The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-09-23
The Urchins of the Third Generation

more tender and kind to his offspring
and instead of ruling them, the firSI
thing he knows they are ruling him
My Youngest children and my grand
children Just run over me now, and il
takes more than half my time to keep ur
with 'em, and find out where they are
and what they are doing. Itrains most
every day, and the weeds and grass are
always wet, and the branches are muddy,
and there are six little chaps around here.
perusin' the premises, and Mrs. Arp lust
knows they are bound to get sick OF
snake-bit, for it's tramp, tramp, tramp
from morning till night, and her ankle
| ty reminds me of a hen that we set on
some duck eggs; for when the brood was
| Matched they made for the branch, and
| the hen like to have took fit and flew
from one side to the other, and made an
everlasting fuss trying to tell EN- they
would get drowned but they sailed
around and around and was happy as
happy could be. These little chaps ride
the horses and colts over the meadow
and pasture, and make the sheep jump
the big branch, and they 90 in a-wash-
ing two or three times day, and they
climb the grape arbor and the apple
trees and stuff their craws full of fruit
and trash, and they can tell whether a
watermelon is ripe or green, for they
plug it to see, and every one of EN-
has got a sling-shot and my pigeons,
are always on the wing, and the other
day | found one of the finest young pull
lets laying dead with hole in her side,
q and oil tho Sati-fapAiar, | l.,
didn't mean to do it, or [ won do it
any more, or didn't do it all. Jesse.
It's most astonishing how the little ras-
Gals can shoot with their sings, and now
| don't believe it was u miracle at all
that made David plumb Old Goliah in
the forehead, for these boys can plumb
a jaybird now at forty yards, and we
have had to take all their weapons away
to protect the birds and poultry. Some
times | get mad and rip up and around
like | was going to do something desper-
ate, but Mrs. Arp comes a-slipping
along and begins to tell how they didn't
mean any harm, and they are just like
all other boys, and wants to know if |
didn do them sort of things when | was
a boy. Well, that's a fact did-and
| got lickin' for it, too. You see,
was one of the oldest boys, and they al
ways catch it, but the youngest one
never gets q lickin'. for by the time he
comes along the old man has mellowed
down and wants a pet. The older chill
dren have married and gone, and the
Old folks feel sorter like they have been
thrown off for somebody no kin to 'em,
and so they Irvine around those that are
left all the closer, but by-and-by they
grow up, too, and leave them, and it's
pitiful to see the good old couple
bereft of their children and living alone
in their glory. Then is the time that
grandchildren find welcome in the old
family homestead, for, as Solomon saith,
the glory of an old man is his children's
children. Then is the time that the lit
tie chaps of the second and third genera
ton love to escape from their well-ruled
home, and for awhile find refuge anI
freedom and frolic at grandpa's. A child
without grandpa and grandma can
never have its share of happiness. I'm
sorry for EN-, Blessings on the good
old people, the venerable grand parents
of the land, the people with good old
honest ways and simple habits and lin
tied desires, who indulge in no folly,
who banker after no big thing, but live
along serene and cOyet nothing but the
happiness of their children and their
children S children. said to good old
mother not long ago: ''WeH, hear that
Anna is to be married." Yes, SIR
said she, smiling sorrowfully, " L don't
know what will do The last daughter
I've got is going to leave me. I've
nursed her and petted her all her life,
and kinder thought she was mine and
would always be mine, but she's run off
arter Teller she's no kin to in the world,
one who never did do a thing for her but
give her a ring and a book or two and
little French candy now and then, and
1t does look so strange and unreasonable.
L couldn't understand it all Tiff |
hadn't done the same thing myself
long time ago." and she kept knitting
away with smile and a tear upon her
mOtherly face.
But Pm not going to SANDER these lit
tie chaps that keep us so busy looking
after them, for there is no meanness in
their mischief, and if they take liberties
it is because we let EN-. Mrs, Arp SAYS
they are just too sweet to live, and is al
ways narrating some Of their smart say
ings. Well, they are mighty smart, for
they know exactly how to get everything
and do everything they want for they
know how to manage her, and they
know that she manages me, and that
settles it. A man is the head of house
about some things, and about some
other things he is only next to the head,
if he ain a fool. A man can punish
his children, but it's always advisable to
make an explanation in due time and
let his wife know what he did it for, be-
cause, you see, they are her children,
shore enough, and she knows it and
feels it. The pain and trouble, the
nursing and night-watching have all
been hers. The washing and dressing,
and mending and patching -tieing up
fingers and toes, and sympathizng with
EN- in all their great big little troubles
all falls to her while the father is tending
to his farm, or his store, or his office, or
his friends, or may be his billiard-table.
When woman says 'this is my child"
1t carries more weight and more mean
ing than when man says 1t, and I've
not got much respect for law that will
give man the preference of ownership
Just because he is a an.-BM Arp, IN
atlanta Constitution.