Huntsville gazette., 1891-08-01
MOTHERS CROSSNESS.
A Remedy For One of the Worst of House,
hold Influences

hold Influences
Nothing seems to burn into the men,-
ory and heart Of child as an unde-
served punishment, however trifiing
the matter may seem to the adult in
ficter. In some children of the sunny,
hopeful type the wave of Indignation
and helpless, unspoken protest against
unjust correction passes away and
leaves apparently no trace. In other
children, with more sensitive natures
or more rebellious dispositions, unjust
words of veproof kindle fires of rage,
which smolder with sullen persistence
under the ashes of seeming forgetful-
ness, ready to burst out violently and
unexpectedly. If this seems an over
drawn picture one has only to think
backward to ones own childish days,
and to recall the time when careless
treatment by an elder first taught us to
be bitter, unforgiving, resentful Time
has doubtless softened the resentment,
given calmer, truer poise to the
nature, and supplied such tender mem
cries of those who wrought the wrong
that the anger has melted away. But
time can never remove the remem-
brance.
A child's sense of justice is as keen as
his heart is tender, and this is one of
the qualities most necessary to noble
character; quality that must be
blended with truth and honor and self
sacrifice to give the right balance to
dispositions which would otherwise
work harm. A child's justice is
always tempered with mercy to
those he loves, and when in the
home he is justly and tenderly dealt
with, he learns little by little that
higher sense of justice toward all with
whom he comes in contact. When his
own small rights are carelessly and
continually thrust aside, he, too, learns
to play the brigand, to invent devices
to achieve the might which he has
learned makes right 4
The stately figure of Justice with her
eyes bandaged is not the ideal for which
a true mother strives. She sees the
same womanly being the same calm
face, to be sure, but the arms are,
stretched forward with loving gesture,
and her uncovered eyes are radiantwith
winning light. t........-.s.
At no time in her busy days is an IN
telligent mother so apt to fold the arms
and close the eyes of maternal justice
as when she is cross-simply and un-
doubtedly cross. This crossness is
chiefly caused by fatigue--weariness of
mind and body and sometimes of soul.
With tired nerves and weary body, she
| cannot endure the common demands
made upon her, and ill-temper follows.
| She sows bitter feelings and repels low
| ing attention with her irritable, hasty
words. Broadly speaking, no mother
has any right to get so tired. She can
not afford it. 1t takes too much out of
her life and too much out of her chill
dren's lives. Such condition can more
| frequently be prevented than is gen.
orally believed.
| The careless or shallow woman says:
.I was overworked. It made me
cross" and she considers that admission
| the sufficient reason and excuse for
any amount Of similar indulgence. The
religious or sympathetic woman wor-
ries over 1t, prays over 1t, sheds bitter
tears-and then the trouble repeats it.
self The remedy lies near at hand.
Let a mother find out what makes her
cross, and then let her avoid the cause
if possible If social pleasures weary
her. let them be- decidedly lessened.
If there is too much sewing, too much
cooking, or too many household cares,
lessen them. If economical efforts
cause the severe strain, stop economic
ing at such a cost. That is the worst
of wastes. Let the first economy be of
that precious commodity, mothers
strength. Even the extent of ones re-
ligious and philanthropic work should
be carefully examined, and if the trou-
BILE lies there, calmly and wisely dis
miss some or all of it from the list of
duties, for what doth it profit a man
if he gain the whole world and lose his
own soul?' 1t is surprising how easily
seeming interests or needs can be
spared without injury to the home life
whenever the thoughtful woman seeks
to find them, and surely one of the
worst of household influences is moth
ers crossness.-Agnes Ormsbee, in
Harper's Bazar.