The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-08-18

No ~ L4N4S OAAS
missionaries meet, and l never know
where she is exactly, last night she
went to the blind mans concert, and l
had ito stay at home with the
mother and her child for fear of ac-
cident.
That is all right. Mrs. Arp said she
would stay if l wanted to go, but she
didn't say it very strong, and I meekly
told her I dident care to so, so it's all
right. wanted the young mother to
go, too, and leave the child with me-,
but she looked surprised and said:
NO, indeed, I wouldent leave my
child for all the shows in the world"
And that's why I was Illuminating
over the material instinct, and l wish
that it prevailed all over the world,
and would keep these city mothers
more at home, instead of going to the
theaters and operas most every night
and leaving their tender offspring with
a nurse OF some poor, tired old mother.
If a woman has no little children, and
wants to preech or exhOrt or do some
thing to reform mankind, nobody
ought to object, provided she is fit
for the business: but there are not
many of that kind in this part of the
cOuntry-nOt enough to surprise and
alarm the press or people-and so we
will not make any fuss about it.
Ninety-nine out of a hundred had
rather be mothers at home than
speakers abroad, and always will [
reckon.
1t is the maternal in stinct that
women the best teachers in our
schools where the pupils are generally
Of tender years. Tender is the word
the right word. When a boy gets
tough he should be taught by a man
and he generally is. A tough, rough
boy has no business in a wOman's
school. 1t is fit that a woman should
teach and train the young children,
kind manners and wOmanly sym
retines them and supplements
their mothers training or lack of
training at home. Just as a little girl
loves her doll, so does woman love a
child-anybody' child. Just as a little
boy does not love a doll, so does not a
man love other peoples children.
Thanks to the human progress, women
are now the educators of children on
all this broad land. There is nothing
in the calling that initiates against
their modesty or purity of thought, or
from contact with the world,
but how far beyond this a woman can
go and yet preserve her wOmanly
modesty, her self respect, and the
respect Of the opposite sex, I do not
know.
We read that the warden of Sing
Sing was interviewed the other day,
and was asked what was the prime
cause that brought the prisoners there.
1t seems that the law makes it his duty
to obtain a short biography of every
one, and he answered promptly: The
lack of parental control at home and
moral training in the schools"
And yet there are fathers who turn
their boys loose at an early age, and if
a conscientious teacher tries to restrain
them it prOvokes a war and raises a
rumpus all over the town. The old
landmarks are better than the new
ones is this regard. There are little
sons Of respectable parents who go by
my house every day smoking cigar
cites, and [ have seen them beg them
Of a passing negro, and yet those par
ents wOuldent believe it if told, and
perhaps would be very indignant if
they were punished for it by the
teacher. What man would give those
boys a place in his office or his store,
or his shop? What man would trust
them with his accounts? 1t is hard
upon a taxpayer who has no children
to be compelled to help educate other
peoples children, and he is only recon
ciled and submits because it is the best
for the State that all the children
should be educated.
There is a growing, increasing doubt
upon this subject. especially consider
ing the tax that is upon us to educate
the negro children and the little good
and less thanks we get for it. There
are many conservative thinkers who
object to being taxed to educate the
children Of the wealthy, but who
would submit cheerfully to a tax for
the poor. Private schools are becom-
ing more popular than public schools,
because there is more heard to them
and better associations, but if we must
have public schools LET the naronts