The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-02-05
POOR. LUCKY OLD JANE.
BeiHa Part Of tho Confessions Of
q Successful Business Man.
Concerning Children.

From the Saturday Evening Post.

From the Saturday Evening Post.
The italian fruit-vender on the corner,
whose dirty offspring crawl among the
empty barrels behind the stand, knows far
more OF his children tina do we OF ours,
Will have far more influence on the shap-
ing OF their future lives. They do not
need US now and they never v needed
US. A trust company could have per-
formed all the Offices Of parenthood with
paid others to be father and mother in
PAL dothers to be father and mother In
our stead-or rather, as I now see, have
had hired servants to go through the mo
tons for US: and they have done II well.
so far as the mere physical side OF the
matter is concerned. We have been al
most entirely relieved of care.
We have " been annoyed by our
children's preeence at any time. We nave
never been bothered with them at meals.
We rave never had to sit up with them
when they could not 90 to sleep, or watch
ut their bedsides during the night when
they were sick. Competent nurses-far
more competent than we-washed their
little dirty hands, mended the torn dress
es and kissed their wounds to make them
well. And when 8 o'clock came three
dainty little Dresden figures In pink and
blue ribbons were brought down to the
drawing room to be admired by oNr
guests. Then, after being paraded, they
were carried back to the nursery to re-
sume the even tenor of their independent
existences.
No one OF us has ever needed the other
members Of the family. Ny wife has
never called on either Of our daughters
to perform any OF those trihing intimate
services that bring q mother and her chill
dren together. There has always been o
maid standing ready to hook up her dress.
fetch her book or her hat. or a footman
to spring upstairs after the forgotten
gloves. And the girls have never needed
their mother-the governesB could read
aloud ever SO much better, and they al
ways had their own maids TO look after
their clothes. When they needed new
ones they simply went down town n
bought them-and the bill was sent TO my
office.
No one OF US was ever obliged to give
up anything that another In the family
might enjoy II, or forced to stay at home
that her sister might have the pleasure
instead. No: our wealth has made 1t pos
Bible for each OF my children to enjoy
every luxury without any sacrifice IN an
others part. They owe nothing to each
other, and they really owe nothing to
their mother or m~yself-except perhaps .
monetary obligation.
But there Is one person, technically not
one Of my family, for whom my girls
nave the deepest ana most sincere attec-
is, old Jane. their Irish nurse.
who came to them Just after they were
weaned and stayed with US until the peri
cd Of maids and governesses arrived. I
paid her SIS a month, n for nearly 10
years she never let them out OF her sight
grooming over them at night; trudging
after them during the daytime: mending
their clothes; brushing their teeth; cut
ting their nails: n teaching them
strange Irish legends OF the banshee.
When I called her into the library and
told her the children were new too old
for her and that they must have n gov
erness, the look that came into her face
haunted me for days.
yen be after taking my darlin's. away
from me7" she muttered In a dead tone.
twill be hard for met" She stood as II
the heart had died within her, and the
800 bill / showed into her hand fell to the
floor. Then she turned quickly and hur-
ried out of the room without a sob. l
heard afterward that she cried for a week.
Now I always know when one OF their
birthdays has arrived by the queer pack
age, addressed In old James quaint half
printed writing, that comes for them. She
has cared for many dozens of children
since then, but loves none like my girls,
for she came to them In her young wom-
anhood md they were her first charges.
And they are just as fond Of her. In
HA T.. WA .. "-. .. I#