Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-12-23

e>ughs . gAssn Of sanlishs filter
ing down The cue. She sought TO
look furehsrs bus the iron vas too
heavy, and tan from Tia tiny ingers
upon the tiny toes with crushing
weight The sssss1y old grandfather
raised tn Iron snd took the sileat child
upon his kns& Kissing her. he said.
kindly:
1T must have hurt yoa vsry much.
my pet"
The lfttAs fscs W. al squiver with
pain, tears stood In the brave. brown
eyes. and tbs words faltered as they
came:
4 dsss it's oo.y for little villa"
That's right. darling" said tho
child's mother gently removing shoe
and stocking from the little foot. now
found 10 have been seriously hurt;
that's right, Mothers brave little
girl knows that crying only makes the
hurt last longer"
The poor baby could not keep tho
tears from running down her little
checks. pale from the suffering, bus shs
did refrain from making the least out
cry. or even moan
After she had been carried away In
her mothers arms TO sleep away the
exhaustion of pain. her grandfather.
with sears of pity aud admiration in his
eyes, said, smphatically:
81 have always loved my daughter
tn-lAw. bat never have admired her
30 much IS to-day. She IN teaching her
children to DO heroes! That child viii
make her mark In the world. some day.
God bless herv'
The grandsire was right. The child
became q woman Of marked character
and ability. She was but nineteen at
che outbreak OF our civil war, but such
was her ardor and enthusiasm, tenn
pered by reason and strengthened by
courage, that she was among the first
10 enter into hospital service, working
until carried OK by fever almost at
the close OF tho war.
This noble woman's childish training
in habits Of endurance would have
proved equally useful to her in any vo-
cation There Is not a possible career
in which we are not called upon TO
meet haxdships OF ono sort or another.
Has ono dono one's best. striving hon
orably to deserve only commentator.
and then won but blame or ridiculc,
the weakness OF yielding 20 mortifca-
ton can but rondcr the matter worse.
Is ono reproved, even harshly. one may
make tho admonition fruitful Of good
results Sickness, misfortune, power
ty, dixlinsion. even undescrved shame
and death itself lose half their terrors
when bravely faced and endured. In
q measure this lesson can be taught to
the youngest; the oldest cannot afford
to cease from learning it To grow
strong by suffering one must have
learned to endure hardships with for
titude. Suffering Of any sort. not so
borne, is facilitating. euervating, do
structive.
How much Of future strength de-
ponds upon early training in the exer-
else Of true courage, comparatively few
seem 70 remember. 1t is so easy to
pity, caress and openly sympathize
with q sobbing child; SO hard 70 treat
its hurts-whethsr m oral or physical
with touch as firm as tender; being
bravo, that tho child may also be
brave. Yet 1t is as undou btedly duty
to teach fortitude as it is t0teach truth
fulness- II the mother whose opinions
have been quoted be correct in her
views. truthfulness itself is largely de-
pendent upon courage. A naturally
timid person may, indeed, be also ma
lively honest; yet il seems almost i'm
possible for such n person TO retain abb
solute honesty of word and act; and the
most unhappy Of mortals are those
who have not the courage to support
the real truthfulness of their natures.
Helen Evcrtson Smith, in N. Y. indie
pendent