The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-02-14

Is one of continuous deSOlation. She first
obtains exclusive possession of parental con-
fidence and ears, then banishes judg-
ment and common sense, and finally
secures possession of the child. Henceforth
dangers thicken on every side, and May and
Maggie, Bob and Joe are compelled to run
the gauntlet with thousand diseases strik-
ing at them like serpents at every step.
Just think" whispers Fashion in the ear
of fond and doting mother, show nice it
will be to have May attend Professor Grass
'hopper's dancing academy and learn to hop
while she is young: it will add dig
nifty and grace to her step and
carriage when she enters society, and unless
she commences young she will always be
awkward. Professor Grasshopper's academy
is patronized only by the elite and it is just
the place for May" All of which sounds
remarkably pretty, and consent being given,
as matter of course little blue
eyed or blackeyed May is tricl1ed out for the
slaughter-with scarcely anything on
deserving the name of clothes
and the child dances itself very soon into
the grave. Pretty as an angel, calm as
heaven, but dead. Words of coincidence
are spoken, then the funeral, and all is over.
Fashion has done its work. The minister
says death loves shining mark Provi-
dence is made to bear the burden of fash
ions follies. With words of encouragement
that there will be a meeting beyond the
tide" the mother and father are
left to their meditations, while Fashion.
as relentless as death, continues the search
for victims, and is never disappointed in her
mission. Her landmarks are Pride, Ambi-
ton and Folly. With these she can find en-
ployment for disease, and daily rob homes
of their dearest treasures. Ignorance has
always done thriving business in killing off
children, and unfortunately there are no laws
that can keep children from its grasp.
Among the methods which ignorance deviSes
for killing "wee ones,' the school folly is
conspicuous. With great many people the
ruling ambition is to have Bob or Dick at six
or eight years of age know more than their
fathers, and as much as they ought to know
when twice or thrice as old. Hence at a
time when the brain is small and weak the
process of stuffing from six to ten hours day
is commenced and continued until the little
fellows lie down to rest from their tasks and
take up their harps in country where text
books and straps are not part of the educa-
tiOnal plan. In other cases, the custodianS
of the little immortals look upon their bone
and muscle and calculate with remarkable
exactness what it is worth in the labor mar
ket, and are hired out for the money that
can be secured for their services and in this
way body and soul and blood is coined into
dollars, until life can bear no more, the
thread then snaps and the little workers
sleep. The death roll of children is simply
fearful, and should awaken the attention of
men and women OF thought, and one of the
imperative demands for a bureau. of vital
statistics grows out of the fact tn at fashion.
folly, ignorance and cupidity are Staying
the children of the country with a sort of
Herodian ferocity. To charge these deaths
upon Providence, which though an easy way
to shirk responsibility, is more insulting to
God than anything Bob Ingersoll ever said,
and religionists should, if they do anything,
seek to place the responsibility where it be-
longs. If common sense could prevail in
the management of children there would be
less Grape on the door knobs, and the nod
ding plumes of the hearse would be seen
less frequently on the highways to burying
grounds.