Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-17
Father and Daughter.

There are few lovelier relations In life than that
existing between father and his daughter when
that relation has been developed to its best extent
by tenderness and honor and affection on one side,
and by veneration that amounts almost TO adora-
ton on the other, Incarceration called forth by
perfect faith in the virtue and nobility Of its
OBJECT. The trust in her father which young
girl feels and all unconscously exhibits is some.
thing as attering to his pride 1t Is delightful
to his emotions. But the father who accepts it
perfOrce, yet knows that he does not deserve 1t,
II he Is any sort OF man, is more to be
ptied than TO be envied And the young girl who
thing purer and holier than other mortal flesh,
and who is unworthy OF that emotion, Is one al
most beneath pity. man conscious OF the love
that he has called forth from pure and gentle be-
ing feels obliged to live up 10 the opinion which
that gentle being holds OF him, so far 1t may be
In MS power; the child is, in way, his guardian
angel, and often when he Is tempted, he hears the
rustling OF that angels wings. How much, then,
1t behooves the young angel to attend to her an.
geihood ana TO be All that her father deems her. to
ten law; TO be as much to herself TO him a con-
creation OF loneliness only Just short Of the vir-
her fathers faith in her in trust, and TO betray
that trust would be to commit a sort OF sacrilege
To each one OF these two people, comments
HdrperS Bdzdr, the love and faith Of the other
put all the world in an optimistic rosy glow: the
world Is full OF noble men to this girl who believes
In her father, Is full OF good women to the man
who finds his young daughter so excellent; and
anyone who knows the sadness OF life and its out
look TO those who take the pessimisIic view OF 1fe
OF human nature and the universe, Will eppre-
ciate the blessing that these two people confer
upon each other by their mere existence. A father
may be without many things, without money or
rank, or fame or other OF his hearts desires but
II he has daughter who satisfies his soul he mas
that the want or which makes some famous and
lofty millionaire poor And the girl who has an
adortng father can dispense with fine toilets with
lovers and flowers, gay parties and many OF the
joys OF youth; her father Is all In all, stay to
lean upon, companion to take pleasure IL, all
but goa TO look up to-
There is something Infinitely touching in the
care which daughter feels OF father who relies
on her, and In that fathers dependence on that
care tOO-the slender little weakling In whom such
strength is boarded, the reed that no gales break
And although all the world loves a lover yet the
majority OF that portion Of 1t who ore fathers and
who have brought up daughters, will be found TO
sympathize with the father who hes1Iates to
deliver up his daughter to the first lover who
crosses bis path, and who does not say to him:
"Your money or your LIE" but "Your daughter
and your hfel" For Of all hard things 1t seems to
the loving father the hardest there TO surrender
to anothers keeping this child In whom his heart
Is locked and to whose rearing he has given 80
much OF hihIself, not In the least knowing that
with whatever strength q daughter may love her
husband and be one with him, her father can no
more lose his place in her affection than star
can forsake its orbit in the Ornament.