The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1896-01-04
Mothers and their Duties,

bIItIes, that no one should undertake it
without much thought and a full assur-
ance OF being worthy and capable. No
other office on earth is so sacred az this.
no calling involves so much For she
has not only to build up and nurture
the highest organism, but she has also
TO mould its character. Her physique
will control her child's; her emotions
will be communicated to it; her men
tai and moral capabilities will be large
ly transferred. Her conduct will give
perpetual bias TO its life. II is impos
sible, therefore, 10 exagverate the i'm
pOrtance of mothers influence.
An immense proportion Of women,
however, undertake tie duty without
the least forethought or consideration,
without weighing their own fitness for
| mothers or that of their hut bands for
fathers. Hence arise much misery,
many unhappy homes, and wreck ed
lives. Hence too. weak progeny is to
be found in so many house holds; some
physically, some mentally, and others
morally deficient. Capacity for mar
riage Is the last thing thought of in en-
PERTAINING il. Good looks, an amiable
or sprightly manner, a sufficient in
come, stand first These are all well in
| their way, but may be followed by the
evils mentioned.
An idiot may beget a child, an imbe-
cite may become mother. The func-
ton of reproduction is common TO all
forms of life-to the lowest az to the
highest. But the most perfect of each
| class must be the fttest for the perpet-
uation Of their species. A we'll proper
toned body free from organic and he
redltary desease, a sound and well-bal-
anCeG mind, serene and generous dis
position, combined with a good moral
and mental training, 60 TO make up the
requisites of a good mother.
No mother can evade any of her re-
sponsibilities without injury to her off
spring. No part of them can be ad-
vantageousiy delegated TO another So
long as she is true to Nature, Nature is
kind to her and hers. But the univer-
sal mother avenges herself on all who
| disregard her laws, first by pain, and
| afterwards by extinction,
In savage life, instinct will supply al
most all a mother requires; but in a
high state of civilization like ours, in
| stince must be supplemented by care
! full training. The earliest civilized peo-
ple-the Egyptians-provided little
girls with dolls Just as We do. But it is
only recently they acquired that name.
Not many years ago they were called
| babies. Every little girl, there ore, had
her baby whom she handled and daess-
ed, tondled and provided for, and
whom she still affects TO regard as Iiv-
ing being. The instinct of maternity is
thus exercised early. But when the
dolls are put aside, the free conversa-
ton with her mother on martial topics
which existed formerly when she was
Old enough, has become 'indelicate" in
these later and more fastidious times
The daughter of the wealthy OF high
born classes, had first a foster mother
whose milk nourished her. Now rich,
and poor alike, instead ofthe mother or
foster mother, resort to a combination
from COW or a pump. The child of
any class sees little Of its mother. The
nursery or tile street, the school or the
Workshop, keep them apart.
IHyary r,ntbar h,,rl1 g,,,-a Iar 81, - n
fair share Of her companionship. What
can we expect from children if they are
LETT almost entirely to menials or mer-
cenarv nursing? The death rate of the
little ones is enormously high. MAY not
this be largely owing to the want of a
mothers loving care and watchfulness?
1t is only in the case of a foolishlv in
dulgent or wickedlv severe mother
that the child is better off with a scnsi-
bic nurse
The trainino nf q child shouId hepin
with RS earliest intelligence Good
borse-broaLars gay that IN acouire nor
faction IN trair;no tho colt ar flI,, n,rst
-, .,l.o,, ho,,a f-o,,, III p,,r
nies cannot be trained well after that
ACE Six months or earlier is usuoI
The more INTELLIGENT child must he soon
educated. This is no work for an ig
porant girI. Ifnurses must he bad they
should he women of education charac-
fer and exnerieuce and at least euusI
IA tho motber in sentiments and nolish
For the foundations Of the cbild,s char
actor arc row hnirg laid An III dis
,o.;tio, r,oy lao ,orractad or i,,,,rov.d
and GOOD ono NAV he ;rratriavahIy
snoigt at This stage It's nascent inteIIi.
oaroa may ba direc,.a into noble or io-
nohI. cbarrsIs IT, ,hirs. LrowIodae
wisely grarifed or iqnorantIv snnnIied
no. ,.o,, tto4 -,
Pruueh' hiotheF' anu no olhef IN
fiuenCe prove SO lasting. how many OF