The free press., 1895-12-26

alone while l assisted with the wash.
Ing. 1t was not thoughtless mischief,
but Knowing disobedience this time.
and l resolved that she should be
punished.
II brought her to the stand, told
her how she had spoiled the plant. then
took her hand In mine.
| "At the touch of the tender little
warm hand my heart almost failed
me, but it hardened again when she
began: Me no pick weaves. Me didn't
touch towers, mamma Falsehcod
was worse than disobedience, and the
blows descended.
"She struggled, kicked, screamed f;
and when I dared whip the baby
hands no longer, why then I got a
rod.
Didn't you pick the leaves p I
I said, and when she denied, resumed
the whipping.
"My heart burns with anger yet
when I think of that days scene.
Anger-not against the helpless child
but the strong woman who had lost
control of her temper.
"Foolish, wicked as I was, I still
had sense enough to know, when the
child's cries became convulsive sobs
and her eyes grew CLASSY and fearless,
that / was going too far.
81 threw the whip down and pushed
her from from me. Utterly exhausted,
she sank on the carpet and was soon
asleep.
"And while she slept my anger
waxed instead of waned. I always did
abominate falsehood and this was Net
ties first lie. I would teach her a
lesson she could not soon forget
''Aunt Betsey didn't help matters
any by her views on child training.
She had never learned what I ought
to have known, that there were other
ways than physical force to deal with
a moral wrong.
when Nettie woke, she still denied
her guilt, and I was equally unyield-
ing. I will not recount further de-
tails of the day, will only say that
gained my point, and made her own
she picked the leaves.
II didn't gain the approval of my
conscience, however. l could not
sleep that night and grew thoroughly
alarmed as Nettie rolled and tossed,
and muttering about the "weaves" she
didn't pick.
"Then she would scream, Don't,
don't mammal and cling to me in
terror. She nor never put through
another snch night; aud l firmly re-
solved that never again, let the prov
ocation be what it may, would L be
guilty of such cruelty to little
child.
Yet there are thousands of mothers
who do just such things-mothers
who really love their children and in
tend to do right by the souls en-
trusted to their care. But how can
she who has never learned to control
herself, control or properly train a
child?
81 wish all such might feel as 1
felt that night, and see in imagination
all that saw.
"You wonder if my baby was sick,
and if she ever told another lie?
"Wait till I finish my story, and
tell you the part that makes all the
rest so black.
"The next morning when heard
Aunt Betsey in the kitchen, l slipped
away from Nettle.
"As 1 quietly opened the sitting
room door, my eyes turned to the
flower stand, the cause ofo our trouble.
"And what do you think saw :
"Another plant denuded OF its
leaves, the last one falling as l watched
"A little mouse nibbling it from the
stalk.
"My baby was vindicated. and /
"Aunt Betsey was as much surprised
as at the discovery.
why. yes,' she said, I've seen
mouse there several times of late but
never thought
"There we're two who tried to make
amends to Nettie for that mistake and
both were glad to see her laugh and
Il