The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1877-07-04
LIKING CHILDREN.

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to be bothered with them, said Mamie Reed,
tossing her head disdainfully, as her little
brother of three bright, sunny summers came
up to her side and asked her to tie string
on the end of long pole he had in his hand
81 wish you would take this old stick out of
the house and behave yourself"
Mamie was only twelve years old, but she
felt herself almost woman. Indeed, she
thought she was as wise as her mother, if not
little wiser, as children at that age often do.
The clear blue eyes of the little brother
filed with tears, as he glanced up at the face
of his self,important sister. He was beau
tiful, curly-haired boy, and not at all bad
child.
"Mamma will tie it on for me, den, if you
won't, sister. She like childens, an she like
me whole heap, cause is her little boy.
She amt so faid of sticks, an she like for
me to Joy myself"
He went off to the next room, where his
mother tied the string to the end of the pole
and gave him dozen warm, sweet kisses.
Then he ran out into the yard, with light,
happy heart, to "play ishin."
Mamie observed it all through the open
door.
81 wish l could take the world as easy as
mamma does, she muttered to herself, as she
watched the joyous expression Of her little
brothers. couutenance while he pretended to
be catching fish out in the green grass
"Nothing ever bOthers mamma. She takes
as much pains to tie string on stick for
Charlie as she does to show me how to parse
the long, hard sentences in my old grammar.
But 1 don't like children and mamma does,
and that's the difference"
Now that was not the difference. Mamie
Reed was very much mistaken. She was
selfish. That was the difference between
herself and her mother. Didn't like chill
dren Didn't like dear little, sweet, loving
children? Oughtn't she to have been
ashamed? Why, if l had been Mamie
Reed, should have gone off into the lone
some woods, or crept into dark, ugly cave
somewhere, SO that could never see nor
hear anything good again. l wonder if she
didn't forget that she had been little child
once? And l wonder if all the people she
asked to dress her dolls, or give her some
candy, or take her out to walk or ride, turn
ed up their noses and said they "didn't like
children, and didn't want to be bothered with
them?"
Don't you think Mamie Reed was a very
silly "6ig" girl?
There are some folks in the world bigger
even than Mamie that don't like children
They are alarmed if baby cries near them,
or some three year-old, laughing faced boy
or girl touches one of their books or papers
or work-baskets, or the sanctiied hem Of
their garments.
think all such extremely dignifed and
decorous and orderly people ought to have a
whole world to themselves, where everybody
is straight and cool and distant, and nobody
ever touches anything that is not his own,
nor asks for single favor of his neighbor,
and where there is no kissing nor hugging
nor loving, nor anything to make life bright
and sweet and enjoyable.
Jesus liked children. Oh, ought not that
thought to make all little boys and girls
glad Jesus liked children! He was God,
he was perfectly good, he was without blem-
ish, and yet he liked children
What happy day that must have been to
those mothers when they carried their little
ones to Him, and he took them in his arms
and blessed them. The disciples told the
mothers to 60 away and not bother Jesus
with the little boys and girls, that he had
more important matters to attend to than to
notice children, but Jesus heard what Peter
and John and Philip, and the others said
to the poor anxious women, and he scolded
them for wanting to have all his attention
themselves, and not let the little boys and
girls have any of it. They all thought that
Jesus cared more for grown people than for
children, but he didn't, andhe said "Sufer
little children to come unto me, and forbid