The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-08-17
acknowledgement



There was once superstition among Us
tHat mothers were OF use in society that
tbey had their functions and duties, with
mt which society would not prosper OF
bnld together, and that much OF the well
beius u humanity, present and future, de-
p.adtd on them. Mothers in those days
Maze by no means eiletc personages or n
warn out institution, but living powers
,,srgi.ing a real and pcrvading influence;
,1l they we're credited with an authority
Which they did not scruple to use when
,.,sIrpl One OF the functions recogniz.
,aI5- ppcially belongingt to them was that
nj Guarding their young people from the
,.b.aucnces OF their own ignorance,
leaning them from dangers both physical
Imi moral until wise enough to take care
themselves, and supplementing by their
AVN experience the want OF II in their
.gIlrca Another was that OF preserving
III, ,nnr oi society on high level, and
supplying the antiseptic element by which
hr rc,t was kept pure; as for example,
insisting that the language used and the
,ub.rl discussed before them were such
d. luull not offend the modesty OF viz.
NOUS women; that the people with whom
dies we're required TO associate should be
moderately honest and well conducted;
anil In hort, ~ mothers, disCountenanc.
Ip,Trrylhing in other men and women
Uli,bllry would not like to see initiated
b, tAcir own sons and daughters. This
MA. one oi the fond slpcrstitiOns OF an
cider lmy. For ourselves, We boast OF
onr freedom from superstition In these
later diy,, Of our proud remuneration OF
f.lrinls and habits which were deemed
beneficial by our iorcialhers, Of our indif-
ference to forms, and hatred OF humbng
and u all that tends to fCIter what iscall.
Ell ndividualism. Hence We have found
that we can go on without safeguards for
our young; that society does not want its
mltrOns rs the prescrvativc ingredient
tlr keeping it pure; and that the world is
al the merrier for the lOOsening Of bonds
which once ii was the duty Of women to
draw closer, In fact, mothers have gone
oat snrying only in the form Of chaper.
uu.r
Nprc or less on the search for her own
plraWrc, II by any possibility OF artiliCe
,hr be taken for less than sixty, still
ready for odd snatchGs oil flirting assle can
fad occasion, or with her faculties con.
contracted on the chance Of winning the
rubber by Indifferent play, the ChApCrOn's
Charge is not very OncrOus one and her
daughters know as well rs she does that
her presence Is n blind rather than pro.
lection. They arc with mamma as u form
oi-vpcch, hut they are left to themselves
n,a matter Of fact, Any one who Ia in
,no,pnfdcnce OF young people Of either
.aS knows q little OF what goes on In the
dark corners and on the steps Of the
.mirs-a iayOrite anchorage for the loose.
Is rhnpcroned in private houses where
IRo hundred are invited and only hun.
,Irrl can find room. But then the girls
are with MAMMA" and the young men
are cuntcntcd souls who take what they
nn yet without making wry faces.
Mamma occupied in her own wcll-sCa'
.oOcd coQuetries, or absorbed in the
chances Of her deep "fnesse" winning the
trick, lets the girls take care Of them.
cIyc-, and would think it intOlerablc i'm.
pcuiurncc should friend hint to her
that her place OF ChaperOn included Wig
liant personal guardianship, and that she
would dobcttcr to keep her daughters in
heroyn charge than leave them to them.
rlycs It is all very well for the advO'
cate. ii youthful innocence to effect TO re-
.rut the slur supposed To be cost on girl.
hood by the advocacy Of this closer guard.
muship or for those who do not know
tie world TO make their Ignorance the
measure Of anOthcr's knowledge, and TO
deny what they have not proved for
themselves Those who do know the
world know what they say when they
dcprccatc the excessive freedom which
i.to often granted to unmarried girls;
and their warning is fully justified by ex.
pcricnce when they call mothers back to
their duty OF stricter watchfulness, II
indeed the young are capable Of Self.prO'
lection, then we grant with them that
mothers are mistake. Let them abdi.
cate without more ado. II license Is
more desired than mOdesty, and liberty
bcttcrthan retiCenCe, the girls may as well
be left, as practically they are already,
free from the mothers guardianship; but
ii we have n doubt that way, we may as
we'll give it the benefit OF consideration,
and think little on the subjeC before go.
lug further on the present line.
From the first the mother, In the well.
to.do classes, acts too much the part oil
thGhC ostrich with her eyes. She trusts
to the kindly influence Of external cir.
cumstanCes rather than TO her own care
to make the Matching successful. Nurses
goyernesses, schools, In turn relieve her
Of the irksome duties Of maternity. She
sees her little ones at their stated hour,
and for the other twenty-three leaves
them to receive their first indelible I'M.
press from class which she is never
tired of disparaging. As the children
grow older the women by whom they are
moulded and colOred may become higher
in the social and intellectual scale, but
they are no more than before snbOt.
dinated to the mothers personal super.
vision. She is mainly anxious that her
girls shall be taught the correct shib.
boleth Of their station; and for the rest,
= g T"v ipns, in III" uooJnSss @f hUmaS
"dI,r S' V o. ,bo Observation-Disclosures n hor
bSooJ l,ovorJ that NJ nnI o,hnr woman,s
Iro o W (vbSn thsv comic unGer LS% "w0
iamei;n,o banj iGnishoI" oni roadv IN
i" introJncei sI,e kn"WS oboTt M ni,,c6
Of them as she knows Of her neighbOrs