The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-06-25
KEEPINo UP.
A AaOtAsr whe strove for the Sake Of Hsr
Children fI.


Children fs
She was woman of middle age, thin
and plain, with no claim to beauty ex-
like from q wistful, care-lined face
Twenty years ago she had slipped her
trustful hand into that of another, and
counting the world well lost for the
sake of her love and fuith, had entered
upon o life of such toll, privRtion and
heroic endurance as only women In
frontier settlements, amid primitive
conditions, know.
~ havc tried my best" she said, sim.
ply, ito keep up with the children.
Father and l resolved, when our first
boy was baby, that, stint and scrape
and contrivo as we might, we'd educate
all that Heaven sent ua And we have
done what we could wasn't willing
that my children should get ahead Of
me. I've tried To study their lessons
with them and TO enter into their feel.
ings don't want them 10 outstrip me
In the race
This mother had been one of those to
whom early rising and late retiring had
been always essential, In order that the
routine of the houso-work should not
suffer. In that part Of the country
where che lived hired help for domes.
to purposes was almost unheard Of;
women did their own work, q
neighbours daughter sometimes lending
q kind hand In nm exigency, and the
men Of the family doing their share AZ
need. In her determined effort to keep
step with her children In their intelloc-
tusl development, she had in another
direction builded better than she knew;
for the children, boys and GIRLS alike.
had early been pressed into her Sc ce,
and had, as she explained, taken h5ld"
of whatever was TO be done. The boys
could make beds and set tables as we'll
rs draw water and split wood. The
girls were facile housclSeepers, with
practical knowledge OF cooking and
aundry-work-in American society IA
essential In the outfit for life to the
richest as TO the poorest Though the
living In the houshold was plain, IL wss
abundant, and the ideal set before the
family was something nobler than q
mere strife for wealth. Everything
was open and above board Books were
road and priced In common, and 30
much was going on TO interest every
body that there WAS no temptation to
devour poisonous tidbits in secret So
II icamo to pass that the keeping up
with the children brought greet good
In Its wake.
Al last q day dawned when the
mother felt as II the first stone had been
set in wall of separation. Two of her
brood had found their wings A daugh-
ter was going 20 college, A son was
entering upon business career. The
little wistful woman ycarned to keep
pace with them both, yearned perhaps
70 ordain the pathway Of both, as she
always had done. But 1t was inevitable
that there should be some parting Of
the roads Brave rs she was she kept
down a henrtache under her CHEEKY
show of courage
Have comfort dear" said an old
friend, who had been through n similar
experience. 1.-THE children will never
outgrow you; you had a twenty years
start of them. And you have 30 disci-
plined your mind, and trained your
heart, and elevated your own thoughts
above the daily rut, the fret, and the
stir, that you dwell in a serene atmos-
phere, favorable to expansion of every
faculty. They may acquire facts, but
they will fly like honey-laden bees back
TO the hive The mother who has kept
pace with her children from baby-hood
TO adolescence will never lose them
Harpar'a Ra1or