The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-08-15
STEP-MOTHERS.
A Few Words in Behalf OF This
Misjudged Glass.

A Few Words in Behalf OF This
Misjudged Glass.
The world is every day growing more
humane, more just and charitable. The
narrow. social, secular and religious
walls that have so long divided man
from man are breaking down. Human
sympathies are broadening ample ell
bow-room and fair play seems to be the
motto of the present generation.
But amid all the humanitarian prog
ress of our age there remain a few pref
udices that like rank weeds defy all eff
forts at determination, and foremost
among these is the old-time prejudice
against step-mothers, class that with
mothers-in-law may justly claim to be
the most ill-treated portion of the hui
man race.
The step-father and the father-in-law
awaken none of this antipathy which
society, with an objectionable lack of
chivalry, visits upon that so-called
weaker sex it claims to protect and
cherish.
The very word step mother recalls a
series Of portraits now pathetic, now
repellent- portraits slowed away in
most memories from fairy tales and
picture books that were both the de-
light and torture of childish days. On
the one hand we see the step-child half
clad, half-fed, groaning under the lash
of a cruel task-mistress and tyrannical
usurper-a pale, sad, forlorn, ghostly
little creature, who, after the arduous
tasks of the day are ended, steals softly
to the grave of the own mother to pour
forth unavailng plants and tears upon
that senseless sod-to pray in agony to
be laid at rest from lifes sorrows by the
side of the one heart that has beat in
unison with its own.
The reverse of this doleful picture is
the step-mother-a grim. remorseless
female with cast-iron features and Me-
dusa glance, with nose and chin sharp
as her temper and almost meeting over
the toothless jaws, with long arms end
ing in skeleton fingers that delight in
blows. with heart hard, preverse and
hideous as its outward tenement
The world abounds in step-mothers
We all know them. but who has ever seen
one answering to this picturep The
actual step-mother is no being apart;
like men and women in general, she
has her full share of faults and virtues.
But in her case the faults are exagger-
ated, the virtues scarcely recognized.
She is martyr to whom few are will
ing to accord the martyrs crown; q
tragic heroine who may never expect to
find her poet. Her history save in ex-
ceptional cases, may be sketched as
follows:
By marrying a widower she has be.
come at the same moment both wife
and mother. She enters the new home
with heart full of kindly sentiments
with sincere desire to take the owr
mothers place to the child or children
Heaven has bereft of maternal care
The more children there are, the harder
and more complicated becomes he
task. We will take the easiest case ant
suppose there is only one. but that THU
one is a girl-a less facile subject fo
step-motherly management than bow
The step-mother's first meeting will
her little charge (whom its fathers font
culogies had led her to believe an ange
all but the wings) is not encouraging
She finds averted glances where sh,
had hoped for the gaze of truthful
trustful eyes; her caresses are repealed
her loving words awaken no response
1.-The little one is shy and distant lik,
most children in the presence of strang
ers," says the father; ''she will sool
learn to love YOU
Months pass. The child has grow
accustomed to- the new mothers pres
ence, to the new atmosphere of car
and tenderness, but she remains dis
tant. The little soul, that should warn
to these caresses as the spring sol
warns to the sunlight, is still cold an,
unresponsive. The sweet cherub ha
smiles for others, sunny chances, kindl
words and merry laughter for all tn
world but her step-mother. Her gayet
abroad is in strange contrast with he
sullen obstinacy at home. Her hear
seems an Eolian harp. responsive t
every kindly outside breath, echoin
every voice of affection save that fror
her step-mother's lips.
The step-mother broods over all this
asking herself the reason. and question
ing her own conscience as to any remis
sion in duty. She little dreams tina
some outside Penelope is all the Will
busy unraveling her homework. Thi
Penelope is presumably relative @
bosom friend of the first wife, who fror
a misguided sense of loyalty to the dea
thus wrongs the living.
The child, on her visits to these oil
friends and relatives. finds herself tn
constant object of fearful lamentatior
The one theme upon which they rim
all sorts of changes, is her own mothe
the one mother who loved her S
dearly, who, were she living, would
SO differently from the stranger who he
usurped her place; this stranger whol
it is nothing less than sacrilege to ca
by the sacred name of mother. |
short, the child is given to understan,
more by covert insinuation than by
rect words. that any love or respect 81
awards the living mother is robbery
the dead.
Perhaps she learns this lesson at hon
from some old family servant or 90
erness-a person not bad at heart, b.
the victim of a suspicious nature tn;
magnifies molehills into mountains,
Of mawkish scntimentality that di
Germs in the dear departed-rendere
doubly dear and sacred by death-vi
tues that would be impossible to ar
inhabitant of this world, Poor mot
erIcSS llbtle CTedtuftl sweet, 10
saken darlingr' Lovely innocentw-
these words-uttered in every note
the gamnt of sympathy-form the Co
slant refrain Of the tune the child hea
early and late. and it is no wonder tn
she ere long comes to regard herself
the most forlorn and ill-treated
human beings. Thus early schooled
self-pity, in distrust and hatred, she
indeed an object Of confederation.
For the wisest reasons the step-moth
denies the child some woDted yet harr
full indulgence, and thereby rouses
revolt among the whole circle Of spi
and meddlcrs. Their manner dcclar
TO the object Of their jealous care. ev'
Though words be wanting. that Il
woman. who has thrust herself into t
own mothers place. takes malicio
delight in crossing her. aud grudges h
even the most harmless pleasure.
How 10 this young creature TO belle
in one whom all around her distrus
How, In her inexpcricnce. cen sho
expected to obey that golden rule