The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-04-15

And a little whif of play.
Let q wise, old Book and glance above
Complete the well.made day.
Thoughtful and Thoughtless.
Probably no two words in the Ian
guage of home-life have as much sig
nificance as the two words thoughtful
and thoughtless. They are the key
words to the happiness or unhappiness
of the family circle. Children may
love their parents, sisters, and broth
ers very dearly, aud yet be thoughtless
of their comfort. II never thought of
it,n is one of the oft-repeated excuses
for omission of duty in the home.
The thoughtful girl or the thoughtful
boy make those about them dwell in
sunshine and happiness. Mary Aver
ill is q very thoughtful child. When
her mother tells her to do anything,
she is careful to do it, because mother
wishes it, even if the complying with
her mothers wish is irksome to her.
When Mary's mother leaves her in
charge of the house and goes out, she
knows the children will be we'll taken
care of, the fire kept up, and some
pleasant surprise be awaiting her when
She gets home. Mary's thoughtfulness
is always contriving grand surprises
for her mother. For instance, she
will have the supper all ready when
mother comes home, and the number
less little duties that her mother ex-
poets to do herself are all done before
she gets there. Such thoughtfulness
on the part of her little girl makes
Mrs. Averill very happy, and she sits
down in the rocking-chair to rest
while Mary puts the things away. Of
course, Mary always has papa's slip
pers ready for him when he comes
home, and gets his newspaper or his
dressing-gown, without waiting to be
asked. Such child, so thoughtful at
home, is found to have the same trait
of character in the school and among
her playmates.
Annie Arnold is very bright AID
pretty girl, but she scarcely ever
thinks of an ybody's comfort but her
own. "Oh, Pm SO sorry, but I forgot
all about it," IS one of her oft-repeated
expressions. She loves her mother,
but she never charges her mind with
the many duties her mother asks her
to perform. When Mrs. Arnold comes
home there are no pleasant surprises
awaiting her-only unpleasant ones.
Her first exclamation is, "Why, An
ME, the fire is all out" or "Annie,
YOU have not put those things away
that | told you to be sure and have in
their places when l came home" u
am so sorry" answers Annie, '"but !
forgot all about it," The poor, tired
mother takes off her things, and pre-
pares to hurry up the supper. Annie,
of course, starts to help her mother,
but everything is hindered and be-
hindhand, and the poor mother says,
81 ought not to have gone out at ALL"
Annie feels ashamed and really sorry
for her thoughtlessness. but it has be-
come such a strong habit with her that
she forgets all the resolutions to be
thoughtful, and, the very next time
any responsibility is placed upon her,
she forgees again, and the result is the
same.
Somebody has written a beautiful
| little poem on '"The Little Cavalier
He walks beside his mother,
| And looks up in her face;
| He wears glow Of boyish pride,
| With such royal grace,
He proudly waits upon her,
Would shield her without fear,
The boy who loves his mother we'll
Her little cavalier!
No boy can be his mothers cavalier
unless he is q thoughtful boy. A
thoughtless boy doesn't remember to
wait upon his mother his mother
waits upon him. Some boys that we
have seen love their mothers very
dearly, but they will go off to play
and leave the coal scuttle empty, or
the wood box untitled, or something
else to be done, when they know there
is nobody but mother to do it. A no.
BILE, manly boy delights to wait upon
his mother, and to save her strength,
is always watching opportunities to
do something for her.
There is no home, no matter how
much hired help there is in it, but
what there are a great many things
the children aan do for the comfort OF
the loved ones there. Anything done
for loves sake and by loving hands is
so much better appreciated and enjoy
ed than anything done by hired
hands. The thoughtful kindness and
consideration of our children fill oul
hearts with happiness, and thoughtful
children are always happy ones. The
consciousness of bringing happiness to
others makes us happy ourselves.
| q =