed the noisy prattle OF
her child.
And folded little hands, with all
the mischief done, make nv heart
ache for the sorrow l know dwells
in the heart that has chided them.
Think YOU that mother, sitting
alone in her desolate home to-day,
whence the glee of the troublesome
child has forever gone, would scold
if the little one were back again,
whatever its mischievOus pranks?
Rave YOU not often heard IL said
that the children who were left in a
family whence death had taken one,
were always spoiled by being al
lowed to have their own way ab0ut
everything.
There is theory in this, too.
The regretful heart, remembering
the fretful words spoken TO the
child who is dead, gives too much
indulgence to those that remain.
MOthersi BE gentle, and tender,
and loving always, to the innocent
children; for by so doing, you ac-
complish two high and holy pur-
poses.
You teach your child the beauti-
ful lesson of gentleness and love, and
you save yourself the agony Of sor-
rowful thoughts when the green
grass IS waving over a little grave,
wherein is sleeping the dear, ro-
guish d Ring that so often tried
your heart and patience.-Star
journal.