The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1857-03-18
NUMBER 9.

MOTHERS MOULD THE neutrality-suspicious.
ly of the chronological teaching, that mon
of marked character derive their goodness,
greatness or genius exclusively from tho
maternal source, and not from tho pa,ernal,
4 common opinion that marked man had
a superior mother, is quite general in cir
cles where no pretensions TO science exist.
Where both father and son become dis
tinguished, as in tho instance Of John Ad-
ans and John Quincy Adams, it should be
rococc,ed they both had mothers of extra
ordinary mental energy.
Two-thirds of all young men who como
TO the cities to seek their fortunes, from thoir
poor homes in the country, and who finally
own the shipping, reside in palaces, control
foreign commerce, hola the highest offices
in the gift of The people, had mothers worth
having.
A thousand incidental circumstances may
have been in the way to prevent develop
ment of the true latent powers which many
mother possesses. An imperfect educa-
ton; Strengthened condition of her family;
carly marriage and subsequent demands Of
group of young children, in connection
with the state Of society in which her lot
was cast, all may have been unfavorable
for an exhibition OF the real elements of her
mind and character. Still, the concealed
power is there, which she transmits 10 her
sons, who, under the strong impulse Of ne
ccssity in one case, or polished educational
discipline in another, mako tho world con-
scious they arc in L.
The mother OF the celebrated Goethe was
but eighteen when he was born. She was
a lively girl, full of German sentiment,
with warm impulses, by no means much
troubled with q conscience, exceedingly
afraid of hor husband, who was near twen-
ty-two years hor senior, and seemingly
both willing and skilful in the invention of
white lies adapted to screen her children
from his minute, fdge,ty, and rather austere
superintendence. She Spoiled her chill
dEen on principle, and made no pretension
TO conduct a systematic training, which she
abhorred. She said of herself, in after years.
that she could educate no child, was
quite unfit for it, gave them every wish so
long as they laughed and were good and
whipped them if they cried or made wry
mouths, without ever looking for any reason
why they laughed or cried. Her belief in
Providence was warm with German senti-
ment, and not a little tnged with -upersti-
tloE. She reioiced greatly when her son
published the "Coniessions of a Beautiful
4It 6.t pieIIsiIc i-,nH ea "Tnd as memorial Of
Of emotion ratker than Of rnortI rufSsAs .HtItee
Sho was generous and cxtravagant. and
ai,o, her husbands death, seems TO have
spent capital as we'll as income. She was
passiona,ely fond Of the lhrea,re, 4 tas.e
which she transmitted TO her son. Her
hearty simplicity Of nature made her every
where loved. Her servants loved and STAY
ed with her to the last. She seems 10 have
had at least as much homer as her son,
which, loy Germans, was not inconsidcrable,
and not much more sense Of awe. She gave
the most detailed orders for he. funeral, and
even specified the kind of wine and the
size OF the cracknels with which the mourn
eTs were TO be RECALLED, ordering the ser.
wants not 10 put 100 lew ralsins into the
cakos, as she never could endure that in
her life, and it would certainly chafo her in
her grave. Having been invited .s go 10
party on the day she died, she sen. for an
swer, that Madame Goethe could not come,
as she was engaged in dying" Yet her
sensitiveness was so great that she Away,
made il condition with her servants that
they should never repeat to her painful
news that they had picked up accidentally,
is she wished TO hear nothing sad without
absolute necessity. And during her son's
dangeTou. illness ~ Weiuar, in 1905, no
one ventured to speak 10 her Of it till it
passed, though she affirmed that she had
been conscious all the time of his danger
without The heart to mention it. This Pc
culiari;y Goo nc iaheriied-M Ned UorLd.