The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-05-23

"Well, what can one expect but that
children will be mistreated when they
have step-mother9" said Mrs. West,
who lived in the constant fear that
she would die and her husband marry
again. "The second wife is always
loved better by her husband than the
first one, and ninety-nine times out
of hundred she's tyrant who loves
to abuse the first set of children"
"Mrs. Dinsmore seems very kind
and good to Chester and Mabel; quite
as much so as any of us are to our
children. cant believe she mis-
treats Them" Mrs. Melville said
firmly.
"Well, as l came down here, Ches-
ter was carrying ton of coal into
the barn, and such sight as he was,
with his face and hands as black as a
Negroes, and his clothes covered with
coald l felt sorry enough for
him to have Cried" said Mrs. Evans,
joining in the conversation.
"That's nothing unusual. | saw
him saving wood the other day, and
he looked tired enough to Drop" said
Mrs. West. eff his poor, dead
MOTHER could look back and see her
precious boy working like a darkey,
how unhappy she would be even in
heaven. l should be, | know"
"Now, see here ladies'" Mrs. Nell
vile said warmly, las matter of fact,
Chester Dinsmore doesn't work any
harder than my Walter does, and do
not suppose you consider him an
abused boy by any means. I'm sure
/ do not. Mr.. Melville and l think
work the very best thing to keep a
boy out of mischief; besides it de-
velops his muscle and makes him
manly. really think you should be
more charitable to Mrs Dinsmore."
II believe in charity as much as
any of you, but l draw the line when
women wears out whole handful
of switches on little helpless child"
Mrs. Serbian. retorted half triumph
antly, quite1enjoying the sensation
her words created.
"Do you mean to say that Mrs.
Dinsmore actually beats Chester in
that unmerciful way?" Mrs. West
asked, her cheeks burning and her
eyes beginning to snap.
eyes, 1 do. Only yesterday after
noon I saw her send him out to the
peach tree in the back yard after a
lot of switches. And the poor little
fellow is so used to being beaten, ]
suppose, that he actually whistled
while he was cutting them"
"Calloused, body and soul, fancy
interrupted Mrs. West.
"No doubt of it; so he carried the
switches to Mrs. Dinsmore and she
took them away from him and made
him go into the barn with her. And
pretty soon l heard the awfullest
blows-it makes my flesh creep yet
to think of it-but that child stood
that outrageous beating for ten min.
utes, | do believe before he screamed
once"
did you everP
"How shameful! She's a perfect
heathenp'
"It's an outrage on humanity" ex-
claimed the excited listeners.
FINALLY" went on Mrs. Serbian,
call of sudden he gave the awful
est shrek / ever heard, and ran out
of the barn with the blood pouring
over his face and down on his shirt
waist, Mrs. Dinsmore following him.
Oh! it was perfectly dreadful"
"Why didn't you interfere? I'd
never stand by and see such thing
done without at least giving her a
piece of my mind" Mrs. West said in
dignantly.
"Well, you see l couldn't get to
her. was on the other side of tall
board fence, watching her through a
crack. l think she was pretty badly
frightened, any how, for her face was
white as could be. l expect she was
afraid the boy would tell his father.
81 suppose she struck him little
harder than she realized, because he
was too brave to cry. Such hot-tem-
pered people should not have control
of children, at all. She might kill
him sometime when she is in tan
trum," said Mrs. Evans.
81 feel too vexed to talk about it.
Some one ought to tell Mr.. Dinsmore.
He certainly can't be infatuated
enough with that woman to be willing
to have her half murder his child,
said Mrs. Warner, whose warm heart
was torn with pity for the motherless
boy.