St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-04-20
VOLUME 4O---NUMBER 2O73.
''Make Us Very Stylish. :"
A STORY FOR MOTHERS.

"Must | 90 to bed now, mamma p
said Alice Peel, ''it's only eight o'clock,
and papa sometimes lets me sit up an
other half hour ?n "Yes," said her NAM
ma, sit is Saturday night, and want
you to go now. Ring the bell for Kate"
"Well, you'll come up and hear me say
my prayers, won't yOu, when I'm ready
fol bed ?" Eyes, I'll come," said Mrs.
Peel, ''if | get the pocket on my dress
and the hastings all out, for | want to
wear it Tomorrow" Then, turning
toward cousin who sat near, she said {:
"Just look, Mamie, isn't it stylish ? l
don't believe there'll be prettier dress
in our church tomorrow, and won't my
hat look lovely with itP Mrs. Nash said
it was the most stylish hat she had seen
this winter, and she's pretty good
Judge, | think" Kate then made her
appearance and took Alice up stairs,
and Mis-. Peel kept busily at work on
her dress, so busily that when Alice
called: mamma, Pm ready nOw!' her
mother said: "Uncle Charlie, won't you
go up and tell Alice little story and
hear her prayers; | think she would
rather have you than me any time ~
AS Uncle Charlie was very fond of his
little niece, he dropped his paper quick
ly and skipped up the stairs, telling
Alice she had better say her prayers
first, then cuddle into bed and he would
tell her fairy story. She knelt down,
and saying, "YOu know l say my
prayers all alone now," began: 80
Lord thank thee for all the good things
| have had to-day. Forgive my sins,
make me good girl, help me to be
kind and pleasant to everybody, and
keep us safe tonight. Bless papa and
mamma, and Arthur and Uncle Charlie,
and Cousin Mamie, and take us all to
heaven. Give us lots of nice things,
and o Lord, make us all stylish,
Amen" You will doubtless smile at
this prayer, but it is literally true. Was
it not IA severe reflection on the young
mother, and yet Il very natural prayer
for il child who felt, from the daily con-
duct of her mother, that to be livery
stylish" was the great aim and end OF
| life. Children are wonderful imitatOrS
and generally reflect hOme-teachings
most thoroughly. OF course there are
some sad exceptions, but it is a wei
known fact that whatever is done and
talked of at home among the older peO'
pie, will be pretty sure TO be thought
and talked Of again by the children
Little Alice, although her mother wa,
church member and Sunday -schoO
teacher, heard no conversation at home
about religious matters, doing good il
the school, working foI the poor chill.
dren, helping the missionaries far Ovel
the ocean, or anything of the kind but
every day she was accustomed to heal
once and again such expressions IA
these isn't Mrs. Gray stylish like
Miss Vaughn SO much, and she's such ;
stylish girl" Mrs. Thompson gave
such stylish lunch party the Othe
day, and aren't her children lovely
Every one spoke of them at the Spring
last summer, they were SO cunning ant
stylish" Now there is no sin in being
stylish, and it is just as well, if not ;
little better, to dress as people do thi
year, than as they did ten years ago
but when a mother or any one become
so absorbed in her dress and entertain
ments as to leave the impression upol
her child that to be stylish is the on,
thing to be thought and talked of abov,
all others, and even prayed for, is i
not time that we should all stop ant
think of Oul influence, asking ourselves
Are we setting such an example befoI
our children i'll our conversation or on
aspirations ,"