Our Children. 59 



That burns within you, like a smouldering fire, 

 Mocking the meagerness of love's excess. 



O, foolish heart, if you could only see 

 The aching breasts the wear}' thousands bear, 



Who miss theheiling touch of infancy, 

 On barren heights of fame, you count so fair. 



It they could speak to you, who, yesternight 

 Saw their last darling colder than the clay, 



You'd fold your warm young flock with rare delight, 

 And bless all weariness for such as they. 



Could ye, whom love hath honored over-much, 

 Set life's supremest treasures now and then 



Against the loss of all ye hold as such, 

 Ye would be sweeter women, braver men. 



OUR CHILDREN. 



Mrs. Arnold beiDg absent her paper was read by Mrs. D. C. 

 Avers, as follows: 



As I cast my eyes about, thinking, wishing so much to know 

 just what would be a proper theme for a short paper, my little 

 girl comes to me, asking some trifling question, and I muse, of all 

 earth's treasures, of all earth's flowers, the children, the flowers 

 of our households, are dearest to our hearts, so of them, and to 

 them, will I write. Their first -breath brings with it such a thrill 

 of pleasure, such a feeling of anxiety, such a responsibility. This 

 anxiety does not cease; as they grow in strength their little feet 

 are forever leading them into pitfalls where with bruises and bumps 

 and soiled clothing they are anything but attractive. It needs a 

 mother's love, her kind forgiving way, her soothing words and 

 kisses, to make all well again. 



Do we realize fully, that these little ones are critical imitators of 

 every word, and copy our morals and manners with surprising ac- 

 curacy ? It is a saying that " as the mother is, so are her sons and 

 daughters." We wish them to be gentle and lovable. If this say- 

 ing be true, beware of harsh, quick words, beware lest they be 

 repeated tenfold. They being so susceptible to early impressions, 

 and the first seven years being spent in the mother's society, would 



