Mower County transcript., 1886-04-14
No Mothers. No MOthoring.


A magazine which I read when
child contained an illustrated article on
1.-The World in the Year 2000." Among
other improvements propheised for
that time was sort of hum ane incuba-
tor, planned to do the work of a hun
dred mothers. 1t represented a wide
sunny room with tiers of shelves run
ming around it, and on these shelves.
sitting in long sober rows, were babies,
babies, babies. A mouth-piece and
tube connected with huge reservoir
of warmed milk was within easy reach
of each little mouth, and gaunt spec
tacled professor in a cooks cap and
butchers apron stood near this res
ervoir, carefully noting thermometer
and gauging the temperature of milk
and room accordingly. A network of
bars kept these shelf babies from fall
ing onto each other and from tumbles
onto the floor, but l cannot remember
as any provision was made against their
| reaching through the'rods and scratch
ing each other faces. All wero dress
ed alike in single sleeveless garment
that strongly resembled shirt, but
doubtless was tunic. All were plump
| wholesome, healthy looking children.
Some were contentedly sucking the
mouth pieces of their tubes, some were
| playing with their toes, and a few, in
corner shelves where the light or the
artist patience had failed to fall as
| strongly, were dismally bowling. But
the saddest feature of the prophesy was
this: mo mothers, no mothering, -
that the author confidently assured US
will come with that cycle of time.
Thirty or forty years have rolled
about since the propbesy was chroni-
ced and illustrated, and surely this
year of 1886 finds the tide setting
strongly that way. Read what the
mothers say in any periodical or book
which airs their theories, and the bur-
den of their cry is, "How can l get
along with the least tending of babv?'
Is it possible that in the majority of
our homes, the busy mother cannot
find time to take her little sleepy one
in her arms when his nap hour comes
and rock or hush him to sleep? II
surely ought not to be so, yet why the
cry that baby must not be humored to
cosy, comfortable times in being rock
ed and cuddled and crooned to sleep?
What need, mothers, that baby be
taught to 90 to bed alone, wide awake,
in the dark and in the sunlight just
when and where your big will and per-
haps palm, shall dictate?
mo mothers, no mOthering. ls
not this the goal t. which some of us
are lookingp See the cunning skill and
money that are expended on toys now
adays. and for whatP 70 make baby
happy. Yes, happy without mamma.
80 the dear Kensington stitchers and
painters needn't spend time on their
babies. See the subterfuges for moth
cts milk that are offered for sale, and
for what? 10 spare the maternal
parent the bother and confinement OF
nursing baby. There are cases, no
doubt, when it is better for both moth
or and child that the little one should
be bottle-fed, but is not the great army
of bottle-nursing babies made so
through selfish wbims of those who
bore them and not through necessity
Babies have their birthrights. and
one of them is TO be mothered, brooded
and snugglcd and petted and purred
over, caresses which the dear, sensi-
tive, little things appreciate and love
80 well-not turned off when their
sleepy times come as though work or
self was first and baby second in our
thoughts and homes. Clarissa Potter.