Year: 1871

The Work Of One Unguarded Moment.


~ KATE cANER0N.


1t was the close of busy April day To
a mothers ear spring has other voices than
those Of birds and brooks The call of BIOS
som and bud is often lost in the louder calls
within the home.


closed the sewing-machne and folded the
little unfinished garments with tired sigh,
and went for a goodnight kiss to the child
ren, who had just gone to bed. As each
white-robed figure sat up TO fold my neck with
small, loving arms, felt vaguely conscious
of wrong to them during the care.fraught .
hours Of the long day. Echoes Of hasty |
words aud sharp tones came remorsefully back /
to my ears now in this stiller, calmer atmos-
phere, and the gentle voice Of One who taught /
that the d" life is more than meat, and the body
than raiment," sounded clear above them. |
Tears dmmed my eyes, and with a lingering
goodnight kiss left them and went back to
the sitting-room.


Gentle, kind Aunt Mary, whose visits the
children love, sat in the quiet twilight, and
as entered she said Come Kate, and sit
down by me in the large chair 1t will do
you good to rest awhile. ! have a story
to tell you. have been watching you and
the children and think you need to hear it,
If you will learn a lesson by my bitter expe-
rience it will compensate me for the pain Of
recalling it." With her mothery arm around
me sat down to listen.


When was young, busy mother like
yourself, and Arthur was about your Willies
age, was making him little new dress. 1t
was a soft fine merino Of delicate shade,
and constrasted beautifully with his fair face
and soft, black eyes, and | was so proud
and happy in every stitch Of the work 1t


was for Christmas, and when it was nearly


done | called him to try it on for the last time.
The little, restless, dancing fellow found
| it hard work to stand STILL and made it al


most impossible for me to tell what changes


it needed. Turning him around to see the


back of it, did not notice that he caught up


the scissors from chair When | took a
/ front view again, | saw that he had taken the


oily wiping-coth that lay on the sewing ma


chine and had it pressed tight against the


breast of his dress, trying to cut it. In ut


ter vexation and dismay, | roughly snatcbed


the rag and scissors from his hand-just as


you caught the book and pencil from Willie


this morning-only giving them an additional


unnecessary twist from loss Of temper. A


sharp cry of pain from my baby boy, and the


stream Of blood pouring from his little hand,


sobered me instantly. In some way his finger


had been between the blades, and my wrench
of the scissors had brought them together, SC
, that the tender little finger was cut through
! to the bone on both sides. lost no time
though all of my heart bled with it. Tn,


Jagged wound was gaping widely apart OIL
each side and no doctor within two hours Of


US. summoned all of my senses to my aid


and succeeded quickly in dressing and bind
, ing it up, and then sat down, with Arthur oil
my lap, to find ways Of beguiling him frcn
the sense of his pain.


My heart was numJ with the exces
Of suppressed emotion. could see the crue
, cut plainly as if it were before me, and


knew that it would leave lasting scar.
t felt, as through dream, that |, his mother
had mutilated the precious dimped finger in
moment of causeless anger with baby, an'
Z that it would remain a mute witness agains
me as long as he lived.


: Kate, no one but God can know what
felt as | sat smiling to the little one on m


knee | told him stories-all of his favorite:
? | sang and laughed even while kissed tn
little swathed finger. But his lips quivere
5 with pain, and deep sobs heayed his breas
D long after he lay sleeping on my arm. Word
= cannot tell the agony of grief and sham
r that overwhelmed me as | knelt beside tn
: crib when | laid him down. He slept tn


sound sleep of exhaustion, and | yielded I
r the tempest of remorse that utterly PROSTATE
me. 1t swept away every defense, ever
I subterfuge and palliation, and showed me tn
r hideousness Of the sin.


e Had the scissors killed my boy, shoul
/ have been no more guilty or responsible
= was the act of passing moment-gone lik
) fash, but it was ungoyerned, blind tempe
. and the result would be lifelong. Tn
d thought was absolutely unsupportable.
c unavaling pentence | kissed the poor, main
, ed hand Of the little unconscious sleeper, lite
n ally bathing it with my bitter tears.
y After a time the storm spent itself, an
: | took up the days duties again. The lit
n dress gave away never saw it afterward
z ] could not have borne the sight. For weel
# aud months watched the wounds as the
d healed and the deep red of the scar slow
n faded. At last it came to be white and di
d tinct, like thread tight drawn across bot
IS sides of the finger. | saw it whenever | sa
a the baby-at the table, at his play, when
II folded his chubby hands in prayer at my kne
e That white, still witness Of my sin was alwa
1t before me. 1t seemed branded upon n
5. heart. At times, when my punishment W
d greater than could bear, impored God
d his mercy to permit it to fade out as the chi
g grew in stature.


Il "My prayer was answered, but not in d
l. way | asked the scar was not hidden, b


changed to one of the truest blessings Of n
p. life by Him who maketh even the wrath
le man to praise him,


ut " 1t has led me each moment of my i
IL with my children, since then, to set wat
ne at the door Of my heart and lips, and to pr
n. constantly that each day g record may be su


as | shall wish to meet before the great VIII


throne"


And yet Kate | cannot forgive mys
rt for that cruel wound. Often, through t
I'd years since, have bathed it with tears VIII


my boy was sleeping, thanking God that
III was sleep only that folded his dear hand
r quietly. feel that | could not seryive tE
nd accusing witness against me if it appeal
q. from last sleep, from which he could new
IS waken to hear or speak words of love-


trust that may never live to see that SC
ed on his dead hand.


Dear Kate, will you take heed ? W
he you watch every moment, that you may ney
an bring to your heart the undying regret tn
ia will follow me while | live for the one hast


passionate act towards my child ?"
sr. Aunt Mary's voice was broken and ialt'
nd ing as she ceased, and | sat overwhelm,
ys questioning with myself how shall we sta
nd in that last day " when the judgement is
on and the books are opened if the visible 81
cd of one sin is so Ogonzing? There was on
ay the blessed thought of the " fountain gil
nv with blood" to give rest and peace. I