The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-10-07
ELDER DAUGHTERS.

Dear mothers, did you ever realize that
you sometimes impose on your elder
daughters? AS the oldest girl reaches
the age of six or seven the mother puts
the care of the younger ones into her
hands; she is allowed to carry the heavy
baby all over the house and even ON to
the street, when her back bends beneath
Tie burden. As she grows older other
babies are added to the household, and
so she becomes the care taker of those
little ones from youngest childhood till
womanhood, when she marries and as
sumes the burdens of family of her
own. Never has she known the free, I'M
trammeled joys of girlhood. Always a
younger brother or sister has been tug
q lg at her skirts, and has disturbed her
rest at night from the time it was old
enough to leave the mother. 1t is right
the girls should be taught housewifery
when old enough, and should willingly
save the loved mother all that they can;
but mothers unconsciously impose upon
their children. 1t is cruel to think that
a girl of II should be made to do the
work of woman of 20, and this is only
too often done. Let me plead with you
not to rob your children of the bright
days of childhood. Soon enough the
cares and toll and sorrow will fall upon
them.
1 think country mothers are more at
fault in this respect than any other. One
of the, to me, saddest sights l ever saw,
was d girl of thirteen with all the practi-
cality and dignity of womanhood. Her
mother with proud smile informed me
that her daughter could do anything she
could do. 'She milks our six cows
night and morning, skins the milk, and
fbo 70 =
butter, why her butter really beats mine
And bread! why her bread is simply
perfect. She makes all her own clothes |
too, and has pieced six quilts and quilted |
two all alone" Every minute my heart |
was beating faster with Indignation as 1
listened. When she was finished | |
asked, ''Do you think your child is
happy?" Happy" she answered, ooh |
my, yes. Why she can do what none of |
the girls around us can do, and hardly |
know baby Johnnie was around she |
takes so much care of him. believe he |
loves her better than he does me-" Then |
tears filled my eyes, and seeing them she |
asked, ''Why, What is the matter' Only |
this, replied. "YOu have robbed your |
daughter of her youth, you have made |
her a woman before her time. What |
does she know of playtime or mirthP |
"Playtime," she exclaimed with |
laugh, "Clara does not care for play and |
never did. She will make an noble |
woman; one / shall always be proud |
Of"
Six years have passed since then, and |
before the half of them had passed, |
Clara slept in the village churchyard. |
Spinal and brain trouble" was the |
DOCTORS verdict, but you and l, reader, |
know what caused these troubles. Then |
do not try to put old heads on young |
shoulders. Make the blossom time of |
your children's lives so sweet and happy |
that it will brighten all shadows that
may come later.
Teach them to help you sometimes,
but give them playtime, too. A play |
time when, for at least one hour in the |
Jay, they will be free from the care of |
younger brothers and sisters. Do not |
think it sinful for them to have health
full romp, and instead make your twelve |
or fifteen year old girl sit down with her |
knitting or crocheting Do not begrudge |
her a half hour with some healthful |
book. If you can, imagine yourself in |
the place of the child, obliged to do |
things which are extremely distasteful |
for fear of bitter upbraiding, or rigorous |
punishment, and then think how you |
would feel. Try and remember your
own childhood, and if it was n happy, |
care-free one, try and give your own |
daughters some of the same sweet re-
membranes. If an over worked one,
if you were burdened elder daughter,
acting the part of mother to your
younger brothers and sisters, then have
some compassion on your own child.
Lastly, / want to protest against the
burdens placed upon some of our little
girls of the city. Before the running of
so many collar express wagons, went
one morning at daybreak to take train
at the station. On my way was obliged
to pass some collar shops. The morning
was damp and chill, and there. huddled
on the steps of the collar shop were
dozens of boys and girls, with their