Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1873-01-07
THE BLACK SHEEP

sSs, PREFENTIOUS house ii, a gsnteeI mn.
town ssFeets,and stylish lady very fash.
ionably dressed, were the home and the moth.
er of Erred Vincent. SS53,fsS
"A SLOWLY dressed maid answered the sum,
| nous of the mistress.
care the children in from school vet.
! Martha p ! :. sst,sss 4 ~
-" No ma'art-ses, should say. for that's
Master Charles ring now.s = 8 s, =
.'Well keep them down stairs until dinner !:
| I want to finish this book in quiet,
| Before Martha could get down stairs tina
bounding steps of the rompihg. rosy checked
| chlldrens two boys and a girl, were heard on
the. stairs, and aespS Mart has remons,ta
they trooped ihto their mothers presence.
Manthai IS dinner ready ], IN nearly
! Starved 7! and hats sbpokss Straps and states
were thrown hithef and thisher ON bed ana
| chair, s,5 IS ! -
Mercy children, you max ke rns so nervous,
| do 60 down and play in the yard until din-
ener; but where's Fred ~
s.Oh, kept in again of course !. = said Will
That, bay would worry assainf said Mrs
Vincent: g Hes continually getting into ciif.
sticuities, and he can never be made SEQ his
| faultsgeither, !"
| "Twasn't his fatiit spoke up little Charlie.
0ftmeU
him. "Wal,er Brent was taken III in schoot
i'll he could hardly walk .pnd Fred helpsd
him homo. When he came back he vas TOO
late for recitation in astronomy, and he was
| kept in Tor nn hour as punishment Hewon's
beg off, as We do, when we're called mp. and
he never cries either but he feels badly, Z
know, for he turned pale and fairly trsthblea
| but never said word"
"Ycs, he's too stubborn to offer an excuse,
I That boy will worry my life out yet. He's SO,
uncommunicative SO eserred-nevcri comes
and tells me his troubles, like other children.
Ah we'll there must ALWAYS be one black sheen
in every flock, they say"
! AS these thomghtlcss words fell from tho
mothers lips Fred who had just come in,
was passing the door.
No one but sensitive boy knew wha. d
rang they gave him. 1t was not the first
time that he had heard the remark ahd had
gone to his room. his heart sadly achihg and
when, with burning brow, he inade his ap-
! pearance at the table, his reticence was pro.
n"unced sulkiness and he was often repri-
manded for imaginary faults
Yes; am the black sheep, surely. Obi
| why do not my parents love me rs they do
Charlie, and Will, and Sue? They never
take half the pains tn please that do, We.
they are always pctt"d rnh excused If they
don't want to do thing; bns no one cares
for memo ono loves mc-Im SO miserable.
SO unhappy ~
Thus year after year passed away End the
misguided parents continued to utter their
complaints about Freds bad dispos ,tion-stiIl
called him The BACK ti,cep. IN a 5ieied tist
his career in life would be discrcditnble. He
grow discouraged and reckless, us his rehntfs
and silghts at home continued, until he grew
! up 10 manhood.
With such a training he lost sclf.respec,.
and became moroso, ungracious, cynical
misanthrope.
His less gifted brothers were popular. and
also successful in business, while people held
aioof from Fred = lie wns never understood
until too late to remedy the mistake.
Heart broken and dispritcd, he sought to
bury in oblivion The knowledge of his wrongs
by deep drnnghts of tho intoxicatinr bowl =.
! He died unpi.ied aud unmourned-a Door
miserable drurkard.
As tho last flicker of his life was dying ont.
he reused from hisstupor. and quito unstrunk
his mothers nerves by excIaiming:
"Well mother; the black sheep will soon
be out Of the way. God forgive you for the
cruel words, but they have been my ruin -
Had you encouraged me. given me your SYM
pathy, or let words of Kindness cheer nv
pathway as You did my brothers, would not
have lain dying of iutemperauce. 1 had NO
love for the stimulating draueh. butit brought
oblivion of my wrongs. and i drank it-drank
it to drownsmy despairine thouehts"
Need we depict the agopy and remorse Of
those parents as they cohsign to the grave the
remains of their lost son
Fathersl mothers take warning
! Watch carefully and teuderIy the temper
ments and disposition of your children. En-
| rANSra g.. \.
all their trials or perpIexities. Make no dis
paraging remarks to grieve of chill sensitive
! nature.
Wisdom and discretion. tempered with love.
are necessary to the proper training Of your
childred, but, above all. haze a care tina. par
tiaiits be banished from the henrth>stone.-.
The well doing and salvation of the precious
Charge committed by Providence to your care,
depends on your discharge of these duties.