The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-01-21
A Lecture to Sis.

Nonic HcTc. iHls, anu SIT uoNh besiuc hiVi
and let me give You a little talking TO.
That is right Sit clear at the other end
of the sofa. 1t makes more room for my
gout and corns, besides being good habit
for young lady to become addicted to.
Always pander to this habit, and you will
in time find yourself walking thro' green
meadows and besides the still waters of self
respect You may be walking alone, to be
sure but will have fewer lawn dresses to
do up on Monday morning. | wish to
speak to You of your mother 1t may be
You have noticed care-wom look upon her
face recently. OF course it has not been
brought there by any act of yours, still it
is your duty to chase it away don't
mean for you to run at and shake your
skirts and tell it to 'shoo, as you would
hen, nor do | expect you to get on the
other side of the fence and throw old oyster
cans and pieces of barrel slaves at it, as you
did at the cow yesterday. But want you
to get up tomorrow morning and get break
fast, and when your mother comes down
and begins to express her surprise, go right
don't imagine how it will brighten her dear
face. Besides, you owe her kiss or two.
Away back when you were little girl she
had kissed you when no one else was tempt
ed by your fever tainted breath and swollen
face, You were not as attractive then as
you are now And along through those
years of childish sunshine and shadows she
was always ready to cure, by the magic of
a mothers kiss. the little dirty, chubby
hands whenever they were injured in those
first skirmishes with this rough world.
And then the midnight kisses with which
she has routed so many bad dreams, and as
she leaned about your restless pillow have
all been on interest these long, long years.
OF course she is not so pretty and kissable
as YOU are, but if you had done your share
of the work during the last ten years the
contrast would not be so marked Her
face has more wrinkles than yours, far
more, and yet if you were sick that face
would appear to You TO be more beautiful
than an angels, as it hovered over you,
watching every opportunity to minister to
your comfort, aud every one of those wrin-
kles would seem to be bright wavelets of
sunshine chasing each other over the dear
old face She viii leave you some of these
DAYS. Those burdens, if not lifted from
her shoulders, win break her shoulders, will
break her down. Those rough, hard hands
that have done 50 many unnecessary things
for YOU win be crossed upon her hfeless
breast. Those neglected lips that gave you
your first baby kiss viii be forever closed !;
and those sad. tired eyes viii have opened
in eternity. and then You will appreciate
your mother, but it viii be t0olate. There,
there, don't cry she has not left you yet.
She is down in the kitchen stringing beans
for dinner, and If YOU felt so badly you
might 30 down and finish them, and let
her change her dress and rest an hour be-
fore dinner. and after dinner you might do
up the dishes while she takes little nap.
Then YOU might take her hair and do it up
for her. You heed not wind il over your
finger and fuss to make little spit curls as
YOU used to do with yours, but give it a
good brushing aud wind it up gently and
tenderly, as if YOU enjoyed doing it for her.
The young man down in the parlor can wait
until YOU have performed these duties. If
he expresses any impatience you may ex-
plain to him that You feel under much more
obligation 10 your mother than you do to
him II this does not seem 10 satisfy him,
ask him how many times he has got up in
the middle of the night to warm pepper
mint for you when You were dying with the
collie, or how many hours he has carried
you up and down the room just because
you would not be quieted in any other wayl
Ask him TO repeat Mother Hubbard back
wards, and if he is unable TO do it, it will
be proof positive that he is not the one
that has repeated il, and explained it to you
| 700 times. Cateehise him TO ind out if
he Is the one who gave yon the black silk
dress aud sat up at night to make it while
you were of having good time Corner
him up and make him admit that he went
without a new bonnet last winter that you
might enjoy Sl2 one that You admired so
much. Wiring from him confession that
he has stitch in his side, brought there by
doing up your inery week after week.
Then show him out the front door, put on
calico apron, and go out and help your
mother pick currants for jelly, and guar
antee You viii think more of yourself, and
the world win think the more of you and
You viii be happier and better for having
done So