The Monitor., 1890-04-18
why should We Hold Mothers Meet
tngS?


why should We Hold Mothers Meet
1ngs?
Because vice is everywhere prevalent,
and mothers need to be aroused respecting
the extent of the evil and learn to under
stand the hundreds of different avenues by
which its influence may reach even the
most sheltered homes of our land. Blind
ness to moral danger often invites disaster.
Mothers need to be awake and on the alert
to increase the safeguards Of virtue around
their children. Mothers cannot ignore
these perils if they would rightly fortify
their children to meet the depraving in
fuences and temptations which are certain,
sooner or later, to assail them, for, as has
been aptly said, "Much as parents may
desire it, they cannot bring up their chill
dren packed in cotton wool, safely slowed
away in bandboxes, labeled, this side up."
Whether we like or not, we have to face
the difficulty that our little ones like our
selves have corrupt, fallen natures, and
that it depends to great extent on the
training given in the home as to which side
shall be uppermost-that which is evil and
corrupt. or that which is pure and noble.
1t is not enough that mothers endeavor
to keep their children from contamination
by contact with evil; they must do a two
fold work and keep their young minds fill
ed with high aims, and pure, elevating
and ennobling thoughts, or they will find
themselves at last in the situation of the
mother whose son was condemned to death,
and who on visiting him in prison cried,
80 my boy! what has brought you to such
an awful end?' TO which the Young man
sternly replied, Mother, you are the
cause" Bursting into tears she asked,
'Why, what harm have ever taught you?"
The son made the sad reply, You neglect
ed to teach me any good, and as / did not
know better, have sunk lower and lower"
A lady, president OF temporary home
for women, where errng girls from all
walks of life are received, kindly cared
for, and every effort made to win them
back to paths of virtue, recently said: "Of
the hundreds of girls that have been shell
tered in the Home during the twelve years
in which have been connected with il,
to not single one has her mother been
true to her duty as MOTHER Verify a
fearful responsibility rests upon the shoul-
ders of the mothers of the land! And
when we consider how many women in
these days assume the responsibility OF
motherhood with no especial fitness or pro-
paration for its duties, the wonder is not that
so many of the youth fall, but that so
many escape.
1t is our hope that through the Mothers
Meetings, mothers everywhere may be
aroused to see the dangers that threaten
the youth, to realize their own RESPONSE
bilities, and to begin an earnest stndy of
the ways and means by which they can
intercept temptation, stop the feet of those
that run to destruction, and build up such
bulwarks against vice by right training
and home influences that the young lives
entrusted to their care may be able to stem
with safety the tide of evil in the world.
Prevention is always better than cure,
by correct education. If properly carried
on, We believe there is no other one thing
which will exert so great an influence in
the promotion of purity as the Mothers
Meeting; and We urge that every Union
hold at least one such meeting each month.
WHAT SHALL WE STUDY?
Anticipating the need of aid in this di-
rection, the program of Topics given be-
low has been prepared. This program
was intended to cover the various iDfu-
cnces which are exerted over the life of an
individual from earliest infancy, through
the years of development. to maturity
II, possibly, some of the points submit
ted may be deemed objectionable, it should
be remembered that the program is not pre-
pared for miscellaneous audiences, but for