Q48 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[August, 
THE STEPPING- STONES .—From a Painting by J. J. Jenkins, entitled “ Come Along.” 
Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
The scene, our young readers will perceive, is 
one of mountain peasant life. The back ground is 
charming, the stream widening to a lake, the birds, 
hovering over, the quiet waters and the distant 
mountains. “ What a nice place to bathe,” we hear 
some exclaim, and others, “ There must be trout in 
that lake, the waters are so clear.” Some will an¬ 
ticipate a little, and think of skating and cutting ice. 
But there is something more charming here than 
the features of the landscape, and even the young- 
folks, who arc so full of play, will see it when they 
look at the faces of the mother and her child. They 
have been away all day in the gram fields gleaning. 
The little girl has been helping, and a part of that 
goodly bundle of wheat is the result of her industry. 
They are crossing the ford that leads to their home, 
a place she has been carried over so often, that 
she thinks she must have help. Tou see her fear, 
and the suppressed smile of the mother (whose 
hands are occupied with the bundle), encouraging 
her to take the step, .and she must help herself 
or be left behind. The artist has told the story well, 
and it is for our young readers to apply the moral. 
.—There is a time, but a little while ahead with most 
of our young readers, when you can not have the 
help of your parents. They have provided for all 
your wants, fed you, clothed you, taught you, and 
done it with so much kindness and apparent pleas¬ 
ure, that you have never suspected how much self- 
denial and labor were involved in your comfort. 
Tou could not live without them, and yet you must 
soon learn the lesson taught the child in the picture, 
to help yourself. 
Parents see and feel this more than you do, and 
so they lay tasks upon you. Had they always carried 
you in their arms, you would never have learned to 
Walk. And the habit of self-support, that you are ac¬ 
quiring- under the guidance of your parents, will 
soon enable you to take care of yourselves. 
And there are lessons in the picture for our older 
readers—that mother evidently has confidence that 
her child will take the steps, and get over safely, 
and when the little one sees that look of confidence 
and encouragement in her face, it is worth a thous¬ 
and warnings to her—she will be as brave and as 
sure-footed as her mother thinks her. We know 
of parents who do not expect much of their chil¬ 
dren . They fret over their short-comings, and have 
no patience to teach them better. They treat them 
as if they did not think them capable of doing well, 
and the result justifies their expectations. If that 
mother screamed at the child that the water was 
deep and the rocks slippery, and the current swift, 
and that she must take care, and acted as if she did j 
not believe she would get over safe, would the lit- 
tie thing have the pluck to venture? Probably 
not, and if she did she would be very likely to slip. 
How powerful is the influence of example. The 
mother passes on before—the daughter, timorous, 1 
yet strong- in confidence in the mother, follows on 1 
the slippery way across the water. “ Come along,” j] 
the mother says, and so the artist named the pic¬ 
ture. Yes, follow thy mother child, in her dili¬ 
gence and frugality, and in all her moral virtues, as 
well as her sure-footed way across the mountain 
stream. Be strong to do as she says ; be indepen-.i 
dent to do right, even though unaided and alone. 
Mothers, so lead your children in safe, right ways, 
that you can trust them in those things calculated 
to try their courage and their principles. Tlieu 
heartily give them that confidence,with your own ex¬ 
ample, which gives both moral and physical power. 
