The National tribune., 1909-08-05

I think / had murder in my heart the
other night. Truly, for about three min
utes there was woman | wanted to kill.
She was very charming woman, ex-
quisitely gowned and looked like a picture
as she came into the parlor where | was
Sitting and was really joy to the eye.
i had always liked her up to that time, but
/ shall never be able to like her again. As
she came in, a little nervous, peevish,
fretful child of some three years of age
came rushing in out of the hall, and, run
ming up to his mother, caught her about
the knees, crushing her pretty white dress.
The little fellow wasn't just as clean as
he might have been, and had been warned
by his mama not to get his new white
suit soiled, and, of course, boy like, or
child like, he proceeded to get it soiled
the very first thing.
As he rushed up to his mama, he said ::
HOh, my pretty mama. | loves 'oo."
Instead of this selfish, ignorant mother
clasping the little fellow to her heart and
returning love for love, she impatiently
showed him aside SO violently that he fell
against chair, humping his dear little
head, and said: Il have a notion to
spank you. / told you not to get your
dress dirty and now look at YOU"
OF course, the little fellow set up n howl
AZ being so rudely treated and this pretty
woman caught the child by the shoulders,
shook it until it bit its little tongue Sc
verely, and then dragged it violently away.
saying that she was going to put him in
the closet until he learned 70 take care
of his clothes. l never shall be able to
forget the shrieks of terror as this pretty
mother dragged him along the hall. Then
heard door open and close with bang,
and thereafter only smothered cries came:
1t was hot evening and If the child had
had no fear of the dark and stiffness IL"
heat of the stufy closet would have been
enough TO have sent him into commissions
His mother never seemed to think any
thing about this. but came running back
10 talk to me. or course, | was not in a
frame of mind to talk, and / could not
help chiding her for the manner in which
she had treated little Robert.
He is such a spoiled young one" she
said. pettishly. "and he never obeys me.
don't know what in the world | shall do
with him. He is afraid of the dark and
that seems about the only way that can
conquer him."
I had been listening with strained ears
for the cries of the little fellow. but they
/ feared he had been overcome with the
heat. Had l not in - ed she would have
paid no atteEtion TO what | was saying.
but she finally went and opened the door
and the little fellow fell out in dead
faint.
said things to that mother that she
will never forget. and | reckon she will
never forgive If l had had my way about
it / would have spanked her. She needed
It. 1t took nearly an hour TO revive little
Robert, and when we finally brought him
10 his senses his first coherent words
We're: "Oh. mama. am afraid of the
dark" And he went shrieking into con-
Sulsions.
Such mother as that ought to be put
In a strait jacket until she is taught
some sense herself Such woman should
never have married. She is not fit to be
the mother of children. and not being
able 10 restrain herself. or control her
temper she doesn't make even a decent
member of society. One feels sometimes
es tho girls such as this mother is, ought
10 be herded together in some great in
stitution and taught by rigid routine and
the severest of rules by precept and ex-
emple just what life really means. 1t IS
awful to contemplate what is going to
happen to that nervous boy if he is to re-
main under that mothers training She
only thought Robert was afraid of the
dark. and not being able TO control her
in any way, either her appetite or her
passions. vet she attempted to control her
little son by working on that horrible of
all feelings. fear
The average woman is afraid of the
dark herself - that. she is afraid TO re-
main in the house alone after night She
imagines all sorts of horrible things are
going TO happen to her. She thinks about
burglars and about fire fiends. and remem-