The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-05-24
OI;D.rASHIONED MOTHERS.
flow They Work and Worry Over
the BIG and Little Trials of

How They Work and Worry Over
the Big and Little Trials of
Life.
p,u Arm in Atlanta Constitution.
"I wish" said Mrs. Arp, "you would
% and see what Carl and Jessie are do
inc. down at the branch I reckon, and
feet all wet, and they have both dread
fnl colds. / can't keep them away from
that branch"
"Didn't you play in the branch, my
dear, when You were a child" said II
eyes," said she mournfully, "but MOTH
ing couldn't hurt me then; we were not
raised 20 delicate in those days. You
know I used to ride to the plantation,
twelve miles, and back again IN Gay
and bring bag of fruit on the horn o.
the saddle, but the girls couldn't, do it
now. They can 90 to a party in buggy
and dance half the night, but that IS all
excitement, and they are not tit Tor any
thing the next day. We didn't nave
any dances hardly ever-We Went W
country weddings sometimes. 9oq re.
member we went to James Dunlaps
wedding when he married Rebseea.
That wasa big frolic-an old-fasf1ionedi
frolic. Everybody was there from sll
the neighborhood. and there we're more
turkeys and roast pig and cake than
ever saw, and we played everything we
could think of. Rebecca was mighty
pretty then, but poor woman-she has
had a thousand children, too, just IKE
myself, and I reckon she is faded, too,
and tired" "But Jim Dunlap hasn't II
faded," said I. II see him when [ 60 TO
:, Sc, n r,fo nd
looks a little like old David Davis"
"Oh, yes, os course he does" said
Mrs. Arp. tsThe men don't know any
thing about care and anxiety and Sleep
less nights. It is wonder to me
they die at ALL" "But / have helped
you all could, my DEAR" said /, land
you see it's telling on me. Look at these
silver hairs, and these wrinkles and
crows-feet, and my back hurts ever and
anon, and this rainy, bad weather gives
me the rheumatism, but you havn'ta
gray hair and hardly seam on your al
abaster forehead. Why, you will outlast
me and outlive me too, and maybe there
will be rich widower stepping around
here in my shoes and you Will have a
fine carriage and pair Of beautiful bay
horses, and"
William I told you to go after Carl
duu JCSSlCs
IF Vanderbilt's wife should die, and
he should accidently see YOU said l.
EATER Pm gone, there's no telling- :.
"Well, 60 along now and lind the ,i,
| children, and when you come back III
| listen to your foolishness. I'm not go
| ing to let you die if can help it, for !
| don't know what would become OF US all:
| Yes, you have helped me, I know, and
been great comfort and did the best
YOU could most of the time, yes, most OF
the time-and might have done worse,
| and you must nurse me now ana pet me
| for | am getting childish"
| "And must pet me, too" said j..
"Of course WILL" said she. cam
| not always petting you? Now, 90 long
| after the children, before we both get to
| CRYING and have scene. And l wish
YOU would see if the buff cocEin hens
have Matched in the hen house,
| "She has been setting about fourteen
weeks" said I, "but she is getting. Old,
and these old mothers are SLOW, mighty
| SLOW"
went after the children, and sure
| enough they were fishing in the spring
| branch, and their shoes were wet and
muddy, and they were barc!'eaded. and
| marched them up tenderly, ard Mrs:
I, Arp set them down by the fire and dried
their shoes, and got them some mere
stockings, and then opened their little
| morning school. How patiently these
| old-fashioned mothers work and worry
over the little things of domestiA ste.