Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-09-29
Mothers and Temperance.

81 do not think there is woman
in the land whose cheek would not
flush with anger and indignation, if
you should even hint to her that she
is deliberately laying a groundwork
of habit which would end in making
drunkard of her boys. She would
vehemently deny the fact, and gather
her darlings to her bosom, with a
shudder at the bare possibility of their
meeting such a.fate.
Every mother knows, from the ser
mons and books and essays upon the
subject, that have flooded the land
but more still from her own instincts
and heart-beats. that no one in all the
world has such an influence as she has
over the future man and woman
now the little confding child on her
breast.
wonder if she thinks of the still
stronger power she holds for veal or
woe over ler unborn babe. [ won
der if she eoes back further still, even
ere she mar'ies the man who is to be
the father Oi her children, considers
we'll what sort Of a bias he will give
| their natures. and what kind of an
example he will set before them :;
whether he is d strong appetites and
weak selfgoverlment or not a; whether
they can live in such harmony that
their children will be always carried
on the strength Of love and wisdom
through all the temptations of youth,
feeling that h)me is both harbor and
anchor during every storm. Does she
realize that the food she prepares to
eat-if rich, heavily spiced and salted
gives them an appetite for stimulat-
ing things; that the domestic wines
which she manufactures as innocently
as she does her jellies and cakes, give
her children their first taste for some
thing stronger than water to drink ?
Does she ever think that the ale
and porter which her physician advi
Ses her to use freely when nursing
her children, are nursed into then
stomachs, carried into their blood
and brains, and thus-the last thing
she would dream of-their taste il
forming for them, and the natural in
stinctive dislike of child for liquor
taken away?
Does she know that the bourbon
and brandy, few teaspoonfuls day
for strength and medicine before th'
birth of the child, all through the in
timacy Of child and mother, has its in
fuence and effect, until, when tn
temptation comes for him to driGl
for the pleasure of it, her warning
My child, do not touch the cup lose
its force; for against it rise his stronj
appetites, and the remembrance tha
u0 noa ovv" her take of the same? p?
There is one thing | think mother
should teach their children from
first dawning Of evil in their
and that is self-control. | have d
a young man full of gSSSnes. and
ent say: 4 have
taste Of liquor, an
have not. the pol e tn
temptation Is it allNisVwn fault
Can we raise our children weakly
and then conscientiously tell them t
be strong? Teach them to COVER
their little passions and tempers an
appetites, and they will be stron
enough for great ones by and by.
If every mother would be convir
ced of the Importance of all thes
seemingly little matters and faithful
abide by her own convictions of rigt
, and wrong in regard to them, woul
!, not the coming generation see muc
fewer weak men struggling hopeless
ly against their appetites and sinkin
into drunkards' graves"