Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-08-17
EVENING STAR
1UESDAY...........A IL. ISL
The Modern Mother.
WRITTEN FOR ENGLAND, But EQUALLY
APPLICABLE TO THE UNITED STATES
From, the S1f,,r,jr,, R,7l,,e

From the SItHriGg Re7ft7c.
There was once a superstition among rs
mat mothers were Of use in society; that they
had their functions and duties, without
which society would not prosper or hold to-
gether, and that much OF the well being OF
EUmaHity, present and future. deDende1 on
them. Mothers in those days were rs no
means efiete personages or a wora-oIt insti-
tuition, out living powers exercising a real
and pervading influence; and they were cred
tied with an authority which they did not
. scruple 10 use when required. One OF the
functions recognized as specially bei1nEiEg
10 them was that OF guarding their young
people from the consequences of thsl. own
ignorance keeping item from dangers both
physical and moral until wise enough 10
take care of themselves. and supplementing
by their own experience the want OF IL in
their children. Anotb er was that oil preserv-
Ing The tone OF society on high level, and
supplying the antiseptic element by which
The rest was Kept pure; as, FOR example, in-
SiStlng that the language used aDd TIE sub
jects discussed before them were such as
should not offend The moGeSty OF viTtuous
women that The people w.th whom they were
required 10 associate should be moderately
honest and well conducted, ami In short. az
mothers, diScOuDtenaIciug every 1uiBg N
other men and women which they would nor
like 70 see initiated by their Own sons and
daughters This was one OF the fond super
suuons OF an elder time. For ourScl YES, we
LcSSt o. our freedom from superstition il
these latter days, OF cuI proud enumeration
OF res tTaiEtS and habits which were deemed
beneficial by our fore!athers. Of our iniiffer-
enCe TO forms. and hatred OF hunbug ana OF
all tha- tends TO fetter what * cailei inii-
yidUalism. Hence we have found that W.
can go on without safeguards FOR our young.
that society does not want its InatronS as the
pre- sentative Ingredient lOT keeping il pure
AID that tie world is all the merrier Tor the
lOosenirg Of bCudS which once IL was the
duty OF women TO draw closer. IN fact,
mothers nave gone out, surviving only II The
form OF Cha perons.
From the first, the mother. IN the welI-to-
DO classes, acts too much the part of thehea
ostrich with her eggs. She trusts TO the kind
ly influence OF external circumstances rather
than To her own care To MAKE the Matching
successful. Nurses. goVerneSSeS. schools. in
turn relieve her OF the irkSume duties OF ma
| ternity. She sees Ler little ones at their
stated hour, and for the other twenty-three
leaves them 20 receive ttheir first indelibie
| impress from class she is never tired IL dis
! paragins. AS the children grow older the
women by whom they are nodded and col
| cred may become higher in the sOcia ana iu-
| tellectual scale, but they are no more than
| before subordinate1 to the mothers personal
| supervision. She Is mainly anxious that her
girls shall he taught the correct ibJolrtn OF
their station; and for the resi-. II she thinks AZ
| all, she cradles herself IN a general {. uSt in
the goodness of human nature, or the tICor-
! TuptthilIty of her brood beyond that OF any
other woman's brood. When they come under
| her own immediate hand, ''fniShed," aHl
ready To be introduced, she knows about as
much OF them as she knows % her ne ghbors
girls IN The next square; and in Etne cases out
of ten the sole duties toward them which are
undertaken by her are shirkGt When possi-
BILE, as a cOrCee which she Is too wise TO bear
unnecessarily. When she can, she shufies
them off on some kind eighboTly la ,!ds, and
| lets her daughters ''gO about with the first
person WhOoIerS, glad TO have little breath
| lng llme on her own Slue, and with always
| that generous trust in providence and vicss-
| rioUs protection which mas marked her ma
| ternal career throughout.
IN the lower half OF thc middle class tie
| liberty allowed the young girls grows yearly
| more and more unchecked They walk alone,
| travel a lone, visit alone; and The greatest OF
! evils have been known TO arise from the
| habit which modern mothers have of send
! ing their daughters of sixteen and upward
| un8ccOmpaniet in London to colleges end
/ classes. Mamma has grown stout and lazy,
| and mas always some Important matter on
| hand that keeps heI home, half asleep in the
| eaSy-chair, while the girls 90 10 and fro, and
/ take the the exercises betting their youth
! ful energies. or course no harm can befall
/ Them. They are heT daughters, and tie
! warnings given by the kCener-eyei, who
| The enemy and ISLANDERS against the young.
| So they parade the stree =, dressed in the
most starting and meretrictous costumes OF
| the period, and that fatal doctrine Of self
! protection counts its victims as the cOnse-
| qCence. The world is fond Of throwing TIE
! blame Oh any misfortune that may arise,
! Tow on the girl, now on The man concerned:
/ but Ih honest act, that blame in a large
! degree belongs To the mothers VINO let their
daughters run aboutthe word without guide
| Or guard. A work was given them by natufe
| and love 10 do, which they have neglected, /
! duty which they have discarded. Whoever
| chCosC may chaperon "a company, mold their
| daughters, SO long as they are freed from the
| trouble; and their dependence on the natural
| virtue and humanity, and the bonifcence OF
| circumstances. runs exactly PARALLEL with
| their own lndOlencc ana neglect.
In preserving the tone OF society pare, the
| modern mother is as far removed from the
| ideal as she is in the duty OF taking care OF
| her girls, Too often she is found making
| herself prominent in the most Ohiectional
movement; or, when doubtful questions are
| being discussed in mixed society. she fOrgetS
| that regard for the purity OF her daughters
| should have kept her silent, even IL heT Own
| seif-reS DeCJ was too weak 70 re train a -.
When Tie constituencies world, living with
cut higher aim that that OF success and
| what is known by getting on, condones al
| kinds Of moral obliqulty for the sake o.
! financial prosperity and social position, do
| we flnG that, as rule, mothers and ma trOGs
/ protest against opening their houses TO this
| gided rascality. If they iiu---f they made
dement, ana not poverty the cause of exclus-
| Ion, Vi:tlc and not success the title 10 re-
| ception-there wOGld DC some check to the
/ corruption which is So innOcently rampant
now. Women nave this power in their oyr
hands, more especially those who are
| mothers. II they would only set themselves
10 check the inclination for loose talk and
| doubtful discussions which IS 50 CHARACTER
| iStiC of,he present moment, they could put
IN end 70 IL "! Lhout delay. And so also they
! might stop ia less than year that torrent
CT slang with which Young England Hoods
! its daily speech; and by setting themselves
against the paint and dye ard merctrici5us
make ny generally of the modern girl, they
might bring next quarters fashions back %
| mOGesty and simplicity.
| Women are apt 20 muTmur al their lot as
! one without influence, variety, stirring pU.-
pose, space for action. Bat il IS, on the con-
tlary. a lot full OF dignity and Importance Il
properly regarded and itly undertaken. u
| they do not lead armies, they make the
characters OF men who lead anu are led. II
! they are not state ministers or paTiiamGa a y
| orators, they raise by their GOhiouCSS or uc-
| grade by their want Of ciCacy and rslU-
| ment souls and minds OF the men who are
If they are not Ia the throng and press OF ac-
| tive life, they can cheer on 10 high aims, Oh
! basely reward the baser methods Of exist
! ence. AS mothers they are the artiicers who
| give the Initial touch that lasts for lite; and
| as women they complete what the mother
! began. Society is mOide mainly by them
| and they bring up their dau ghterS upon thaiI
| own pattern. II is surely weak and silly
then 10 blame society fol its lgIoble tone, OF
the young FOR their disorders. All men wan.
the corrective influence OF social OPINION
| and 1t is chiefly women who create that
! opinion. Youth, too, Will ever be disorierly
! lift gets the chance, and the race has not yet
| been born that carries old heads on yorng
shoulders. 1t is for the mothers TO supple
ment by their own wisdom the gaps left by
1 irlayperienaa Of i