Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-10-15
Miseellany.
A Day with q Courteous Mother.

f,nr children, whose relations with each
otber wee So beautiful that the pleasure of
ratchipg them was quite enough to make
o,e forget the discomforts of the journey.
+, was plain that they were poor; their
oI,thes were coarse and .old, and had been
made by inexperienced hands. The mothers
bnpnet alone would have been enough to
Isg ,ndemned the whole party On any OF
tIe worlds thOroughfares. L remembered
o,terwards, with shame, that L myself had
smiled at the first sight ct its antquated ug-
Iiness: but her face WAS one which gave you
sense of rest to look upon-it was So
earnest, tender, true and strong. 1t had
little comellness OF shape or color in 1t; 1t
uas thin and pale; she was not young: she
bsd worked hard; she had been evidently
nnch Ill but | have seen few faces which
cave me such pleasure. | think she was the
wife OF poor clergyman and l think that
olerryman must be one of The Lords best
ua,chmen OF souls The children-two boys
ard TWO girls-were all under the age of
twelve, and the youngest could not speak
rlaply. They had had rare treat; they
had been visiting the mountains, and they
were taking over all the wonders they had
seen. with a glow of enthusiastic delight
which was 20 be enved. Only a word-ior-
word record would do justice to their conver-
saton; no description could give any idea OF
it, SO iIee, so pleasant, SO genial, no inter-
ruptIons, no contradictions and the mother g
mart borne all the while with such equal
interest and eagerness that no one not seeing
her lace would dream that she was any other
than an elder sister. In the course OF the
dav there were many occasions when it was
necessary lor Ger to deny requests, and to
iali plN hoy .
but no Young girl, anxious to please a lover,
could have done either with a more tender
courtesy. She had her reward; ior no lover
n,uId have been more tender and manly than
was this boy of twelve. Their lunch was
simple and scanty but it had the grace OF a
royai banquet. At the last, the mother pro-
duced with much glee three apples and an
orange. of which the children had not known.
All eyes fastened on the orange. Ii was
evidently great rarity. watched to see II
this test would bring out selhshness. There
was a little silence; just the shade o. cloud
The mother said, " How shall divide this
There IS one ior each OF you, and L shall De
best off of all, for l expect big tastes from
each of you"
'.O6, give Annie the orange. Annie
loves oranges spoke out the Oldest boy
with sudden air of a coDqueror, and at the
same time taking the smallest and wors
apple himself.
/" Oh, yes, let Annie have the orange
echoed the second boy, nine years old.
Yes, Annie may have the orange, be
cause that is nicer than the apple, and she L
lady, and her brothers are gentlemen, SAT-
the mother quietly. Tten there Was merr.
contest as to who should Iced the motht
with the largest and most frequent mouth
fuls and 20 the least went on. Then Ami
pretended to waut apple, and exchanged thiI
o. lden strips of orange ior bites out OF th
checks OF Baidwlns and as | sat watchin
her lntently, she suddenly tancled she say
longing i'll my face, and sprang over to me
holding out Il quarter o. her orange, an
SAYING, Don't you want taste, too D.!
Tie mother smiled, understandlDgly, whe
| said, " No, thank you, you dear, gener
Gus little girl. don't care about oranges.
At noon we had tedious interval OF Walt
ing at a dreary station. We sat for tw
hours on a narrow platform, which the SUI
had scorched till 1t smelt OF heat. Ine old
est boy-the little lover-held the younges
child, and talked to her, while the tire
mother closed her eyes aud rested. Now an
then he looked at her and then back at Til
baby : and at last he said conideutialiy t
me or we had become last trends by th
time), " Is mt it funny, to think L Was eve
50 small as this baby? And papa says tha
then mamma was almost 4 little CIR! herself.
& The two other children were telling up an
down the banks OF the railroad track, picE
ing keyed daIses, buttercups and sure
They worked like beavers, and soon th
buuches were almost too big tor their lit
hands. Then they came running 10 CIV
them to their mother. " Oh, DEAR" thousf
|, :. how that poor tired woman will hate
open her eyes; and she ntver can take tho
GREAT bunch, OF common fading flowers,
addition to all her bundles and bags" | Wa
mistaken. "Oh, thank you, my darlinge
How kind you were! Poor, not, tired lltt
II ,wers, how thirsty they look ! Ii they vi
only try and keep alive till we get home, v
will make them very happy In some waite
won't we? And you shall put one bunch
papa's plate and one by mine.
Sweet and happy, the weary and fushe
little children stood looking up in her fa'
while she talked, her heart thrilling wit
compassion Tor the dropping flowers ar
with delight in the giving OF their gift
Theu she took great trouble to get strir
and tie up the flowers, and then the ira
came, and we were whiriing along agal
Soon it grew dark, and little Annle's hes
nodded Then heard the mother say
the oldest boy, g Dear, are you TOO tired
let little Annie put her head on your shot
der and take nap? We shall get h
home In much better case to see papa 1t v
can manage to give her little sleep
How many boys OF twelve years hear SUI
words as these from tired, overburden
mothers?
Soon came the city, the final static
with its hustle and noise. L fingered
watch my happy family, hoping to see t
father. why, papa isn't here - exclalI
ed one disappointed little voice ait
another.
Never mind,' said the mother, with
still deeper disappointment in her own ton
perhaps he had to go to see some pc
body who is sick In the hurry of pcki
up the parcels, and the sleepy babies,
poor daisits and the buttercups were i
forgotten in corner of the rack. | wond
cd II the mother had not intended this. NJ
| be forgiven for the injustice Il
minutes after 1 passed the little grou
standing still Just outside the station,
heard the mother say. "Oh, my darlings
have forgotten your pretty bouquets. {
50 sorry Iwonder lfl could find them II
went back. Will you all stand still and
stir from this spot it do?"
"Ob, mamma, don't go, don't 60.
will get you some more. Don't co. CT
all the children
" Here are your flowers, madam" said
saw that you had forgotten them, ant
took them as mementOes OF you and y.
sweet Children She blushed and loJl
diSconcerted. She was evidently unused
people, and shy with all but her childr
However, she thanked me very sweetly,
said:
II was very sorry about them. The G
Cred took such trouble to get them ar
think they will revive in water. They
MI b; quite dead
lucy will neper die said L, with