The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-06-06
Mothers and Daughters.

earth.-Prof Riazss Smyth, IN Cham
bers' Journal.
Mothers and Daughters.
What is the relation that they sustain
to each otherp Too often is it not thisp
The mother is the drudge, and the
daughter selfshly enjoys what the
mother provides for her. In many
households many by far-the pict-
ture presented is that of the mother,
faded before her time, making a slave
of herself in kitchen or sewing-room;
losing what interestsshe may have had
IN literature, in society, in current
events beyond the merest round of
neighborhood gossip; treading, for the
endless round of toll, almost, if not
quite, menial. The reverse of the pict-
ture is the daughter, care-free, her
wants for food or clothing anticipated,
her freedom to enjoy herself made
ample, her opportunities for study or
for reading made secure, her time pref
ty much at her own disposal. On the
one side is the weary and worn mother
and she is not old yet by any means.
On the other side is the pretty, dainty,
fresh and blooming daughter. We
would not have the daughter one whit
less pretty and dainty and fresh and
blooming; but all this ought not to be
at the price of the mothers very life.
Yet we are sure, from our own knowl-
edge and the testimony of others, that
the picture is not !overdrawn.
The relation, then, that too often ex-
lists is that the mother drudges and the
daughter enjoys. 1t does not take long
for the daughter to become exacting.
In q very short time it will not be
strange if she is looking down upon
her mother as fitted simply to drudge
for her comfort. She grudges her
mother the place in the parlor. She
does not want the mothers presence
among her young companions.
/" Mother is such dowdy,n she says,
that can't bear to have her around. :"
And the mother too often meekly sub
mits to this social exile. st-
In many cases, If not in all, the
mother has originally herself to blame
for this. She began by being, not the
mother, with a mothers rights as
well as duties, but the slave of the little
baby-girl in the cradle. 1t gratified in
way her maternal pride to lavishly
bedeck the little toddler. To have the
little girl "look pretty" was her. am
bition, and consumed her effort. Once
started, where could she pause in this
courseP As the child grew older the
demands naturally became greater.
The ultimate result is seen in the pict-
ure we have presented, and which we
know is true one. But the picture is
a very sad one.
Now, what ought to be the relation:
Surely, as different from what we have
pictured as can be. We would not re.
verse it, and make the daughter the
drudge. We are not inclined to be pa.
tient with idle and exacting mothers,
who are willing that all the bloom
should be brushed from fresh young
lives before they are fairly expanded
There are some such mothers But
surely there is safe middle ground. n
Let the mother remember that she
has rights as well as duties. One o.
these rights is to continue to enjoy so
ciety. Society made up of boys and
girls is slim and shallow enough. Il
needs the ripeness of maturity to be
Thoroughly enjoyable. The mother
therefore, must not drudge her life away
till she can no more enjoy society. She
must make her daughter understand
that she has right to share in -socia
enjoyments, and is not to be relegate6
to kitchen or nursery while the young
miss receives her friends. But if she
expects to be a companion, she must bt
companionables The slave of the cook,
ing-stoves or the needle Ran not be this.
1t is not the necessary work that we
condemn, but the superfiuops-the wori
that so many mothers do at'so fearful 8
cost, that their daughters may '.shine. y
Then it is pre-eminently necessary
that the mother should gain and keel
her daughters confidence. There i
much information in certain importan
directions that the daughter ought tC
receive only from her mother. Th'
mother ought to be the daughters con
fidante, from whom she has no con
cealments. What she can not g tel
mother" she ought not to be willing Il
hear. Such companionship is good fol
both parties. 1t helps the mother tC
retain, to some, extent, the FRESHNESS
and elasticity of girlhood. 1t gives tc
the daughter the benefit of mature ex
perience 1t would prevent the heart
breaks which come into homes not
few. 1t would forestall the evils into
which youthful heedlessness so oftel
runs. 1t is beautiful relation 'wheI
mother and daughter are each other
friends.
The daughters have their part to do
They are to be helpful. If not natur
ally inclined to this, it is their mothers
duty to put it upon them. They ar
not simply to enjoy the benefits of 9th
ers' labors. They are to do their par
in the economy of the home, to max
the home delightful. They can hardl,
begin too early. They ought to lear
at the earliest practicable moment to d.
many things for themselves, and to rem
der little services to others. The mis-
take in many homes is that the children
are too much waited upon. Hence the,
become selfish and exacting. TIL
daughter, however, that makes up he
mind that she will do every reasonabl
thing that lies in her power to shell
mother - viii find her lot comfortabl
and happy. gi
All, mothers and daughters, hoy
much you can do to mar or make eacl
others welfare and comfort and peace
ChrtstiGn Weekly.
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