The Van Buren press., 1874-06-09
NO. 8
Paternal Feeling.
EpIToK OF Tnz Pass

Again we feel constrained to ask your
assistance in bringing to light one Of the
chief sources of unhappiness and discon-
tent, hoping thereby that some repairs
may be made in that direction. We re-
greet that we have not an abler pen with
which to discuss SO weighty subject,
nevertheless we hope it will not require
a waste Of your valuable time to clear it
Of chat or superiority OF words, for we
can imagine with what misgivings an
editor sits down to paruse an article
that is not from the pen DIR. Dio Lewis,
or Henry w. Beecher, or some one that
has been to college and come out brim-
full Of Importance. Now, we do not lay
claim to any such p etensions--we only
claim earnestness ofpurposc. We could
not stand by and see. those little unno.
ticed threads dropped and let severely.
alone. We will not trouble you often.
with the products of our poor pen and :
poorer grammar. And fthis should cause
one pang of rcmorse to touch the bur-
dened conscience OF relentless sire,
then we have not labored in vain
There are men so utterly devoid Of
paternal feeling that they grudge the very
food their children eat Shocking as
this may seem, we have known a man Of
this type he also manifested strong
desire to get rid Of his children at all
times, and did not wart to bear any OF
their expenses when they were mere
children, and was scarcely ever known
to show sign Of tenderness towards
any of them: Although they were come
ly and intelligent, he never seemed to
see it. Moreover they were studious and
thrifty, considering their opportunities.
lie never gave pleasing approval to
any of their pursuits, although he wished
them to shift for themselves But tho
strongest thing concerning this unhappy
family was, that none Of this ill-treat.
ment ever got out, notwithstanding he
was used to logging them severely, We
might say numerically at times. Yet
their children had such a sensitive nride.
that no word of ccnsure was ever entered
by them against their father, lest they
should bring reproach upon him and
thereby disgrace the family. They bore
it all patiently without murmur, until
they were at suitable age, then made it
appear as ifthey were leaving home with
their fathers assistance and consent,
when in truth he never gave them so
much as dollar although he had almost
driven them into the street many times.
Talk about martyrs, the death Of Queen
Mary and Ridly was nothing in compar.
ison to the lives Of these children.
Death ended the sutlerngs of the former,
while the abuses OF the latter was like
the continual dropping Of water upon
soft clay which was beaten and depressed
yet entered no complaint. How any pa
rent could be so uafeeling towards his
own child, (whose only fault was their
having lived to be in their fathers way),
is past my comprehension, yet we regret
to say this is n true tale Just imagine
that bright boy longing TO ask a question
ana receive kind and satisfactory an.
swer, and not daring to make known his
wishes to his own father, lest he should
irrItate his parental ire, ana cause VOL
ley of reproach, ifnothing more, to come
down upon his unoffending head, and
not having mother (not many mothers
could survive IN such ar atmosphere
long) SO he puzzles his poor brains over
something by himself, that any kind
father would have been glad to help him
with. Behold that shy. fragile girl, so
like her delicate sensitive mother,-see
her take the darkest corner and slip out
upon the approach of her father as if she
was the veriest criminal under ban.
Look at that pale face, and know the hid
den secret is a vacuum not filed, long.
ing for sympathy, for some one to love
her and LEI her love that one in return.
have not over.drawn the situation Of
these children one iota. 1t is hard
enough for child to live without
mother even il they have good father,
but oh for q thousand pens to depict
the wretchedness Of children situated like
the above. o. how our heart goes cut
to them in agonizing sympathy and We
fan would place them all in bright,
cheerful homes with every kind and low
ing care lavished upon them. And now
gentle reader. we meet with these un-
complaining little heroes and heroines
in every walk in life, and what makes this
situation more deplorable is, some OF
their parents have ample, or at least suf-
fic;ent means to provide for their children
comfortably and properly. tits sad that
father can never feel like q mother FOR
his children, but he should put himself
in their place and be father to them in
the right sense. Then there would not