The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-10-18
A TALK WITH MOTHERS.
THE WIDESPREAD NEED OF PRAC-
TICAL INSTRUCTION.
A Mistaken Idea of WOman's Mission
"A Specimen of the Really Unedu-
cated-A Type That Ii Said to BE
Far Too Common Among Mothers.


No work can possibly be of more inn
portance than that of intelligently car
ing for the health and welfare of fam
lily. 1t sometimes seems incredible that
women can be as ignorant upon the
subject of home sanitation. hygiene and
physiology as the miserable looking
specimens of humanity that one meets
everywhere would argue. Few people
are willing to admit that the average
mother would neglect any precaution
necessary to TIE health and well-being
of either husband or children did she
know the law. But often she does not
and sometimes, / fear, it is her own
fault that she will not.
Ignorance of what to do to correct
unfortunate conditions can often be
urged in extenuation of i'll health and
deplorable habits of disposition, tenn
per and life that confront the student
of social science when he begins to look
into cause and effect I'm social conditions.
A widespread need was constantly
forced upon my attention during my
| summer h0llday-that Of simple, practi-
cal instruction to mothers upon every
seemed to me as II nature had decreed
that should concern myself with these
conditions in particular by thrusting
cry conceivable manner Of mismanage-
| ment and Inconsistency concerning the
rearing of children especially within my
observation.
1t began when I took my first meal at
railroad restaurant. At the same table
was a young mother, we'll dressed-bet-
ter dressed. in fact. than she should
have been for dusty summer travel
wearing the inevitable diamond solitaire
| ring that marks the first step upward
in the scale of human prosperity i'm this
| country. In high chair at her side
sat an eleven-months' old babe His
weak. puny little lordship, of the blue
| white complexion. sickly SMILE thin
| hair and watery eyes, was being fed
| from a cup with a spoon upon-what
| think you? Tea
My soul rebelled. / looked at the
mother, then at the babe. and the logic
| of the situation was written on every
| lineament and gesture Of the mother.
AS if by magic the limitations and inter
ests of such life passed i'm review be-
| fore me. for she was. alasl of type
i TOO common among us.
A woman of narrow education and
| reading, so anxious to be true 10 "wo-
mans sphere" that the routine Of do
nestle duties, performed with the great
| est amount Of friction and the least pos
sible knowledge of scientific and SAM
tary improvements marked to her UNI
| disciplined mind the true feminine in
| competence most TO be desired as dis
tnguishing her from a man, she was
| not interested I'm anything except what
the force Of circumstances thrust upon
| her.
To exist, bear children-no matter
| what kind-and herself break down un-
der the pains and burdens OF maternity
was to her mind fulfilling womans mis-
sion. Physiology, hygiene scientific pro-
creation, mothers duties to offspring
| unborn and rational care OF children In
order TO correct inherent evil tendencies
once they were In the world, were as
| uninteligible subjects To her as Greek
to the. hodcarrier, She was not only
a nonenity intellectually. but she was a
positive vicious force morally since she
was the mother of offspring.
Turning to her, said. Madam, pardon
me; but ! see that you are feeding tea
| TO baby; do you not realize that tea Is
a powerful stimulant which will disorder
the childs stomach and do positive in
| jury to his hrain?"
She looked at me- neither impressed
nor offended, and replied listlessly: He
| likes IT, / have given IL to him since he
was six months old; IL has not hurt him
yet / have taken tea ever since / was
baby. and II has not hurt me-"
Are you perfectly well?" 1 asked.
| We'll enough, except for dyspepsia
and headaches and the troubles / have
had since my first child was born"
You have all OF those ailments and
| liver" | exclaimed I'm surprise.
Il guess I'm as well as most women"
she replied. You ought 20 see my
nelghbor Mrs. Twambly. You wouldn't
waste any pity on me-"
She was showing a little spirit over
what she evidently thought none of my
| business.
Fate threw US together for two hours,
however. and did the best at my COM
| mand during that time to arouse inter
est I'm the proper feeding and care OF
| babies, In sanitary housekeeping and
higher ideals Of living. and l got far
enough for her 10 say as "a parting shot:
| You must be one OF the women who do
not think your mother and grandmother
knew anything; still" doubtfully. "I
| should like to do right by the children
and II there is better way. az you say
/ there IL. perhaps l ought TO find out
| about IL, but one can never be certain.
| there's so much that's new going round
nowadays" We parted then.
VIII the seed sown ever bear fruit?
| What think you. reader?
! was on my way 10 the seaside, and
| there saw babies I'm abundance for Il
was popular. rather cosmopolitan re-
sort. saw children Of all ages, from the
| infant TO the half grown, eating candy,
fruit and sweet cakes at all hours OF the
| day, remaining out OF doors awake until
| all hours of the evening. often dressed
| in utterly frivolous garments considered
/ from neither standpoint OF health nor
beauty, and more than all was shocked
| at the utter indifference of many OF the
| mothers who enjoyed such luxuries as
| nursemaids as to how these generally un-
| educated and coarse girls interested and
/ amused the children or cared for them
/ in "a general way as long as they did
/ not cry or bother themselves.-Caroli
/ Everett I'm Jenness Miller Monthly.