The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1890-01-18

TIRED MOTHERS.
Tor the S%eptinsl.l.

"A little elbow rests upon your knee,
iourt tired knee which has so much to bear,
Achilds dear eyes are looking lovingly
Perhaps you do not heed the velvet touch
OF warm, moist fingers holding yours SO
tight;
You do not prize this blessing over much,
You almost are too tired to pray tonight
4
| wonder how many mothers findin.
this pathetic little poem i'll q corner of
some newspaper, have cut it out and
put it away to read in some idle mo-
ment. because it touched a responsive
chord iii their own bosomsP Simple
lines-simple sentiment, aud Yet al-
pealing with so much tenderness to
the mothers heart. 1t is Il brief ser
mon in verse, aud well would it be if
impatient, nervous women would re-
member its lessons when childish mis-
dcmeanorS call down wrath and swift
punishment upon the young offenders
under their control. | once heard of
Il mothers saying Il haven't time to
reason with my children, there are too
many of them. | give them il slap
and let them go"
Another mother with a frctful infant
was once S o distracted by its crying
and her " overwhelming cares, IS
to declare that, for Il moment, she fe't
cruel enough to cast the babe into the
fire before which she sat. Of course
this was but a moinentary impulse
born of Overwork and nervousness,
for hat mother was a christian wo-
p,aH and fInCntIl 10 how lillp., -
The little poem have quoted goes
on to describe the loneliness Of the
mother, whe, having once been annoy
ed by the humble less plants and de-
mands of a little one, comes some day
to miss them at last, when the mis-
chievous hands are folded for the last
time, and the restless feet ''intO the
grave have tripped." Who can mea-
sure the heartache then, or the una
vailing regret for tenderness with
held, OF ~forbearance denied , But oh,
the tired mothers! Is it not wonderful
the strength that is given to frail deli
cate women upon whom the crown of
motherhood is set The n~ever-ending
round of duties, the daily care of help
less children, the Watchfulness to
keep little hands and feet out of dan
ger and mischif, the trying to keep in
order the restless creatures whose
only desire seems to be to remain in
disorder; the days and nights of nurs-
ing the sick, the constant strain and
anxiety over them. These things, the
solicitnde for the proper guild
ance aud development CT the moral
and intellectual natures Of her chill
dren.
What a kingdom then is hers! She
who rules wisely and well that king
dom is fit for an earthly crown, but
will she lot woar an heavenly one!
Small wonder that after years'o of labor
and nnselish sacrifice and, devotion
for her children, deep wrinkles should
appear on her brow, tue round cheeks
grow sunken, and the silver threads
CLEAN thickly through her hair, ''God
gives a ma but one thing better than
IA wife, and that is a mother" But
the wife has her own throne, aud the
marriage tie is the hcliest in the world,
though so often broken and desecrated.
A wife's love should be the strongest
in all the world, but the mothers is
probably, the most unselfsh and en-
II have lie time to read at all ; and
l am SO fond of reading said \ moth
er, III the midst of her young folk look
lug. in their fresh garments, and with
their sweet faces like Il bouquet of fra
grant rosebuds. All her time is taken
up with the care of hOus, and chill
dren, and when, after nightfall the
young eyes are closed in slumber, aud
she has time to rest, she is too tired to
read, "almost too tired to pray" per-
We see mothers falling under
these burdens sometimes, and almost
before we al realize the calamity,
chair is vacant and tho children
whose care has cost a life, are mother
less. Strange and mysterious provi-
.ence, we say! But was providence
blame for it? Suppose the burden
had been lightened by some strong
helper; suppose the mother herself.
the weight too heavy which
she bore from day to day, had said: Il
must rest more; l must live for my
children's sake" And then if she
had taken a little more time for rest
and recreation. without really neglect
ing important duties, would tho result
been different? Would it not
been better to live for her chill
dren, than to sacrifice her life need
for them?
Bethany, in "Looking Backward"
the women of the twentieth
century as exempt from the crushing
responsibilities Of private house-keep-
that branch of domestic Life heinn