St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-08-31

The babes would have hard and peril
Gus time il entrusted to them. Babes
are born every day. every hour. by the
thousand. 1t is tho most common and
universal event that concerns our hui
manity. IT 10 more common than death,
Tor more Como into the world than 60
cut OF it every year, and yet the excite
ment Of q birth goes on and Is big
thing with matrons and with maids.
For few days past have sat in my
veranda and ruminated, for the women
come and 90 and the neighbors send
flowers and kind messages, and the girl
children come to see the baby, and the
tiniest ono wants to hold it in her arms
Verify, it looks like this Was the first
and the last one that ever was born.
The three great events Of our life-0ur
birth, marriage and dcath--are minis
tered to by woman. What sad affair
would either be without her presence.
her care and sympathy. The wonder il
that she can go through the ordeal that
Providence has assigned her, and be Sd
contentcd, so calm and serene. What
mother ever harbors gloomy fears or
forebodings about her infant child?
How hopefully they look upon the fut-
ure-how happy in the love Of her OF
spring. The poet says:
"A mother Is a mother still,
The hottest thing alive
And she is. / wish that was a. good,
As true and as loving as the average
mother in this land. l wish that was
as sure OF heaven. Most of them have
child up there, and they still treasure
every smile, every dimple, every song.
and in their waking dreams realize
what the poet so beautifully said:
''Oh. when mother meets on high
The babe she lost in infancy,
Hath she not then for pains and fears,
The day Of woe, the watchful night,
For all her sorrows. all her tears
An Overpayment Of delighi::'
The maternal instinct! Tho never
fading love of children. My wife IL
serenely happy now. for there is another
child to look after, and she moves around
with her old alacrity. l used to help
her with her own. but my time Is out. As
old man Calder said after the Erst battle
Of Manassas, II have fit enough" ]
used to tote the little chap around the
room sometimes half the night and sing
my little song until wore it out, and
At times felt like the tired parent who
Rugged his little boy to his bosom and
said: II wouldn't take million dollars
for you-no l wouldn't-but wouldn't
give . nickel for another" It Is .
weary business and caring for
. littlc child. But it 10 part Of the
bargain, and has to be done. aud it has
its rewards. The more the father helps
with the children the better no loves
them and the more they love him. The
country people, as a rule, have no nurses
for their children except the members
of tho family, and their devotion to the
little helpless ones is beautiful.
The baby in country homo is COM
mon property. All nurse it and their
father does his share when he comes
from the field. Go to . country church
on Sunday and sec how many fathers
arc not ashamed TO ''tote the child" and
keep it whilo preaching 10 going on.
Why shouldn't he? 1t shows his love to
the child and his loyalty to bis wife.
The average farmer has not very wide
field for his ambition. lie 10 not seeking
fame or Office or riches. He has no
longings for going to New York or
Washington or crossing the ocean. His
hope and desire 10 limited to his family
and his farm and he looks to God for
rain and sunshine. There is nothing
that weans him from his wife and
or that gets between him and
them. Sometimes he takes the family
to town in the big wagon, and some
times the children 20 with him to the
mill. and on Sundays all 60 to meeting,
and SO the weeks and months roll on
proving the truth Of the poets lines
Happy the man whose wish and care
4 few paternal acres bound" |
1t is given to but few men in this |
world to do any great thing, but all can |
their humble lot used to envy the |
rich and great. but do not now. As |
general rule grief and sorrow are the |
Of riches and Of fame. Great |
men arc rarely blessed with loving |
children. Not long ago one Of our |
noblest men found himself face to face |
1t Delmonico's with drunken son. His |
was intense and tho lines |
of trouble still linger ON his face. The |
pressure Of public affairs and the con-
slant struggle to keep up socially and
consumed the time that /
should have been devoted to his chill
dren. In such cases the mother is their
only safeguard. She may do all she
can, but she cannot watch her boys
when they get in their teens. She can
love and pray and chide, but still they
will stray away. 1t is pitiful to see the
breaking Of . mothers heart over . son
who is on trial for his life. How closely
does she cling to him when all the
world is against him.
I remember once widow who sold
her COW and her little furniture and
then went from store to store begging
Tor . little moro money to take her to
Tor murder. Her devotion saved his
life, but not his liberty, and she was
thankful for she found some work near
by and could visit him in bis prison and
comfort him with her love and blessing.
What an awful thing it must be to have
no one to love you, and yet there aee
thousands Of such in the prisons Of the
land. Nothing was so touching in
Governor Atkinson's afliction than his
respite of . man who was to be hung
his tender thought while on the brink
of the grave Of poor wretch who was
begging for his life. Dan Voorhees,
once hurried to adistant State to defend
! young man accused OF murder, and he
Iaved him for his widowed mothers
.ake, because her father had been good
TO Kim when he was young and poor. II
We men do not have love in our hearts
ike mothers, We honor it and respect
& and admire is II; the more.
EiLL AR.