The record-union., 1894-03-24
MOTHER AND HOME.
Words That Every Mother Should
Read and Heed.

y
Read and Heed.
The other day 1 heard someone ask a
young wife if there was anything going
on that week, writes Catherine Cole in
the New Orleans Picuyune.
"YeS, indeed" she answered gayly,
there is a progressive eucher party on
Monday, the literature class on Tuesday.
l am going to the matinee on Wednesday,
out to dinner on Thursday, to a tea on
Friday. and Saturday Minnie and Adele
and Alice and Helen are coming up to
eat lunch with me-"
l looked at her in amaZement. Where
in all this brilliant list of engagements
did the Woodworking husband and the
four little baby children come in? Who
was going to mother them while the
physical mother was off frolicking? In
my time ! have seen the sad sight of little
unWeaned children starving TO death for
the food denied them by wicked
drunken mother; but truly, almost as
sorry a sight is to go into even a rich
home where neglected little children are
feeding themselves, tending each other
and living lonesomely, while mother is
off at a card party. dinner, or worse, at
the matinee.
l suppose this will bring down on my
head a volley of protests, but none the less
when young wife marries and has chill
dren her first great duty is in her home,
and if she never has chance to open a
book, never has chance to see play,
never has dance slipper on her feet,
while those children need her and that
home needs her, her place is there.
l have seen mothers go off to their paint
ing and their singing, their playacting
and their literature classes, to their high
teas and their societies for the prevention
OF this or that cruelty to other people,
"a 70, .nnli tla,, ,,I
the plea of two wiStful little faces pressed
against the window pane, and two vi
brant, anxious little voices asking if she
wouldn't be back soon."
\ young woman ought to learn phil
anthropic work in her own home; until
her children are strong enough and wise
enough to do without some of her foster
ing, eagle care, her real missionary work
is at home, and she has no moral right to
engage for amusements that can only be
procured at the expense of her children.
There IS something shocking in the
thought of any but the young mother
giving her baby it's bath, of leaving to a
servant the sacred office of hearing the
baby's prayers at night.
When a man marries for love, mex
pressibly sweet to him are the dreams he
has of his young wife bending over that
dear cradle, of the dainty little house
wife who nearly poisons him as she
learns how to cook. of the sweet figure
who welcomes him home.
My husband goes out at night and
leaves me at home, and [ think | have
lust as much right to go ont as he has,
said a young wife 10 Inc the other day.
Of course, if it is put on the ground that
what is good for the goose must be good
for the gander, L can have nothing to
say. But, in the end. another mans fault
cannot salve your sin. \ Ou were mighty
brave and willing. my dear, to promise
to love, honor and obey; it seemed the
bissfulest sort of future TO look forward
to that golden day when you should have
parlor and dining-room and beautiful
kitchen, and, yes, nursery to take care
Of but to-day the dust lies thick on your
piano, the knitting is idle in the basket.
somebody else rocks the baby 10 sleep,
your little daughter goes TO the kitchen
with her precious condolences, your
husband has the hired girl to sew on his
buttons, and your own dwarfing, shrivel-
ing soul is set on your being out "in
society,"" ON taking part in every social
function, and in leading in all the FASH
ionabie philanthropies that are proposed
by the fashionable phllanthropists.
What dear and tranquil place is a
happy home, with the mother there;
keeping. by the unselfish strength of her
love and tender devotion, the children
there, pure and safe from harm! Oh, the
women out in the world, who would give
all their costly baubles, all their laurels
for such a freside joy as this Oh, the
stanch women by the dull desks and shop
counters, whose Carcasonne is Just a
home, however humble! Leave to the
childless the outside missionary work of
the world; leave to the frivolous the ever
lasting mummery OF social "crushes. -
and prize higher than queen would her
crown jewels the inestimaDle privilege of
living at home with garden to tend,
children to nurture, husband to keep