The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-01-20
DUTIES OF MOTHERS TO CHILDREN
Every Parent Should Regard the Rear
ing of Daughters as a Trust.

Every Parent Should Regard the Rear
ing of Daughters a Trust.
A great deal has been said and written
of the obligations of children to their par
ents but it is a rare thing to hear any
thing of the parents obligation to their
children. Yet a much weightier obliga
tion rests on the parents than on the chill
dren in their relations to one another.
While child should never forget that his
mother Is his God given mentor, the moth
er should remember that her children are
merely given in her charge by heaven to
be trained for homes of their own. to do
their work in the world as she has done
hers. Parents are too prone TO regard their
children as mere adjuncts of their own,
without right OF independent thought or
action. or to regard them as mere play
things and allow them to lead butterfly
existence iE search of pleasure.
Only so far As a mother is true to her
trust and protects her children from foes
within and from foes without, will she be
worthy O. their honor and respect. She
must make her children fellow workers
with her, not slaves to obey her commands.
There are parents who are mere taskmas-
tiers, who never rise TO the dignity of father
or mot her, and who yet consider their chill
dren ungrateful because they seem eager
to leave the home life of dull drudgery for
q chance of pleasure and beauty in the
world outside. Children owe no gratitude
10 parents who have made them mere
drudges and have not been guides to them
In their life's work.
There is Al other class of mothers who
look upon their children as merely orna-
mental a-brac-who dress them beau
tifully end feed them well, but bring them
up with little ambition beyond desire to
have a good time Such children grow up
with little thought of the family cares at
home The daughter who has been taught
to consider herself as merely an orna-
mental piece never thinks of sharing her
mothers cares. The mother has never
made her confdante; has failed to remem-
Der that she may need in future years the
exact training which such confidence
would impart to her. She cannot bring
herself to look upon her child as one who
will one day have responsibilities of her
own to meet, and who must be trained to
meet them. Every indulgence will prove
but another loadstone to drag the girl
down when she will need every power to
lift her into true womanhoOd.
None suffer so bitterly in after life as
those who are pampered with every in
diligence in girlhood. They have no train
ing to meet the trials and cares that must
fall to the lot of every one. There is some
thing shocking to thinking person in the
idea of young girls rushing thoughtlessly
away for Il good time, while the mother
has all the responsibility of the household
upon her. The housemaid may be in a
state of open rebellion and the cook may
have just given warning; yet the daughter
fails to consider for moment that any
extra obligation rests on her. She has
never been trained to think that she owes
any obligation, that she has any duties to
perform in the household, unless it is
possibly the care Of her own room.
Even in homes where the mother has but
one servant, the daughter is frequently left
to go to school and to attend to her little
round of social duties among her intimates,
but she has no legitimate part in the work
of the household She is utterly UMPIRE
pared to assume the reins of household
management, in case her mother is taken
ILL., She may be girl in her teens, old
enough to take her mothers place and fill
1t with dignity.
1t is curious in these days to read of
Theodosia Burr sitting at the head of her
fathers table and receiving his distin-
guished guests at the age of fifteen.
Though mothers may wisely object to their
young daughters being thrust into society
at so early an age, still daughter should
be so trained that she is able even at an
earlier age to fill her mothers place with
wisdom if she be called On to do so. She
must be trained from her childhood to be
a wise and gentle helpmeet, not a selfish
pleasure seeker-New York Tribune.