one understood so well as herself would require a great deal of hard
labor with small means. But she won by her sweet persuasiveness
the hearty interest of all the children, even to the eldest daughter,
the least willing of all to go to the country, betause she was just
approaching the age when girls like to be with companions of their
own age and to go where they are most apt to meet the brothers of
their friends. A long talk with her quite alone one morning settled
outward opposition from that quarter, and she kept the promise
then made so well that the others called her " mother's champion."
The tact and sweetness of the mother had won the victory, and the
new home was occupied by as rebellious yet outwardly calm children
as ever felt resentment toward fate or paid homage to a mother's
beautiful love. Somehow they felt that their father had not dealt
fairly with their mother, and that he was the author and source of all
their troubles. This feeling helped them to hold fast to themselves
when they faced the actual realities of their changed condition and
saw how ordinary, compared to what they had known, was the place
they were to call their home. It seemed to them that it would have
been unbearable but for " mother," and it would have been had she
failed them ; but she was so bright a presence in the house, so pleasant
and agreeable to her sons and daughters, that, young though they were,
they felt that in her they had more than other people had who never
had misfortune, and who owned the best of everything. She smiled
upon their serious faces, and they felt constrained to go up to her and
embrace her, or to lean against her and have their hair stroked by her
magnetic hands. She knew the way to each of their hearts, and kept
watch over their faults as Cerberus did the way to the infernal regions.
They in their turn knew her every expression, and if she looked pale
or seemed weary there was a protest at once against her going out
into the sunshine or doing any more work that day. This spirit she
indulged in her children, and when she saw that they wanted her to
be controlled by them she would yield, taking the opportunity to
talk with them familiarly about their plans and the work they were
to help her to do when she got strong again. If it rained she
MOTHER'S KNEE.
THE MOTHER IN THE HOME. 35 I
would show her fine management by pleading weariness and dividing
her duties between her children. The eldest brother and sister were
given the dining-room to make look "better than it ever did before,"
and the two younger boys and their little sisters were put at light
tasks in her presence, which they performed all too fast for the
mother, who had to tax her resources to devise further employment
for them. When actual duties were exhausted, she would gather
them about her and ask their advice about improvements she desired
to make. Such counsel as she got, though it was diametrically
opposite often and again, she would accept with a thoughtful look
and a quiet assent that made her young advisers feel thoroughly
comfortable all day, believing that they had helped her out of a
dilemma.
Page 229
Presented as published in 1883. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
one understood so well as herself would require a great deal of hard labor with small means. But she won by her sweet persuasiveness the hearty interest of all the children, even to the eldest daughter, the least willing of all to go to the country, betause she was just approaching the age when girls like to be with companions of their own age and to go where they are most apt to meet the brothers of their friends. A long talk with her quite alone one morning settled outward opposition from that quarter, and she kept the promise then made so well that the others called her " mother's champion." The tact and sweetness of the mother had won the victory, and the new home was occupied by as rebellious yet outwardly calm children as ever felt resentment toward fate or paid homage to a mother's beautiful love. Somehow they felt that their father had not dealt fairly with their mother, and that he was the author and source of all their troubles. This feeling helped them to hold fast to themselves when they faced the actual realities of their changed condition and saw how ordinary, compared to what they had known, was the place they were to call their home. It seemed to them that it would have been unbearable but for " mother," and it would have been had she failed them ; but she was so bright a presence in the house, so pleasant and agreeable to her sons and daughters, that, young though they were, they felt that in her they had more than other people had who never had misfortune, and who owned the best of everything. She smiled upon their serious faces, and they felt constrained to go up to her and embrace her, or to lean against her and have their hair stroked by her magnetic hands. She knew the way to each of their hearts, and kept watch over their faults as Cerberus did the way to the infernal regions. They in their turn knew her every expression, and if she looked pale or seemed weary there was a protest at once against her going out into the sunshine or doing any more work that day. This spirit she indulged in her children, and when she saw that they wanted her to be controlled by them she would yield, taking the opportunity to talk with them familiarly about their plans and the work they were to help her to do when she got strong again. If it rained she
MOTHER'S KNEE.
THE MOTHER IN THE HOME. 35 I
would show her fine management by pleading weariness and dividing her duties between her children. The eldest brother and sister were given the dining-room to make look "better than it ever did before," and the two younger boys and their little sisters were put at light tasks in her presence, which they performed all too fast for the mother, who had to tax her resources to devise further employment for them. When actual duties were exhausted, she would gather them about her and ask their advice about improvements she desired to make. Such counsel as she got, though it was diametrically opposite often and again, she would accept with a thoughtful look and a quiet assent that made her young advisers feel thoroughly comfortable all day, believing that they had helped her out of a dilemma.