The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1910-08-11
SALTWATER, MINNESOTA THURSDAY AUGUST H. 1910

AAl d POOI, COI uSSAAS OiOAA' ivy
had, / imagined, lived happily few
years. Then had come sickness, fol-
lowed by lingering illness which
had used up completely their few
francs of hardearned savings. FL
nally had come his death leaving this
poor woman to struggle alone. I'm
accustomed to labor, too proud to ap-
peal to oldtime friends, | could see
her struggling now to earn, by her
needle, sufficient to keep herself and
her children from absolute starvation.
l also realized that this days outing
and all it meant to her children was
the result of many deprivations to
herself and of sacrifices concerning
which they knew nothing.
AS | afterwards learnt | had almost
in every detail, rightly guessed all
her past life and yet not onehalf of
her own noble selfimmolation. | also
ascertained that the picnic of today
was one long promised and eagerly
anticipated, which would probably
never be forgotten in their coming
years. As / looked at their faces [
saw innocence, trust, love and sun
shine-all battling for preelninence
and / resolved. there and then, that,
God aiding me, / would help this
woman keep their hearts as pure and
as good as on the day God first gave
those treasures into the mothers keep
ing. The question as to how 1, a
stranger, could do this was soon to
be answered.
The call of the mother to her little
ones to come to lunch seemed to sug-
gest to the nurse of the other child
that it was time that they should re-
turn home. Calling Marguerite the
maid bade her to get her playthings
together preliminary to their depar-
ture. The little girl stamped her foot
and replying that she would not GO
until she wanted to do so, immedi-
J ately sat down and refused to move
1 either by cajolery, pr mi e s e1
threats. Further than this she called
her nurse cruel and opprobrious
names exhibiting both temper and 9
knowledge of evil which was amazing
, to me.
= How different, / argued, must have
, been the training of these children,
Here, on the one hand, was chilo
whose parents O u d undoubtedly
lavish every material benefit u p Il
: her and yet how much her moral up
bringing had been neglected was ap
parent from the violence of the tenn
per she exhibited towards hernurse
With the others there was an imme
diate willingness, not only to obey
9 their mother, but noticeable desire
t and anxiety to anticipate her ever!
3 wish.
TO these matters / only make al
r lusion because the thought was for
y chilly brought home to my mind tina
It many persons are richer in ever.
}, respect, in after life, from having hat
n humble parents, than those born wit
a a silver, or golden spoon in thei
n mouths. The truth Of this is to b
) seen every day if one will only loo
II around and make a comparison TO
h themselves. OF course, it must b
d admitted, this is not an invariabl
Y rule, but do assert that, where mai
=, riages are contracted on a purel
s, business or mercenary basis, the of
1t spring of such parents, who conside
g their duties amply fulfilled if the
O provide others to educate and trai
10 their children, are having their char
l. acters built on a less sure foundatio
RS than those whose parents are poo
s. but who have married because Q
ct their perfect love one for the othe
le In every persons life, at one tim
or another, comes period when "
re feel called upon to make quick n
is solves, or feel urged to act from sue
is den impulse. Th e circumstance
lie leading up to such occasions may /
trivial but in the majority of case
f. there appears to be at work with
u us some hitherto unknown pow e
he which seems to force us follow thel
We sudden promptings of reason, or col
10 science. Such feeling was mine no,
n / saw my own life laid out before n
re as / had never seen it before. / rea
d. lied how selfish had been all my m
d tives and how selfcentred my evel
ad thought! had been lover of plea
er ure and votary of fashion, but ne
nd er was / completely happy, well e
ad dowed with all things which are us
in ally considered the necessary esse
ed tials to bring happiness. There b