People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1892-07-01
TALKS TO MOTHERS,
1.-THE DEMAND FOR A MOTHER.
BY ONE OF THEM.


Do you hear the children weeping, o my
brothers
Ere the sorrow comes with years."
E. B. BROWNING
The world is full of oracles, each
with his own cure-all for the ills
mental moral and physical-of poor
humanity. 1t is always "easier to tell
twenty what to do than be one of the
twenty TODD my own bidding"
| have no desire to join this army OF
wise heads; do not profess to be o
solomon or guide. board to perfection.
But in passing along this perplexing
life OF ours one with her open ewes can
hardly help gathering here and there
bit of wisdom that may be helpful to
mothers at the beginning instead of
nearing the end of their motherhood
days.
The ''cry of the children" of our
time, as 1t comes to me, is for a mother;
not nurse, nor stern trainer. still less
a slave to their whims, but true moth
er, who shall start them on their voy.
age OF life as well equipped for its rocks
and quicksands as she is able. They
have right to demand so much of the
woman who stands in that relation to
them; not wealth, advantages, educa-
ton, or this or that, but simply and
solely a mother, in the full sense of that
word.
The great mother-love born with a
baby usually insureS that he shall be of
Importance, but unfortunately it does
not so surely bring wisdom. The most
conscientious, as well as the most low
ing, may fail miserably from thought
lessness, or from pure ignorance. Many
a mother brings gray hairs upon her
self, and lays up bitter sorrow and re-
grets for her age, by the mistakes of
her youth. ForIn those days of quiet
and reflection. with the results before
her, she can look back and see her err.
rors in training.
No matter what outside duties seem
TO be demanded of human being, to a
mother nothing on earth can stand be-
fore her obligation to her child. There
is nothing except this, which cannot be
done by some other person, but no one
living can mother" her child. BY
''mothering" do not mean doing
everything for his physical welfare,
such as washing and dressing and look.
ing after him every moment. 1t is
never best. where it can be avoided,
that mother should wear herself out.
physically or nervOusly, with this care.
On the contrary, if possible. she should
carefully keep herself fresh for his sake.
Bodily services can be performed by a
nurse, but the mother should be the
sympathizer and friend, the confdant
of his joys and sorrows, the provider of
his pleasures and the source of his in.
formation.
The latter is by no means the least
important duty; the mother should
keep herself not only so well informed
as to answer rightly all answerable
questions of the eager, opening mind,
but fresh enough to take an interest in
doing so, and to do it in a way interest.
ing tC him. One who has not observed
closely has no idea how much the gen
eral intelligence of a man depends
upon careful and intelligent answers to
the questions of the child
/ BY allowing herself to be unable To
answer these requirements of the wide.
awake minds in her care, the mother
not only foolishly deprives herself OF
the sweetest reward of motherhood.
but she teaches her children the sad
lesson of getting on without her, of
keeping their own interests and their
own affairs to themselves She may
lament in later years that her son and
her daughter never confde in her.
never ask her advice; but why should
she expect them to do so, il she has
never made herself necessary to them,
never taught them TO feel that she il
interested and helpful in all their plans
and undertakings.
Besides the confdant. a mother
should be the wise, yet gentle friend.
that shall correct the errors of her
children, without alternating their
hearts. She sould be the imperson.
alton of justice, the soul of honor, the
always-ready adviser and helper, and
their best friend always. This is hard
to live up to?-granted; but if moth
er's work is the most difficult, as it is
the most important work in the
world, it is also the sweetest, and
brings the richest reward.
In these days Of woman's awaken.
ing. a common feeling among young
mothers possessed of taste and abilities
crying for development, and Of ambi-
ton to achieve something, is that chill
dren are hindrance, that their proper
care demands the sacrifice of the
mothers best years, and the freshness
Of her powers.
That is a serious mistake, although a
natural one, for 10 the woman oftwenty
it appears that at thirty-fve she shall
be past enjoyment or cultivation. The
contrary is true. She will be in her
prime, with (if blessed with fair HEALTHY
thirty or forty years ofvigorous mental
and physical life before her. Her iudg.
ment will be matured, her powers
under better control, and the enthu.
siasm and zest of accomplishment no
less strong than in her youth.
do not grudge the years you de
vote to your babies, b" said wise, elder.
ly woman in my hearing to young
one who thought that the best part of
her life was going into the nursery.