The morning call., 1891-10-09

Words to Mothers Who Are the Builders
of Their ChiIdren's Characters
;. Editor Womdn's Column, Morning Cdtt:
While woman is deprived Of many rights
that should lawfully be hers, there is one H.
aIienable right which so long rs she remains
the mother of the human race she Will most
surely nossess. viz, the right Of character
building
In the school of character-buildlng woman
is ever the principal-fOr there man is only
her more or less able assistant and plays
Int q secondary part-and in this, as in
every other form of building, there must be
a firm, sure foundation If the structure IS to
Re one of permanence or Of elegance.
1t is the mother who lays this foundation
stone. and it matters little whether her
trowel be of silver or OF baser metal if only
her work be properly done. She, who while
thus laying the basis of her chlld'S char
acter uses the golden rule as her line and
plummet will seldom build awry-the editee
which she erects will not he aleaning Tower
Of Pisa, but will be lasting monument OF
truth and Tecttude.
Oftenlimes She NAV sadly feel that her
contract With fate is greater than she can
possibly complete; that her materials are of
an inferior quality; that, indeed. ike the
Israelites of cid, size IS almost called upon
10 make bricks without straw" but II she
carefully, prayerfullY uses those two indlS-
peusable tools, influence and example, and
that best Of all cements, love, her efforts
will not prove altogether futile
The average woman seldom seems to
realize her power in this respect, but what
happy thing 1t would Oe lOf Ihe coming
generations If she could.
The little ones who come to her through
much sorrow and pain, precious as they are
for their very frailty if for nauGht else,
are ike
CLAY IN THE HANDS OF TIE POTTER,
And as easily nodded into symmetrical
bodies MS that clay, but there are many
minor points to form and enhance this SYM
metTy, which Il Is only tile thOuShtIul
mother who heeds.
Too often, however, the mother herself is
but child, if not in years at least in ill.,
tellect, fer so many women are but grown
up children. Such mother treats her child
as if it were a doll 10 he played with, petted
and fondled. The idea that Its tiny body
contains q soul which she is to train aad fit
for the nobler duties Of this world and
happiness in the world TO come, never seems
to once occur TO her. Children have such
implicit faith in parents aud teachers-ofteG,
unhappily, such wasted faith, such mis-
placed cOnhdence-that il is very like lean
Ing upon a broken or crooked stick, giving
little true aid or support to the child-nature
which thus seeks il.
Childhood is usually only imitation per-
sonifed, and If the mother is incapable II
guiding il aright. it is sure TO seek and find
model elsewhere. Thus we often see, In
the girl, the fTiyulit.es or cOquetries of some
youthful teacher reproduced at home, while
the boy astonishes us by his exaggerated
swagger and braggadocic, learned upon the
street.
No other piece of mechanism is so delicate
and intricate, so susceptible TO It's surround
ings, SO capable for producing harmonious or
harmonious chords, as that harp of a
thousand strings the human heart.
If the childish heartstTingS be touched by
tender aud loving fingers the answering
uJtes are sweet with the melody Of love aud
happiness. but when struck harshly how
quickly come the dIscordant echoes If pas
sion or Of pride.
HUMAN NATURE Is ELASTIC,
Like rIbber-ball, sure to rebound, and
pressure upon one part produces prOtuber-
ance at another
The wise mother knowing this is careful
where she applies the needed pressure. A
fault curbed too suddenly or too violently is
seldom cured, It iasnly depressed, and is al
most certain to redppear either IN the same
or some far more serious FORM The mother
who feels "a charge to keep / have" en-
deavurs to keep her Jewel and its casket as
pure and as unspOtted from the cOntamina-
ton Of the world as lies in her power. Souls
are like snow-hakes, they come to the earth
white and pure, but unless their surround
iEgs are lofty or well protected this
innocent purity soon vanishes and they be-
come furnished and defiled by those with
whom they are forced to mingIe Some
times l think God seeing how unsuitable are
the conditions into which these little snow
fake souls have fallen lets them, in his
tender pity, melt gently back into his loving
arms, not, however, until their pure pres
ence has moistened the arid soil Of some
barren heart aud drawn it nearer to HIM
self, and thus they, like the finer strand
which is often attached to a lifeline. serve
TO put in our hands and around our tired
hearts the strong, finn, enduring cable of
his love for US. l do not believe the mother
liyes-nu matter how vile she herself may
be-who does not in her inmost heart wish
her child to grow up loved and respected.
remember frequently being confronted
some years ago hv a little tract entitled
Pause and Reflect" Not being partial 10
that style If neutrality-suspicious. in
those days-I always obeyed the injunction
and read no further than the title, but now
TO those mothers who from ignorance or
thought essness are wilfully neglecting THAR
duties as the character builders Of their chill
dren, l repeat chose words, Pause and Re-
feet"
Nou Fy0iri-r1 O1foIter 1871 Is