The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-08-28
amderso,t gntet1igemeer.
Do They Pay,

Sometimes Just think children don't
pay" said one of my careworn and dis
couraged neighbors one day. "What do
you think about it 9,:'
"Well, 1 don't know replied, and
lny conscience smote me even while
spoke. But then, I said in mental self
reproach and self.excuse for saying it,
~ know didn't pay" and don't think
I did.
But when it comes t. my own BARNS
do they pay?
Well they are "a sight of trouble"
Indeed they are, and they cost time aud
money, and pain aud sorrow.
There are three of them and they are
little things still, and my friends who
have older children tell me that need
not expect a time to come when my
babies will be 'less trouble" than they
are now. l cannot eXpecta time to come
when they will not be source of care
and anxiety and hope and fear-no, not
even when they have gone forth to
homes of their OWE and have their OWN
little ones around them
Do they pay now? Here / am wear
ing old clothes and trying 10 brush up
nv hat to make it look new that my
Johnnie and Sammy may have new kits
and reefers and hats and shoes and look
as we'll as other children. They do kick
out shoes so dreanfully, and they haven't
the first compunction of conscience about
it either. They tear and smash and
destroy and are into everything" par
ticularly the baby. Does az year.old
baby pay for itself up to the time it
reaches that interesting age? Sometimes
think not thought so yesterday
when my own baby slipped into my
study and scrubbed" the carpet and his
best white dress with my bottle OF ink.
he was playing in the coal hod ten min
utes after clean dress was put on him,
and later in the day be pasted fifty cents
worth of postage stamps on the parlor
wall and poured q dollars worth of the
choicest white Rose" perfumery out
of the window 'sto see it wain." Then
he dug out the center of nicely baked
loaf of cake, and was found in The middle
of the dining room table with the sugar.
bowl between his legs and most of the
contents in his stomache. He has
and I feel that am right in attributiDg
my few gray hairs to the misery en-.
dured walking the floor with him at
night during the first year Of his life.
What has he ever done to pay me for
that? Ahl I hear his little feet patter-
ing along out in the hall. hear his
little ripple of laughter because he has
escaped from his mother and has found
his way up to my study at a forbidden
hour. But the door is closed. The
worthless little vagabond can't got in,
and I won't. 1 can't be disturbed when
Pm writing. He can just coy if he
wants to. won't be bothered for-"rat,
tat, tat" 60 his dimpled knuckles on the
door. I sit in silence.
"Rat. tat.tat."
I sit perfectly still.
"Papa."
No reply.
'Peaze, papa"
Grim silence.
"Baby tum in-peeze, papa"
he shall not come in.
MY papa"
write on.
"Papa," says the little voice; II lub
my papa; peeze let baby in !"
I am not quite brute and throw
open the door. In he comes with out
stretched little arms, with shining eyes,
with laughing face. I catch him up
into my arms and his warm, soft little
arms go around my neck, the not very
clean little cheek is laid close to mine,
the baby voice says sweetly
IT lub my papa"
Does he pay?
Well. I guess he does he has cost
me many anxious days and nights. He
has cost me time and money and care
and self.sacriice. He may cost me pain
and sorrow. He has cost much. But he
hau paid for it all again and again and
again in whispering those three little
words into my ear-"I lub papa"
Our children pay when their very first
feeble little cries FIJI our hearts with the
mother love and the father love that
ought never to fail among all earthly
passions
Do your children pay?-Detroi Free
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