The news & observer., 1897-02-07

/ consider myself an injured person
wife gone to the missionary meeting, my
two daughters gone visiting and here
ann alone with three grandchildren-got
TO watch them till somebody comes. I've
never seen one of the stock that wasn't
full of mischief and froEc Thought /
would take little nap ON the sofa while
they played around, but it was no use
They got all the chairs in a row and play
ed railroad and locomotive awhile. Then
they played soldier, and fired guns and
killed one another and fell dead. Then
they played horse and run round the CEN
| ter table. / Thought the little girls would
get tired after a while and settle down
to their dolls and make playhouse, but
! the boy didn't hike that and so the racket
continued. They turned the chairs upside
down and slid down the backs head fore
most and rolled and burned sommer-
saults, and then jumped off the table and
/ the lounge and shook the floor and made
the windows rattle like an earthquake.
Will they never get tired? Thought l. No,
never. But by and by, when my wife
came home she settled them down and
played club fist and trimbletoe with them
and I had peace.
! My folks have got an idea that it suits
me to take care of the children, and the
| children have an idea that they are to do
as they please when there's nobody about
but me, and so | suffer myself imposed
on and feel like an injured person. be-
lieve l will go to the missionary society
myself next time.
/ But after all, there is no use in posing
as a domestic martyr or a patrachal pack
horse about these things, for do like to
have the little chaps around me, especial
/ ly little girls. Children are a blessing
to the household. They take away our
selfishness and purify our feelings. Their
joy and glee and sport;ve happiness car
ries the old people back to their early life,
when the days were all sunshine. 1T is
sad sympathy we feel when we see them
so happy now and foresee the TROUBLES
that await them. Poor Tom Hood How
sad he was when he penned those touch
ing lines:
II remember, ] remember
The fir trees dark and high;
/ used to think their slender tops
Were close against the sky.
1t was a childish ignorance,
But now it's little joy
To know I'm farther off from heaven
Than when / was boy"
There is no happiness like a child's. If
l could i would exchange all that have
realized since / was sixteen years old for
that had before Those sixteen years
are about one-third of the average life and
the memories of them are more precious
than all the rest. If a child is blessed
with lowing, indulgent parents those years
are an unbroken season of unalloyed
! loO1fo
looking sad and dreamily into the glow
ing embers and know she is thinking
about her children or her childhood and
recalling the joys of her youth when she
had mother and could lay her head
upon her lap and feel the soft caresses of
her gentle hand. What a weight of care
and anxiety presses continually upon
the heart of a mother. How often do
her prayers ascend to heaven in the dark
watches of the night-prayers for their
health, their welfare, their good conduct
their salvation.
But with all the cares, amXieties and
foreboding children are our greatest bles-
sing and the family the greatest bulwark
of good society and good government 1t
is the law of our being that men and wo-
man should mate and MARRY and rear
children, and there is no substitute for the
marriage relation. / hardly knew the
value of child until few weeks ago
dear little grandchild got sick-very
sick, and for days and nights was very
near the gate of heaven. She suffered and
we watched and suffered with her. Her
IIttle lips and throat were swollen and
infamed with diptharetic Sores Her lungs
ratified with pneumonia. How she plead
ed with US for help-for relief-pleaded
with eyes and hands, and we could do
nothing but careSs her and weep. /
would have given a million dollars-yes,
ten million, if / had had ito relieve
that child and save her from suffering.
Prayers or medicine or good nursing or
something saved her and we are all
grateful. What ds the value of child,
anyhow? If one was up at auction what
would the mother give? How insignif-
cant dis property or gold or silver when
compared with it. What are we all work
ing for but children, their happiness and
prosperity. Daniel Webster the great
est man this country has ever produced, |
said: "a good father will shrink from
no toll, no sacrifice to raise his children |
to better condition than his own" If |
was a judge and father was brought |
bing, would seek to know the hidden |
motives that prompted him to the crime. |
Many a man steals OF cheats to get some
thing for the children. and the world is )
outraged and calls him thief and the |
law sends him to the chaingang
But after all, it lis the mother who |
screens them, protects them and wraps |
them tim her bosom. / thought my wife |
was tired and would like to rest I'm her |
old age, but the maternal instinct still |
possesses her, and she seems as much |
concerned about the grand children as |
she ever did about her own. In fact, she |
is less exacting, and more indulgent. The |
little boy we have with us is young
cyclone and keeps the home in am up
roar. When I get outraged with his
tumuItuous racket and threaten hmm with
punishment my wife takes his part and
says he is nothing but a baby.
Yes n fOur-VAar-old ha nv who sIaunS |