Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-03


lightful, if ever so
small sstisfation is its reward. The best
love comes last, young people, though you
find it hard to receive this. Something
makes up to the middle-aged for the hours
of anxiety, midnight care and dints on the
brow. That something is to find the rose
colored cheek of youth hovering around
them, ringing voice making sport and pro-
jects in their presence, and fresh lips laid
upon the scared forehead which smooths out
al the touch.
A PARENTS AFFECTION.
There is no use telling you girls and boys,
that never will friend or lover hang upon
your footsteps, or Ieel for you to the core
as any halfway good father or mother dote
upon their own, for you could not under
stand it. You can't, until you are in the
grays and forties yourselves, and as sud-
den reminder think 'Just SO my father used
to act''-'my own mother went through this"
and you Will know why forbearance on the
part of us elders seems all too little in re-
membrance of the perpetual forgiveness
shown our youth. Forgiveness! Itwas the
fullness of affection, always flowing and
washing away mistakes and wrongdoing,
seeing good where others saw none, and
with its silent energy constraining us to re-
turn to safe ways ere shipwreck irretrieva-'
BILE. You may break our hearts, young ones,
before we can get over that.
But many parents are SO gifted at conceal
ing what they really feel for their children,
and other few are so poorly constituted as to
feel little anyhow. A careful young clergy
man wrote me lately in sad bewilderment
that ''there seemed a great lack of family
affection in the world" and could only
say to myself, Have you lived 30
years and only just found that out?" The
want of affection makes half the crime in
the world possible, and the neglect of show
ing affection leads perilously near the rest
If we are our children's best friends, and
who dare say we are not with all our short
coming-it is hard if they cannot have the
comfort of knowing and believing in it.
A PRETTY MOTHER.
Taking lesser things first, think parents
ought to keep younger for the sake of their
children. A boy likes a stalwart, active
father who gets off hearty jest, and can
take throw at ball or an oar with zest, and
likes him all the better if the parental hair
is cut and beard trimmed like gentleman's, s,
becomingly. 1 we'll remember the satisfac-
ton it gave me at 10 years old to find that
my studious, close-shaved father, in a sum-
mer vacation, could grow moustaches and
whiskers in quite a genteel fashion. 1t was
deep delight also to find that he could and
did write blank verse for lady's album, his
pursuits and interest had always seemed SO
apart from those of ordinary folk.
/ used to crave to see my mother wear a
flower in her soft hair and one at her throat
would have set me in love with her COM
pletely. As it was nv feeling was the
usual matter of course attachment rather
than new and positive delight till 1 was
older. Now know boy who breaks out
occasionally telling his mother his salts
faction that she doesn't look wrinkled and
cross as other mothers do" and hegs she
will six up, look stylish and pretty, and
not seem old like the rest of women"
CHILDREN's LOVE OF BEAUTY.
Children as well as men relish a certain
light and howery style of dress in the women
at home, and the mother may be absolved
approvingly who puts cold cream on her
face to ward off wrinkles, and pins roses on
her hair to please the eve of her own son,
even with the frost of a half century in her
hair. Children hate to see their parents
grow old, and we owe it to keep young and
companionable for them as long as we can
Don't think it beneath you or out of place,
my dear madam, to dress up in that fresh
spring costume, with all the demi-toilette
elegance of a ruff1ed muslin parasol, plenty
of flowers, and discreet ribbons with dash
of scent-all the fnery that children love,
and stroll by the baseball field where your
boys are.
It gives lad shock of delight to find
his mother actually his own mother, is lust
as good looking and well-dressed as ftthe
rest of them" Privately he feels that you
are q great deal better looking than the
other fellows mothers, and if anything
keeps woman's youth sweeter than such
incense from her own, it has yet to be
known. One must play the lover to ones
children, put out ones prettiest airs and
graces, air ones best wit and keenest OBJ
servation for them, and oh! the purchase it
gives the parent and home over worse asso-
Citations when they 60 abroad.
A SAFEGUARD.
The girls who have had a watchful gall
liant, tender father to use shrewd wit for
them, and give them the shelter of a strong,
kindly arm, are not the prey of a smooth
tongue and artificial love-maklng from
worthless dudes The BOYS who have
had mothers of warm feelings and keen per-
ceptions, sharp sighted as they were fond,
and devoted as they were acute, are hardly
SO ready to surrender to the wiles of design
ing women inside or out of the social pale.
When the coquette's lips are on boys fore
head he will miss the warm, magnetic touch
that comes onlv from hearts wholly unset
fish and passionately fond as bright mother 5
are. The banded jests and pert repartee Of
ANAL actresses and intrigantes Will sound
stale to lad used to the fresh, gay humor
of a kindly home.
For heavens sake, parents, study to give
your children at least easy conversation and
good manners at home that they need not be
helplessly carried away by the spell of the first
adTenturer with a smooth tongue and veneer
of politeness. One sees in so many neighbor-
hoods whole circles hopelessly captivated by
social frauds, whose entire stock in trade il
smooth manners and good expression. The
great humhugs and defaulters seldom have
anything more on which to extort the conf.
dence of entire communities, aud the reason
rhy they are so successful is not that they
are overgifted, but that the majority ol
homes are sadly lacking in courtesies and
attractions.
BEAUrIFY THE HOME.
Here let me hint that taste goes farther
than money in remedying this defect. You
may not be able to afford pictures and new
carpets and furniture, but you can fill the
windows with house plants, and keep few
pets, which breed care and kindness in
their young owners. Don't complain the
dog is in the way, or grudge the seed bill
for the canary, or room for the white mice,
for these things teach the children affection,
and keep them generously human. A child
broueht mp in home without these is de-
frsuded.
recall the child who used to come home