Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-06-14

women, and its object is the better pro- /
lection Of women. and the publication
OF society and the home. They have |
this pledge; I promise BY the help Of
God. Il
To execise = spirit Of charity toward |
the outcast wopan. aad endeayer 70 pro |
tccs her from further wrong and degra- |
dation.
To maintain the law Of purity ~
equally binding upon men and women,
and to carry out my principles ~ AL
social relations
TO especially discourage tn sssscia- |
ton and marriage Of virtuoas young |
women and corrupt young men.
To endexvor to discourage all extrava-
yance in costumes and extremes OF
fashion.
To BE- defender Of the virtue Of the
orphan and working girl.
To educate all Young persons under
nv control or guardianship IN these
principles. aud to use all possible means
to purify our homes.
Though this work is comparatively In
its infancy its influence Is already being
felt ali over our land. Mothers are De-
ing aroused to the necessity Of teach
ing. not only their daughters to be pure
| In thought, word and deed. but their
sons also. God has said, Blessed are
the pure in heart for they shall zee
God" This blessing WAS pronounced
without respect to sex. AS also was
| the seventh commandment. Our WORK
| rests largely with the mothers, and
| mothers meetings should be held In
every neighborhood, not only as means
Of instruction to those who do not have
AS good opportunities AS ourselves, but
also for mutual help and Improvement
for cultivated, thoughtful women.
There are many Young mothers who
need to be enlightened both as to the
dangers that beset the paths OF those
little ones, dearer TO them than life It.
| self, and how to guide their tender feet
safely past the snares and pitfalls lying
all along their way Napoleon Bonaparte
once said to Madam Campan, 1.-The old
system Of education seems worth moth
ing. What is yet wanting In order that
people be properly educatedr "Moth-
ers," WAS the quick reply. Yes, he said,
s.thcre is a system of education in that
one word. BE it your care to train up
mothers that shall know how to educate
their children" So dear sisters who lis
ten to my voice to-day, do not lose sight
of the fact that the daughters Of to-
day will be the mothers of the next gem
Grafton; and shall 1t not be our care to
follow the advice of the great General,
and train our daughters wisely, ~ God
gives us light: remembering always that
''she who rocks the cradle rules the
world" Mrs. &. 4. Cole, Supt. Of the
viii Cross and White Shield depart
ment Of the Iowa W. &. L. U. says;
.When shall We learn the deep signif
canoe of the old inscription Honor
thyself." When shall We mothers learn
that cpery ia,e that governs this body so
fearfully and wonderfully made, and its
relations to its immortal inmate, the
spirit, is divine: that no one Of them
i; common or unclcan. or unit for our
children to learn and obey. 1t Is the
awful fact tina the majority of children
are left to grow up in utter ignorance of
the inc xOrable aud most sacred laws of
sex, the most potent factor in young
life, that explains why SO many stumble
in dark places, and by thousands into
loathsome sewers of uncleanness that
are Just under the surface Of our nine
leenth century life. Away with this
parental neglect. Away with this
fatal ignorance. We must have our
mothers trained for this most sacred
work. We must have our teachers
trained also, so chat they can supply the
heart of motherhood to the neglect
ed children that swarm in every school
yard. This can only be done by organ
lied effort by work and prayer unceas-
ing. We need u band Of Smother
Women" organized for this work, and
consecrated to it, In every village and
school district In our land" Sisters are
we ready: will we grid on the sword
of the Spirit, and while we labor with
one hand in the other hold a weapon,
remembering the words of Nehemiah to
the mobiles and rulers Of Israel, BE not
We afraid, remember the Lord which is
great and terrible, and fight for your
brethren, your sons and your daughters.
your wives andyour houses" But do
not let us forget that in this great work
which the Jews had undertaken, the re-
building of the walls Of Jerusalem, every
one builded over against his own house
first. Nor was this all. Nehemiah says,
ALSO we made our prayer unto our G I'd,
and set a watch day and night" And
so our blessed Saviour in His teaching,
echoes and re-echoes this command,
"Watch. watch and pray" and "what
say unto you, | say unto all, watch"
Mothers, are you watching? Where is
that little boy, who, an hour ago, asked
mother for a story, or to mend a broken
toy, and YOU said, mot now dear,
mother is busy; run away and play"
lie obeys, and you go on with the book
which you are anxious to finish, so that
it may be returned to the library at the
proper time, or putting the stitches on
that piece of crazy patchwork, or, per-
haps your busy fingers are adding anoth-
IL ID. =.