The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1876-06-30
Il DAY NTH 4 COURTEOUS
MOTHER.

eoC pressure Vi Watching Olclu was HuIIO
enough to make one forget the dicom-
forts of the journey.
1t was plain that they were poor; their
clothes were coarse and old, and had been
made by inexperienced hands The
mothers bonnet alone would have been
enough to have condemned the whole
party on any of the worlds thorough
fares. l remembered afterward, with
shame, that / myself had smiled at the
first sight of its Anticipated ugliness; but
her face was one which it gave you a
sense of rest to look upon-it was so earn
est, tender, true and strong. 1t had
little comeliness of shape or color in it, il
was thin and pale she was not young
she had worked hard she had evidently
been much i'll and | have seen few faces
which gave me such pleasure l think
that she was the wife of poor clergy
man and think that clergyman must
be one of the Lords best watchmen OF
souls. The children-two boys and two
girls-were all under the age of twelve,
and the youngest could not speak plainly.
They had had a rare treat; they had
been visiting the mountains, and they
were talking over all the wonders they
had seen with a glow of enthusiastic de-
light which was not to be envied. Only
word-for-word record would do Justice
to their conversation; no description
could give any idea of it-s0 free, so
pleasant, so genial, no interruptions, no
contradiction and the mothers part
borne all the while with such equal in
terest and eagerness that no one not see
ing her face would dream that she was
any other than an elder sister. In the
couse of the day there were many occa-
sions when it was necessary for her to
deny requests, and to ask services, es-
pecially from the eldest boy; but no
young girl, anxious to please lover,
could have done either with more tens
der courtesy. She had her reward for
no lover could have been more tender and
manly than was this boy oftwelve. Their
lunch was simple and scanty; but it had
the grace of royal banquet. At the last,
the mother produced with much glee
three apples and an orange, of which the
children had not known. All eyes fastened
on the orange 1t was evidently a great
rarity. ! watched to see if this test would
bring out selfshness. There was a little
silence; just the shade of a cloud. The
mother said, GLOW shall I divide this
There is one for each of you; and | shall
be best off of all, for expect big tastes
from each of you"
90 Oh, give Annie the orange. Annie
loves oranges, spoke out the Oldest boy,
with the sudden air of a csnqueror, and
at the same time taking the smallest and
worst apple himself
" Oh, yes, let Annie have the orange"
echoed the second boy, nine years old.
q Yes. Annie may have the orange,
because that is nicer than the apple, and
she is lady. and her brothers are gentle
men" said the mother, quietly. Then
there was a merry contest as to who
should feed the mother with largest and
most frequent mouthfuls, and so the
feast went on. Then Annie pretended
to want apple, and exchanged thin
golden strips of orange for bites out of
the cheeks of Baldwins; and, as l sat
watching her intently, she suddenly
fancied she saw longing in my face, and
sprang over to me, holding out quarter
of her orange, and saying: " Don't you
want a taste, too ?" The mother smiled,
understan1ingly, when l said No, l
thank you, you dear, generous little
girl don't care about oranges"
At noon we had tedious interval of
waiting at a dreary station. We sat for
two hours on a narrow platform, which
the sun had schorched till it smelt of
heat. The oldest boy-the little lover
held the youngest child, and talked to
her, while the tired mother closed her |
eyes and rested. Now and then he |
looked over at her, and then back at the
baby and at last he said confidentially |
% me (for we had become fast friends by |
his time): Isn't it funny, to think
hat was ever 50 small as this baby
And papa says that then mamma was
Utmost a little girl herself"
The two other children were toiliHg
up and down tho banks of the railroad
rack, picking ox-eye daisies, buttercups
nd sorrel. They worked like beavers,
nd soon the punches were almost too
Jig for their little hands. They came
unning to give them to the mother.
Oh DEAR" thought l, how that poor,
ired woman will hate to open her eyes
nd she never can take those great
lunches of common fading flowers, in
edition to all her bundles and bags"
was mistaken.
Z" Oh, thank you, my darlings! How
ind you were Poor, hot, tired little
overs, how thirsty they look If they
i'll only try and keep alive till we get
ONE, we will make them very happy in
me water; won't we? And you shall !
ut one bunch by papa's plate, and one ,
Y mine" l