Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-10-01

NNs.NA NANNNNu NANH VI NilN y NNt NNHN v NNE
family. They made US mind, and what II
more, they made us work. They never told
US 70 do q thing twice; II we didn't mind
The FIRST command, the rod cnme next; an II
warnt long comm, tell ye."
Ihough Mrs. Dales never looked up from
her sewing, she felt the full force Of the nod
and wink which emphasized Mrs Melton's
concluding remark; II was all conveyed In
the tone OF her voice.
And you can see no fault In this sort Of
treatment" she mildly qleried, after little
interval, as she raised her calm blue eyes 10
meet the sharp, nervous gaze Of Mrs. Melton.
she knew she was rasping the self-compla-
oency Of her sister-in law, but she was will
ling TO risk this In order TO learn something
OF the Influence which had been brought to
bear upon Nell I'm whom she had become in
terested, during the few days she had been
visiting In Mrs. heltOn's family.
Mrs. Melton paused In her knitting and
settled herself back In her arm -chair with an
extremely self-satisfed air, as she said.
Wall, you know what likely family my
folks raised. Every one on 'em is well of.
They're great workers and save every cent.
To be sure, they're not great for gettin' mar
ried an haYin' house full o. young ones to
take care on. Only me an James, that's your
man, out Of a family o. nine was fool enough
to marry. Wish had children, do YOU sayy
Wall, now, didn't used ter want any; but
I've thought sence Mr.. Melton died, nigh on
ter two years ago, an sence Nell carried on
so, that twOuld been a fine thing II had
some one o. my own flesh an blood 70 take
care on me In my old age, an heir my prop
erty. l can't help rememberin' that when
I'm gone, them as / don't care nothin' about
viii git my hard-earned savin's, an scatter
'em TO the four winds OF heaven, mebbe."
Mrs. Melton sighed and looked out Of
the open window at the hsrvesters at work
In her fertile fields, with reflective sadness.
YES" she slowly resumed, "every one
on us own nice farms, every one 'cept your
man." turning to Mrs. Dales. "He's the
poorest o. the lot. He never was quite like
the others; he was the youngest, and was
softer like-allers wanted to be giyin' away
all he could lay his hands on. We older ones
could beg from him his very last mouthful.
But he was only baby when our mother
died, and, mebbe, we girls were more tender
OF him than mother was to us. She never
spent any time foOlin' over her young ones.
She had too much work to do. She never
was known to kiss one on us.
Mrs. Dales looked up in astonishment.
ut can not be, !" she murmured.
" Fact. / was the Oldest, an ef she'd ever
kissed one on us / should a been likely to
know it. We warnt fused over, as young
ones are nowadays. We had Orn-bTead and
porridge 'nough to make us tough and stout,
an close 'nough ter keep us from suiferin'
over much. For the rest; twas work, work,
'cept few weeks in the winter time, when
we was sent to school. We learned ter read
hll NIllb uil ClpueF-Nn' LnuL Il all I've ever
had any particular need o. KNOWN Now,
l've done as well, an even better, by Nell
than that, an you can see that she don I
even thank me fort, Pm sure, instead o.
feelin' myself ter blame for not doin' better
by her, L think I've done a blessed sight bet
term she ever desaryed. The sassy trolOp."
But, don't you think" said Mrs. Dales,
that II you had treated Nell more lovingly
when she was small and craved love, as nll
children do, that she would have been more
attached to you, and would have treated you
more considerably nowy / have noticed
that she does not seem to have the slightest
affection for YOU"
"No," Mrs. Melton replied, "she don't
appear to have the least atom Of feeling for
me now, an never did She's alters been
high-tempered and headstrong, an nothin'
but the stick would ever keep her in her
place; now she's got so big l can t use that,
she's jest gone wild. II she was my own
child I'D warm her back with il now. WHY,
| know ef one Of us had dared ter talk to my
father or mother as she does to me, they'd
"a took the hOrse-whip TO us"
well, for my part, l think you have
used the stick altogether too freely" said
Mrs. Dales, with more warmth than she had
yet shown. "Children are not dogs who
will love us when we Ill treat them. That
love begets love is an unalterable law, and
in none Of the relations Of life is 1t more
strikingly noticeable than in our relations
with children. l believe that we reap what
we SOW. II we treat children kindly during
the helpless years of their childhood, we
shall receive kindness in return. But il we
abuse our power when they are too young to
resist us, what can ave expect but that they
Will be Indifferent to our wishes as they
grow older. We can win a child's love, or
we can repress it. Nothing is more easy
than the former for an affectionate nature;
but q person who has no inherent love for
the little ones who fall to their care, can, by
eft L NNaFIW
OF manner toward them, in time bind their
tender hearts to themselves in a strong and
and enduring attachment. Children crave
love rs naturally rs plants crave sunlight,
and they become mentally dwarfed when
deprived of it,"
"Humph! l don't see what all this fine
talk has to do with me and Nell," broke In
Mrs. Melton, sarcastically. al didn't have
her when she was a baby, il them's the kind
o. young ones you're a talkin' about. | took
her at five, and she was an impudent little
Jade at that age"
"she had, doubtless, been neglected from
earliest infancy; but, to apply my remarks
particularly to your case, | will say in plain
words that If you had cultivated her affec-
tions, drawn out her love by unceasing kind
ness and patience and sympathy during all
the long years that you have had her under
your care, she would, no doubt, have treated
you nOw.with loving devotion. OF course,
you know from your own experience that II
Is natural for us to love one who is good to
us; and 1t is equally natural for us to try to
make that loved one happy"
"Wall, l dunno bout that" said Mrs.
Melton, with forced laugh. ~ never loved
any body over much, guess. 1t amt the
nature Of our family to do so, reckon.
Leastwise, 4 never thought much about
whether loved any body. Sich things al
lers seemed to me Kind o. soft"
"On the contrary, the word love to me has
grander, holier meanings than any word
ever heard or ever expect to hear" said Mrs.
Dales, with earnestness impressing every
lineament of her fair, round face. I' How
can it be otherwise, when / am assured in
that Book that you and prize above all 9TH
ers, that God Is LoveP"
Mrs. Melton cast down her eyes in silence,
and Mrs. Dales presently resumed.
" 1t is only through love that we can hope
TO attain any permanent hold upon the heart
Of any human being-even of those nearest
TO us. Those who are forced by circum-
stances into close association with us, but
who inwardly rebel, will flee from our pres
ence at the earliest opportunity. Pardon
me for my plain speaking, but, to my view,
you have done Nell lasting injury In fall
ing to direct the emotional nature OF the girl
into natural and healthy channels. She il,
as you can see, Of an impetuOus, ardent tenn
permanent. Her heart must have been, un-
der your stern treatment, like pent up vol
cano. And when she met this young man,
the first person in all the world, presume,
who ever offered her the love her soul crayed,
there was a tumultuous overflow of the
long concealed passions Of her stormy ma
ture. She was, as you say, seemingly cTaZed.
Every other interest was Immediately
lost sight Of. The new bliss of feeling her
self beloved was as ecstatic as TO defy con-
cealment. She was rendered incapable Of
even pretending to be her former self"
"La, how YOU do take ON 70 was the cold
shower that Mrs. Dales's enthusiastic spirit
received at this point. You raelly make
! iade,D