The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-05-05
Babies in Prayer-Time.

THINK | should feel easier about my
two youngest-aged respectively one and
half and three years-if | could ac-
count for their wickedness upon general
principles. But how on earth such an
Cestry as theirs-two long rows of I'M
spotted deacons and ministers could
ever produce such little imps is quite be-
yond me. All the wild oats that have
been smothered under white ties for
couple of centuries have cropped out
in my two boys; and all have to say
is, tits very hard on me. l have borne
with them until patience is no longer
virtue; and now l bring them up before
the religious public for discipline. Sol
ONION says; "Spare the rod and spoil the
child; but lie was wise old gentleman
not to commit himself any further. What
would he have US do if after an unspar-
ing use of the rod the child is still
spoiled? From the time my small men
step out of their respective cribs in the
morning till they tumble into them at
night our house is one scene of confu-
sion and creature complaints" One
eternal howl, rising and falling, chang
ing from sad to gay, from mad to repent
ant, but never dying away till the little
eyes are closed and the fat fists punched
into the pillow for the night.
We always have morning prayers in
the sitting-room. There, in front of the
blazing fire, are two great easy-chairs,
dubbed respectively, the big bears
chair" and middle-sized bears chair"
Then there are two crickets for the &C lit
tie bears" After we have had our break
fast, and the two youngsters have eaten
a miraculous quantity of oatmeal, they
know that the next thing on the pro-
gramme is to 60 into the sitting-room
and seat ourselves for prayer" So they
start pell-mell, trip over one another
and sprawl headlong one on top of the
other, through the doorway. The upper
one pounds the under one, and the under
one roars and bowls. Then we sit down,
in which process the baby is always sure
to come short of his cricket, and sit
down little on one side, with thump
and a roar. Then each must have some
sort of a book for Bible. Baby prefers
i" Keble's Christian Year." because it
has a red cover, whilst Charles has
leaning to wild Sports in the Far
West" because now and again he can
steal a peep at the bloodthirsty engrav-
ings, We are about to commence. Pater-
familias looks solemn. Charles" he
says, eff you are not good boy, papa
will have to punish you after prayers"
Charles looks awestruck, and baby's lip
quivers. We all feel solemn enough to
commence. We have read dozen verses
and the children still sit motionless.
fall to think what beautiful thing it is
to have the little ones worship with US.
Their memories may treasure up word.
that are empty now, but in after years
may be full of meaning. We read few
more verses. Bless mel The crickets
and their owners have disappeared.
They have " hitched" along noiselessly,
and are punching one another behind the
desk. A few more verses, and they crawl
around behind my chair, tandem-fash
Children" say, in an agonized whis-
per, ego back, go back; don't you re-
member what papa said?" But they
are deaf to remonstrance, and the
next thing they do is to get the
tongs and poker and beat the loud
est kind of reveille on the coal
scuttle. "Childrenp | shout, ego back !
to your seats this minute" They 60,
and we all kneel down for the prayer.