Dodge City times., 1888-03-29
COMMUNICATED


trust you will give place 10 brief
article in reply to the question What
shall we do with our boys, which seems !
at last to be awakening some mothers of
Dodge CITY
Would that it might awaken and arouse
to action not only the mothers of this
city bat the mothers all over the civiliz-
cd world and fathers as well It is your
privilege fathers and mothers and it is
IN Your power to say what kind of men
your sons SHALL he. Fathers. YOU are re-
sponsible to God to the world and to
your sons FOR the example you set before
them; for the training you give them,
and YOU viii not be found guiltless be-
fore the great final tribunal though you
cscaNe Justice in the earthly courts for
Your neglect of this duty here But
mothers influence is more marked and
more directly felt. ut least during the
early wears of her child life You will
admit that home is the first training
school Of your boys. that public institu
tiOns of learning are subordinate. and
that It ought to be the school where the
ereal'fundimental principals of life are
taught correctly and the anchor which
holds them from evil temptations and al
lurements to the path of purity. honor
and usefulness The haven where the
hallOwcd influences of peace. love and
iOv VII ever surround your boy as a ban
ner to evil, wherever he may 90. The
home. and the chief among her children's
teachers, for does she not fashion and
mold the physical and spiritual being of
the little ones at will? If she he wise
mother she will train them to lives of
usefulness. and hold them by bonds of
love. more powerful than steel. She will
begin while they are babies. and devel-
ope their little minds along the channels
of right, suppressing evil Tenderness
with a firm and loving hand, she will be
a child with them oft times, entering in
to their plays, their joys and sorrows,
possessing and holding their
entire love and condolences
teaching them to have no secrets from
mamma; that such secrets are evil and
lead to misery. As they advance in
years and knowledge step by step, she
will point to higher nights, and lead the
way With'a vigilence which never tires,
she will know where her boys are at all
times; what they are learning, and who
for mothers to do? In very few years
your little ones will have grown to man
hood, will have passed from under your
control and instruction. Guide them
while you can. Unless boys are on
farms, it is better that they should be IN
the house large part of the time, sup
piled with choice books, pure literature,
toys games, music perhaps, or anything
that will make home beautiful and at
tractive to them Many Simple and un-
expensive things may be devised to in
Struct and anluSe tnelnS.
Mothers, you can afford to deny your
selves some luxuries for the advance
ment of your boys; you can at least give
them some of your spare time. You
know how they enjoy having mother for
their play mate Teach them to help
make home beautiful; to be your friend,
your confident your helpers; to be brave,
self-reliant, practical, kind and truthful.
You can we'll afford TO be thus pains-tak-
ing; you will reap large reward by and
by 1t is better that the boys should help
you with the work at home than that
they should be idling away their time ON
the streets, learning to smoke, chew,
swear and thousand other evil things
Plenty of open air exercise they must
have, but YOU can devise ways and means
for that
Do not fear that you will make your
boys effeminate; you will not do this if
you are a woman of good sense, good
judgement and tact, but you will
make of them noble men,
fitted to fill high places Of honor
and trust efficiently to be benefactors
to their fellows and to bless you here
and hereafter. The women who spends
her time, talent and money on the lat
est style, the ''latost craze, the
latest gossip and thousand other
foolish things which are only vanity
and vexatIon of spirit, will have no
time to give to her children, AM Is
nuft to be a mother at all; as Is also
the woman who in her zeal for public
reforms neglects her own, depri wing
them of that mothers watchtul and
loving care which is their birthright, or
trusting this tender office to stranger
hands.
More time might be given to the
training and development of the boys
by simplifying house work. Let the
mother adopt healthful style of dress
combining simplicity, neatness, beauty
and elegance; and supply the table also
with simple nutritious food and IN many
other ways eliminate needless drudg-
ery for the home work. She and ber
family will be stronger physically and
mentaly and have ample time for read
ing and culture.
The great reform movements which
are sweeping over the land, are open
ing up new era, but they must begin