The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-10-30
HINTS FOR MOTHERS.
Duties They Owe to Their Children 81
the Community at Large.

Duties They Owe to Their Children and
the Community at Large.
] do not think there is a woman in the
land whose cheek woald not flush with
anger and indignation if you should
even mint to her that she was deliber-
ately laying a groundwork OF habit
which would end in making a drunkard
Of her boy. She would vehemently de-
ny the fact, and gather her darlings to
her bosom, with 4 shudder at the bare
possibility of their meeting such fate.
Every mother knows, from tho SER
mons and books and essays upon the
subject that have flooded the land, but
more still from her own instincts and
heart-beats, that no one in all the world
has such an influence as she has over
the future men and women-now the
little confding children on her breast
l wonder if she thinks of the still
stronger power she holds for veal or
woe over her unborn babe. l wonder il
she goes back further still, even ere
She marries the man who is to be the
father of her children. considers we'll
what sort Of bias he will give their
natures, and what kind of example he
will set before them; whether he is OF
strong appetites, and weak in self-gov-
eminent or not; whether they can live
in such harmony that their children
will be always carried on the strength
of love and wisdom through all the
temptations of youth, feeling that
home is both harbor and anchor during
every storm. Does she realize that tho
food she prepares to eat--if rich, heavi
ly spiced and salte d-g1ves them N
appetite for stimulating things; that
the domestic wines, which she manu-
features as innocently as she does her
jellles and cakes, give her children
their first taste for something stronger
than water to drink.
Does she ever think that the ale and
porter which her physician advises her
to use freely while nursing her chill
dren are nursed into their stomachs,
carried into their blood and brains, and
thus-the last thing she would dream
of-their taste is forming for them, and
the natural instructive dislike of Il
child for liquor taken away?
Does she know that the bourbon and
brandy, a few spoonfuls Il day for
strength and medicine before the birth
of the child, all through the early init
macy of child and mother, has its influ-
ence and effect, until, when tho temp
tation comes for him to drink for
pleasure of it, her warming: "My child,
do not touch the cup" loses its force.
for against it rise his strong appctites,
and the remembrance that he had seen
her take of the same?
There is one thing l think mothers
should teach their children from tho
first dawning of evil in their nature.
and that is self-control. have heard
young man full of goodness and talent
say: 81 have liking for the taste Of
liquor, and when see it have not the
power to refuse the temptation." Is it
all his own fault? Can we raise our
children weakly, and then conscien-
tiously tell them to be strong? Teach
them to govern their little passions and
tempers and appetites, and they will be
strong enough for great ones by and by.
If every mother would be convinced
of the Importance of all these seeming
~ little matters, and faithfully abide
by her convictions of right and wrong
in regard to them, would not the con-
ing generation see much fewer weak
men struggling hopeiessly against Their
appetites and sinking into drunkards
graves?-Temperance Cause.