Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-05-19
Don't Touch the Children.


OF the many trials that mothers have 10 |
endure, not one is more difficult to avoid, and |
yet none more cruel, than that Of having 10 |
let ones carefully reared little ones associate |
with strange hired help. My experince in |
this line has been such, that while / extend |
friendly welcome 10 the stranger, | am |
mentally crying out TO him OF her, as the case
may bet "Don't touch my childrenr
Break the dishes, waste the stores, spoil the |
meals, let the horses take cold, the colts |
starve, the cows dry up, the rats run riot in |
uncovered feed-bins-anything, so long as
they leave my little ones mtarnished Every |
thing else can be endured II you don't touch |
with unelean hand the souls OF my children. |
II seems u me that IL is crime well nigh |
unpardonsble N sully the innocence OF con
Adiny little boys and prsttling little girls,
yet there is 20 much OF il done, and their
poor mothers are unaware Of the presence Of
the serpent in the flower garden until il has
become impossible to erase his slimy trail.
Not many years since, needing some one
70 cut frewood for the approaching summer,
my husband engaged a lad Of seventeen, 10
whom he awarded the highest praise as a
dihgent, Efficient worker especially at chop
ping and splitting wood. From the first, the
boy, whose name was Marion, seemed 10 feel
every large family of children, one who
seems los. favored and beloved than the 9TH
ors-"th. black sheep Of the flock such
was poor Marion in his own cheerless home.
| For days and nights in succession during
the simmer, when little boy, he had lived
in the woods near their house, coming home
for food only when pressed by hunger. His
one ambition, he confded TO me, was 10 OBJ
| tain good education. Nothing could have
| appealed more efectually 10 my heart for the
| friendless lad than this. Had ! not known
what il was 10 be compelled to live in ignor-
ance while thirsting for knowledge and cul
ture? To know myself wholly devoid Of
grace and beauty. to be bashful aud awkward
aud wholly unable to please, when so longed
for motherloye and home petting All, but
had. So gave Marion my sympathy, and
pointed out to him the speediest way Of
reaching his goal.
MY boys, aged twelve, six aud four years,
liked 10 90 with him to the wood lot where
he chopped to the field and garden where he
hoed, and he seemed 10 be as fond Of their
company As they were Of him. One day Mr..
l.. was away; he was employed near the barn,
and the children were with him as usual.
As stepped TO the porch to call the boys to
dinner, | could hear Marion singing loudly.
They being out of sight and not likely to
hear my call, | followed the sound of his
voice TO the farther side Of the barn. But,
getting near enough 10 distinguish the words,
found his song TO be the most obscene piece
Of ribaldry, interspersed with foul-mouthed
comments of his own, to the hearing of which
the wealth of worlds could not have tempted
me for one moment to expose my innocent
little ones. My first agonized thought was
as | but too well remember, Of the weeks
that this had been going on, unknown to me
OF course the boy was instantly discharged
but the contamination that he had brought
into my flock was not to be so summarily ex
PEELED. | could only mourn with anguish Of
! heart over my children, so cruelty robbed Of
the priceless gem Of soul-purity. ] am SURF
the boy did not intend Ia cause me such bit
ter sorrow ia return for kindness received
, am afraid that his very earliest existenc'
began in moral leprosy, and that he had no
the faintest idea of his own degradation
Poor boy Never TO have known the beau
tiful innocence Of infancy TO put on prope
I behavior only a. one does their best suit, t
, appear in compan, How can such person
, become reformed sometimes wonder what
to one who has nerer known purity, is tn
process Of repentance and turning from sil
unto righteousness What sense can tn
, words Ye must be born again" convey t
their minds God only knows. God Pit
them
= But, oh mothers, be careful not to let then
! sully your children. You can never pres
! your boys to your heart again with the sam
. proud fondness, never gaze into the des
. deep, untroubled eyes again after the ageu
|. OF evil has done his work. BE ever ON you
!. guard against this source Of contamination
. or you may mourn in vain when the evil
: dome