The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-02-03
The Burgomaster's Wife.


has no children OF her Own, she is the
mother OF all the children. You should
see her in her infant school how she gov.
erns and cares for the children; how
good she is TO them all, and YET makes
them keep their faces clean; how she
plays with them, and then again makes
soup for them, and attends to their
wants. Yes, il you saw all that, YOU
also would say, she is indeed an excel
lent woman. ... -..
ltis great pleasure to me that have
something more to tell you about the
burgomaster's wife. 1t is not very lon &
since l first became acquainted with
her; and as sit here thinking and writ
Ing about her, l seem to see her kind
and gentle countenance beamng with
goOd-heartedness. There is nothing
more beau tiiul than such human tace
in which every feature expresses be-
nevolence, joy, and the wish to 90 good.
He VINO can look upon such a one aud
not feel himself excited to good works,
must either be under the power OF an
evil spirit, or some great trouble which
does not leave him master OF himself.
On beautiful, bright spring day l
was walking with the Duigomaster anu
his vile through the pubic walks and
gardens which mad been laid out in the
environs OF tae town. The trees, which
had been planted from twenty to five
and-twenty years, had all perfect, unin-
jured boughs and we're now inlull Olag ;
shrubbery and flower beds were sea-,
tered about in an ornamental manne ,
and the birds sang among the bushes
and on the branches OF The trees. Tnen
there we came upon merry groups OF
lads, who, with spade and rake, or ther
10 nm nI
fl iwer beds, all of VIII ch were in fiIe
order. Everything appeared 50 pros
porous and cheerful tnat it gladdened
Jhe heart TO see it.
The history of these public walks was
here given tO me, and l now will relate
| it, in the hope that here and there
may be found some WhO will 10 Ike
wise.
l. 1t is now more than twenty years
since the burgomaster came home one
evening very mucn out Of humor, and
very lUw-spllited. He stood against
the window. and drummed upon one of
the panes with his fingers, while he
| whistled low tune; thai was way he
had when things went cross-grained
with him. His wife did not take any
nouce OF it, because she knew, by eX-
perience, that his trouble would come
\ out at the right time. SO she went very
quietly about her nOusenOld affairs, and
alter while came back into the parlOr,
| bringing the lamp with her. Sue theu
sat down aud began to mend stocking .
"Reully it IS deplorable, very deploI.
able" said the husband, walking vi
and down the room. $50 often as L have
determined never 10 bother myself any
more about doing anything for the put.
| lie good but only look for peace anu
happiness at my own fireside."
'What has happened?" asked the
wife, laying aside her stockings.
Last night tnere were again nearly
thirty OF The trees damaged, and tnC
| flower borders trampled 10 pieces, loI
very mischief. We nave been at great
expense and labor to fill up the tow
ditch, and to lay out the pleasure,
grounds, SO as to form agreeable publ
walks, which should be open ana bene
ticial to all, and now, out of pure m s
chief, they are Gestroyedp
"rruly 1T is difficult to keep an over
| sight" said the wife.
"lhere can not be any oversight" re
turned the Durgomaster; "it is 100 eX
| tensiye Ior that. And there is one Il
put up board warning people off, ant
threatening them with punishment, Il
order that they may not destroy their owl
pleasure and the joy of their own eyes
Is it not miserable9 We placed tablets
| through the whole extent OF the walks
on whlcl it is said that these gardens
are under the protection of the public
Aud yet damage was done. We then
removed the word public, because II,
one particularly applied that word II
himself, and substituted citizens. Blu
it is all one, lor the plantations are
again destroyed. There is no public
spirit among the people. They neithe
feel nor acknowledge that it is thei
own affair, that it concerns them al in
dlvidually, that they should extend pro.
lection and oversight in this matter!'
"Certalnly," said the wife; "there is
lamentable want OF feeling ior the pub
| lie good. A living sense of that which
is universal, which Is common property
but belongs TO no one in particular, bu
TO all i'll general. is only yet awakened
in very lew minds. have already seer
| that frequently i'll the school and at The
soup-kilcnen. But the want Of public
spirit is not always the 1aulJ of Jht
people, as you so often say. No part o
the general property is especially en-
trusLe to them in which they can lee
that they have part. Everything is tt
be iarmed out and 10 be paid Ior. Public
spirit is not properly cultivated. In my
opinion we ought to begin by frs
awakening public spirit in The children
we ougut, from their very earliest years
10 make it ineligible to them tuat the
preservation OF that which belongs II
all concerns The rights and the Aappi
ness Of every single lndiYidual.'"
"rhe children! the childrenl' replied
the burgomastel, almost angry; "musI
we always have to wait for the nexl
genGratIon-always imagine that the
future, that posterity is to pay all oul
debts, and to set every thing to rights
That. no doubt was the way in Whicu
our torefathers reasoned; and l think ii
is high time that we set about doing
some Thing for ourselves, and that we
looked upon ourselves as that very pos
terity from which SO much was expect.
ed. High Time is it that we were come
Of age and took possession of the inheri-
lance OF our ancestors"
"Certainly, and you are yourself an
example of one who has done so," said
The vile smiling; 'but have a fancy
now we might educate into The children
little feeling oil public spirit also"
"That will again be one Of your pro.
posals, which will be too Utopian to be
carried out, because you do not know
the world" replied the husband.
"Haye patience" said she, archly;
"you have promised not to exercise thus
masculine arrogance upon me. We wo-