The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-11-30
(For the lancaster Gazette.
Laws OF health,

Laws OF health,
Maternity is at once the most sacred
and responsible prerogative Of the in.
diyidual mother 1t is the prenatal
state Of man, or that period existing
between conception and birth. that the
foundations of life are laid. Whether
the popular mind has been educated
in this direction or not, the facts are
the same; and the future welfare or
misery OF the race is in embryo in the
unborn. Life, nor character, does not
commence with breath or conscious
perception. Woman's purity or i'm
purity of thought; her intuitivc per-
ceptions; her spirituality; her benevo-
lence; charity, intcIlectualties, as they
are vigorous or weak, or actively or
slothfully exercised; her frugaIIty and
domestic habits as well as her vices
and moral short. coming, are as much
incorporated into her unborn babe as
are her physical qualities, and the
sooner mothersgetrid of the frivolous
follies and vices Of Questionable" soci-
ETY., the purer and healthier will the
fruit of thoir bodies be; and Yith the
dawning of that era will commence
the wanc of jais and pOnitentiaries,
because the subjects with which they
are filled will be continually growing
fewer.
1t is q standing marvel that this sub
ject has not received a larger attention
from philanthropists and reformers.-
The best generations cfnaturo proceed
from the best germs, under the best
culture, whether in the animal or veg.
etable kingdoms No fact is better
settled in knowledge than this All
great and good men have had great
and good mothers; but tyrants and
scoundrels have sprung from had moth
ers, This is well nigh trno in all cases,
no matter what may be said OF pater-
nal descent. ....
1t is not alone in the cmbryotic state
that mothers impress on their OIL
spring good or bad qualities, morally,
mentally and physically; from the ma
turc of the family relation they be-
come, of necessity, their educators,
during the plastic state of mind, when
character, which is to endure for life
is chiefly formed. But no amount Of
prayers, and tears, and precepts, or
physical chastisement, can fully over
come the impress of bad character
which is born with the individual
chlld, any more than the dwarfed and
gnaIled bush which has sprung from
an unhealthy germ can be nurtired
into the tallest and most comely tree
of the forest.
The mother of Dante, the great Ital.
ian poet, is known to have been, pre-
vious TO his birth, tho subject of sub
lime and beautiful fancies. These Wis.
ions and heathful immaginings were
stamped on her unborn boy, and made
of him the poet that he was. The
mother of Napoleon was much with
her husband, and took great interest
in his drilling and marshaling his ar
mics preparatory to battle; and it is
said of her, that she had an impassion-
ed desire to be an eye witness to the
clash of arms in the death conflict Of
war; hence Napoleon Bonaparte. His.
tory abounds with names of good and
bad, great and trivial, men, who have
figured on the worlds stage, who did
but illustrate the characteristics of the
mother. Take the converse: men great
and noble in all the qualities that have
thrilled the world, but who have been
unequally yolsed with low, undevolop
ed or vicious women, have seldom. il
ever, repeated themselves. Nay; it !;
the mother that gives tho world hei
lights and leaders; and she is to be the
worlds reformcr and saviour. There
fore in proportion as she is elevated
and refined, SO will mankind rise ir
eXaltation.
When you sec men sinking them
selves to become a Clay, n Webster, {
Wesley, or Melanct6on, pity them
with all your might, because they did
not spring from the same mothers
Mary was the mother of Christ;