Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1875-11-15
NECESSARY TRAINING.

pidbCs NtolNo Il eVNhS iiet1OA ""'f "a
answer to his questions about her edu-
cation. names over what she has learned
at the seminary. He says:
"And the training of children-mor-
al, intellectual and physieal-was no
doubt made prominent subject Of con-
sideration."
Training ofchildren? ? Oh, no That
would have been curious kind of study"
Where, then. were you prepared for
the duties Of your mission r
"What mission do you mean ?"
"Your mission of child-training"
Il had no preparation.
mo preparation But are you ac-
quaiuted with the different tempera-
ments child may have, and the differ
ent combinations of them Are you
competent to the direction and culture
of the intellectual and moral nature
Have you skill to touch the hidden
springs of action Have you, thus un-
instructed, the power, the knowledge,
the wisdom, requisite for guiding that
mighty force, child's soul ?
ALAS There is hardly a day that |
do not feel my ignorance on all these
points.
Are there no sources from which
knowledge may be obtained -? There
must be books written upon these sub
jects"
POSSIBLY; but have no time to read
them"
''No time ?-no time to prepare for
your chief mission %
cit is our mission only in print In
real life it plays an extremely subordin-
ate part.
What, then, in real life. is your
mission ?''
Chiefly cooking and sewing"
"Your husband, then, does not share
the common belief in regard to woman's
chief duty %
"Oh, yes, have heard him express
it many time, though I don't think he
comprehends what woman needs in or
der to do her duty by her children. But
he loves them dearly. If one should die
he would be eart-broken. .
'Is it a common thing here for chill
dren to die %
81 am grieved to say that nearly one
fourth die in infancy"
"And those who live, do they grow
up in full health and vigor p
"Oh, indeed they do not. Why, look
at our crowded hospitals Look at the
apothecaries' shops at almost every cor
ner. Look at the advertisements of med
icines Don't you think there's mean
ing in these, and meaning in the long
rows of fve-stcry, swell-front houses oc-
cupied by physicians, and meaning in
the people themselves There's scarcely
one of them but has some ailment."
"But is this matter of health subject
to no laws 2"
The phrase, laws of health, is a ia
miliar one, but | don't know what those
laws are"
'Mothers. then, are not in the habit
of teaching them to their children 2"
"They are not themselves acquainted
with them"
Perhaps this astonishing Ignorance
has something to do with the fearful
mortality among infants. Do not hus-
bands provide their wives with books
and means of information on this sub
ject ?''
Generally speaking, they do nothing
of the kind"
"And does not the subject of hyglen
ic laws, as applied to the rearing o.
children, come into the courses of study
laid out for young women ?"
"No, indeed. Oh, how | wish it had
and those other matters you mention
ed. [ would give up everything else
ever learned forthe sake of knowing hov
to bring up my children. and how t
keep them in health. >
The president and professors Of you
educational institutional they shar
the common belief as to womans mis-
sion ?"
..Oh, yes. They all say that the chic
business of woman is to train up he
children"