The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-02-07
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THE DEAR CHILDREN.


Worse than the dark before, Fr~
What the leaves are 10 the forest, As
With light and air for food,
Ere their sweet and tender juices
Have been hardened Into wood,
That 10 the world are children;
Through them II feels the glow
Ola brighter and SIMMER climate
Than reaches the trunks below.
LONGPELLOw.
While my baby is sweetly sleeping in
her crib, | have leisuret TO write something
that has been In my mind-or heart
many, many times-something in behalf
OF the other children, whom, through her,
love.
Parents, lovers of children, you have
read Mrs. Browning's "Cry OF the Chill
dren% And you have felt yourself
stirred 10 strong pity, and grief, and in
dignatOn Tor the poor little children shut
up in noisy factories or down in dark
mines, where the iron entered into their
souls; where the dirt contaminated their
very hearts; where the dull, hard; cruel
work dwarIed their bodies and their
spirits; where they could not play with
the Childrens own emblem and heritage,
the flowers; where they could not under.
stand at all what God might be; where.
alas their greatest longing must DO for
rtst, and their Sweet and tender Juices"
must harden into what! And you have
pOndercd over this and wept, and then,
perhaps, have looked at the happy faces
Of your own children and have been glad
and thankful that such was not their lot.
"NO" you have said, "That is what Eng.
land does for her children-aristocrac
ridden England. Here in free America,
thank Godl the children have better
chance"
Did you read in the papers the other
day about Little Americas ?" (James
SpGight) Poor little genius AT the age
OF sir he had exhausted tho store OF vital
energy which was meant for lifetime,
and so, one night when he had been al.
lowed 10 sleep (rare privilege for him) in.
stead OF playing on his violin at the the
alre, he walked 10 say, "Gracious God,
make room for another little child In
Heaven !" and was gone. Did his father
kill him2 Doubtless he will not be tried
for murder. 1t may be that lie did not
often force little James to play against
his will. But II that baby had so strong
Hpassion for music as 10 wish to spend
hall the night in tho labor and excitement
Of playing the violin 10 a great audience,
was not that thing at which wise, or
we might say an aNSslGSh father, for in
stiRCt often gives wisdom 10 the truly Low.
lug parent, would have taken alarmP II
Is wei! known that the wear and tear of
the nervous system which ensues from a
musicians lie, addedgto the exposure of
going from heated walls into cold night
air, and the loss Of night sleep, 80 import
ant TO a csad! forms d severe test for the
well established health and strength OF
maturity. And should a child, we can
hardly refrain from saying an infant, be
allowed 10 do that work which Is Severe
and dangerous for a mani. ..aatIrs
But was James, father alone responsible
ior the crime? What OF those audiences
VINO Cleered delightedly at the little fell
lows perlormancesr Was 1t not their
Gn!y 10 think at all at what cost to others
laelr pleasure was provided? If now,
alter listening 10 Little Americas" and
spplaudlng him and enjoying his music
one evening, the next they heard Of his
deAth-"worn out," might they not. even
to themselves, seem little like that old
Roman we have all heard Of, whose Aes~
thGtic tastes could select from the SPEC
acle Of a burning city, the awful beauty
aud grandeur OF the scene TO enjoy, while
his heart was dead to the human agony
aud despair which accompanied them2
But must come nearer home. "Baby
BIndley"-this time we have the Ga5y con.
Iessed-sang and danced before audiences
composed Of Wheeling fathers and moth
ers lately. She toaS four geds old. One
gay the papers told US 1.-THE ladies' are de.
lighted with the Baby's performances
or words to that effect. The ladies. That
means The women does It not? That
means perhaps some women who left
lour'year'oll darlings safely tucked sway
win goodnight kiss, and deliberately
went to see that dear baby Heaven save
~ dance and singl Can VIC do much
worse than that, and call ourselves chris
we do. 'T'f 49, "'eSn'
we nave various evening entertain
ments and exhibitions in which the vnmn
gel. children are invited and urged 10 take
sclivepart. " '""'
For days previous our little bows and
g!fsgo out to "rehearse.P Il nav he
ihls takes their attention from school and
from all that round OF simple hsnnv
3 D ~ winch . chill's vel. beinp iies
But AZ last the night Of the conceSt ar ar
rlves; The children look yery sweat !"
people say Many Of them whose " orSI. !,
nary winter dresses are Of warm vo S
material, are now clothed in min " SUh;,s
muslin. Some are 90 itiShtemo anu WIZ" NV.
they can hardly stand before M ";,a,s snas
aud perform their parts. Othsra 'i SaNe
been educated out oil that sweet st shr 4ase
ing modesty SO natural 70 child6ood an
appeAr with all th0Iassnranco ~ J W. auu