St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-08-08
Patience with the Older Children.
BY MARGARET E. sANGsTER.

BY MARGARET E. SANGSTER.
A mother told me, not long since,
that she had unbounded patience with
her children so long as they were babies,
but, said she, "as they grow older,
begin to feel that l must pray constant
ly, lest | show irritation and fretfulness
toward them"
Thinking of my friends experience,
it has seemed to me that it is one to
which many mothers might confess.
We all know how easy it is to bear with
the helplessness of infancy. The babes
pitiful cry ut night, arouses us at once,
no matter how tired we may be; its
wall of pain awakens our desire to al
leviate the trouble, and even its frac-
tiousness or its ill-temper, stirs in us
only pity. We take the greatest COM
fort in learning its little face by heart.
Every day that face becomes dearer
and sweeter. Its softness, its round
ness, its flower-like tinting, the look of
intelligence dawning in the eyes, the
first smile, the first decisive turning
motherward, how utterly happy we are
in them all. Every mother is in some
sense, a Madonna. As she sits brood
ing over her babe, she ponders many
things in her heart, and whatever may
be her cares, her trials, or her anxieties,
the blessedness OF watching this little
unfolding life, still allied so closely to
her own, makes up her lack, and carries
her through weary days triumphantly.
l have seen this proved repeatedly,
during these times of prolonged finan-
cial pressure. Clouds and darkness had
gathered around the horizon of the
household; there were losses and
thought at night, and the first in the
morning, the carpets were growing
threadbare, the pictures were sold, and
the family fortunes were apparently
about to be totally wrecked. Then
came a new baby. Very likely during
the prosperous years, when there was
plenty with which to take care of ba-
bies, they had been denied, and now,
people who looked on the surface only,
exclaimed, "What pity. AS if those
folks had not enough to struggle with,
but must have another mouth to feed,
another child to bring up!n Yet, if
yop have known such case, you have
discovered that God could have sent
nothing so precious, nothing so consol-
atOry as that new treasure. 1t has
helped father and mother and the broth
ers and sisters, as nobody else could.
1t has kept free and flowing the foun-
tain of domestic affection, and has be-
guiled, by its unconscious winsomeness,
many heavy and Respondent hour.
The mother, in her inmost heart, thinks
they never could have got through the
storm and stress of the period, if they
bad not had the baby.
"Anither bairn cam hame
Hame to mither and me-
An its never may ye find less O. luve,
Than the luve ye brought wi ye."
AS the little one leaves infancy be-
hind it, and emerges into boy or girl
hood, developing character, showing
individuality, and assuming some share
of personal responsibility, it's position
in the household is decidedly changed.
A little while ago it was the pet and
plaything of everybody. 1t had such
privileges as are not accorded to age
and rank. As Emerson says, it could
pull the hair of laureled heads. Now,
it is quite otherwise. The child of ten
is always supposed to be at leisure. No
matter how employed, no one has any
hesitation in interrupting its pursuits.
1t is: "Johnny, run to the post Office"
"Jennie, go to my room after my slip
pers, or my pencil, or my watch" The
little girl is treated with more courtesy,
and regarded with more consideration
than the little boy, who is often ad-
dressed as ''Sir !" reproved roughly in
the presence of others, and spoken of
us though he were necessarily trying
and.aggravating member of the family.
a person to be borne with, but from
whom nothing very charming is to be
expected. The wonder is that, treated
as boys are in many households, they
do grow up, on the whole, so courteous,
so generous, and so manly as they do.
plead for patience with children of
either sex, when they arrive at the
awkward age, the age when feet and
hands begin to look out of proportion.
when angularities of disposition are
pronounced, and opinions are proclaim
ed with sharpness and emphasis. The
little girl, yesterday so yielding and so
amiable, seems to have changed her
nature. She is exacting, cross, inhar-
mOnious, apt to be Overtaken bv sud-
den storms of passion, or perhaps is
sullen and obstinate. Now, more than
at any previous time since her birth.
she is in need of the gentlest and the
wisest guardianship. Encourage her
confidence. Be tender toward her. Do
| not let her strength of brain or BODY he