Year: 1879

A little timely gentleness sweetens par
ent's recollection in after years with thrill
of gratitude whereas, the memory of hasty
severity to little ones NUT bring a pang.
This tender story of mothers experience,
published in the Christian Weekly is beau
tiful lesson in ITSELF The mother had laid
her table with great care and pains for
company of distinguished guests, when her
little girl accidentally overturned tureen
Of gravy on her snowy cloth. "What should
do? 1t seemed drop too much for my
tired nerves-many drops too much for my
table-cloth. | was about to jerk my child
down angrily from the table when blessed
influence held me. l caught the expression
on her face; such sorry, frightened, ap-
pealing look | never saw, and suddenly
picture of the past came and stood out
vividly before my minds eye. My child's
face revealed feelings which had expert
ence twenty years before. was myself
little nervous girl, about eight years old, in
the happy home of my childhood. 1t was a
stormy afternoon in winter. 1t was when
coal-oil lamps were first introduced, and
father had bought very handsome one.
The snow had drifted up against the kitchen
window, so, although it was not night, the
lamp was lighted. Mother was sick in bed
up stairs, and we children were gathered in
the kitchen, to keep the noise and confusion
away from her. l was feeling very i'm
portant helping get supper; at any rate,
imagined | was helping, and in my officious-
ness, seized that lamp and went down
cellar for some butter; tried to set it on
the hangiug-shef, but alas | didn't give
it room enough, and down it fell on the
cemented floor. | never shall forget the
uhna hat \ IL
paralyzed. | didn't dare to go up stairs,
and was afraid to stay down there, and to
make it worse, heard my fathers voice in
the kitchen. He had cautioned us all, again
and again, to be careful of that lamp; and
now, there it lay smashed to pieces But his
voice seemed to give me the impetus !
needed to go up and meet the scolding or
whipping, or both, which felt sure awaited
me; and which really felt deserved. So
| crept up over the dark stairway, and as |
entered the kitchen, met my father with
such stern look upon his face that was
frightened saw there was no need to tell
him what had happened. He had heard
the crash, and if he hadn't, guess my face
would have told the story. The children
stood silently around, awaiting to see what
father would do; and | saw by their faces
that they were horror-struck, for that lamp
had heen tho subject of too much talk and
wonder to be smashed without a sensation.
As for me, felt so frightened, so confused
and sorry, that couldn't speak. But upon
gancing again at father, saw the angry
look die out of his eyes, and one of tenderest
pity take its place. doubt not that he saw
the same look in my face then that saw in
my child's face to-day. In minute he had
lifted me in his arms, and was hugging me
close to his breast. Then he whispered, oh,
so kindly "Never mind little daughter
we all know twas an accident, but hope
you will take the small lamp when you 60
down cellar again." Oh, what revolution
of feelings | experienced 1t was such
surprise to me that | was suddenly over
whelmed with feelings of love and gratitude,
aud burying my face, sobbed as if my
heart was breaking. No punishment could
have affected me half so much and nothing
can efface the memory of it from my mind


How | loved my father to-day, as the sight
of my own little girls face brought it all
freshly before me Will she love me as
dearly, wonder, twenty years or more from
now, because, moved by the same impulse
that stirred my fathers heart in that long
ago time, | was able to press the little
frightened thing to my heart, and tell her
kindly that knew she didn't mean to spill
the gravy, and that l knew she would be
more careful another time? Will she be
helped by it when she is mother as have
been helped to-day 2"-Selected