The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-09-13


labor OF which it is capable; but it is the
abode of an immortal life, to which all
labor, however great or small, is the
servant My Laura is not u machine,
she is an angelv' Mrs. Worth was SO
earnest that she actually more than
half convinced her fault finding neigh
Dor.
MAYBE you're right" Mrs. Smith
hestatingly admitted, "but think
mending for girl Y years old encour-
ages her to idIeness."
mot at ALL" emphatically answered
Mrs, Worth; "she has no chance to be
idle. With her school and her lessons,
she has more on her mind than /, with
my whole house and family. And if YOU
will carefully question every mother,
teacher and child in the neighborhood,
think you will be compelled to agree
with me.n
Mrs Smith was at loss for an answer,
so she let her ewes wander aimlessy
around her. Suddenly she caught sight
of the basket filled with neatly ironed
clothes.
six handkerchefs marked H. Four
pairs of stockings. Three sailor collars.
All in the wash in one week" Mrs.
Smith made long pause between each
comment. Mrs. Worth does Laura
use all those in one weekPn
"She does" quietly answered Laura's
mother.
"But what extravagancer' exclaimed
Mrs. Smith, "You indulge her too
much. You'll make her too dainty. l
think it does children good to keep them
down little. Why that's clean hand
kerchief every day,
Mrs Smith, | do not consider myself
extravaganza" answered Mrs WORTH
Laura wears no jewelry nor fancy dre7-
ses to school, But feel that if | ever
allow my child to be anything else than
perfectly clean, do her moral wrong.
The body cannot be dirty without faint
ing the soul. Laura needs absolutely
needs just what you see. Twill never
forget the miseries endured as a child
by an insulliciency of these things. 1
had no mother"
As she spoke, the lady dropped tear
on her hand Her visitor was touched,
and felt rise within her something like
admiration for the speaker
"Well," she said at length, laura
ought to be very grateful to you"
"Grateful to me?' asked Mrs. Worth;
"what forpn
"For all you do for her."
"For all do for herp Why Mrs.
Smith, | only do my simple duty hard
ly that, | sometimes think, when | con-
slider the greatness of my responsible
ity. Grateful to me! Why, whose place
but mine IS it to give her mother $
care? Who else should do it? Why, so
far from her feeling obliged to me for
caring for her, / ought to be severely
punished if did not"
Children are great trouble, " feeby
began Mrs, Smith.
Eyes; but that's not their fault. They
do not ask us to assume any such bur-
den; it is voluntary on our part. They
have nothing to do with their coming
into the world of trouble--we every
thing. Is not this true? Have we any
right to buy what we cannot pay for!'
The questioner was silenced for a
time. Mrs. Worth had finished mend
ing Lauras dress, and was now darning
her gayly- striped hose.
You're n queer woman" at last re-
marked the visitor, Nov suppose you
had half a dozen children"
"But haven't" replied Mrs. Worth.
"Now, just suppose you had" per-
sisted Mrs. Smith, II have eight. -
How could | mend for and look after
so many, like you do for twoP Could
your
81 don't know thoughtfully answer
ed Mrs Worth, "but know this-no
woman has any moral right TO any
more children than she can properly
care for"
"What?" almost screamed Mrs.
Smith,
"Its as true as gospel" firmly as
serted Mrs. Worth. "The Lord never
requires Of any Of us more than We can
do"
"Wel. | sometimes think he does
dolefully answered the other woman.
I'VE see families Of ten and twelve ev
erywhere'
80 we do," assented Mrs. Worth
"but if we think very carefully we are
compelled to believe that the Lord often
bears the blame of humanity's plumbers
II we deliberately put our hands into thu
fire and burn them, we have no right t
say that the Lord burnt our hands
, though lie did make the law that fir,
consumes almost anything that it touch
, es God governs the universe by law
and we can, toa certain extent, pu
ourselves within or without the reach 0
any particular law. Can we not?'
81 see men AS trees walking, " un
consciously quoted Mrs. Smith.
Mrs. Worth smiled gladly, thinkin;
to herself that she had momentaril
touched her neighbours little-used intel
lect.
Suppose, though" continued Mrs
Smith, falling back into her old strain
Laura should grow up and bring dis
, credit upon your training"
WELL" answered Mrs. Worth,
shade Of tenderness mingled with anX
iety crossing her fine features, II can
not think she will have faith to be
lieye she will not But if she should,
will faithfully strive to do my part;
l believe that If every parent did so, no
one child in hundred would 90 astray