Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-02-28

o a you ever chance upon ANYTHING 60
~ ,', ,"al as me intentional hurting OF
~, spring by the animal mother?
81. udys OF inc survival Of the flttcsi-
bodily weg kncss-when mnec,,iar 49,.
maze right. are at an end fo,. s,ro,,',,s 49,,
people we want 90 rae tho whole st,,,1
cure OF oppression TO the gre,ind and
.,Vciallh freedom for the oppressed be
'"'y men, women. or childroni have
svoh 80 much inconsistency in the nun
i'""ieht or children II n LITTLE ono
O'ushes her dimpled hand. a mother he
means the accidont-klssing the nlaca 70
mako IL weli'-and yet. often before tho
o,u'ses neal, worse are those self-inaict-
ca ones, given FOR what she calls tho
n'Dy s naughtiness." but which. after all.
~ Vniy a mistake, due to inexperienced
OF the real right.
HOW many adults. KNOWING tho riob.
90 1t invariably?
poNeNe many parents themselves NJ
governed), I'm III OF ugly teunor vent
their spleen upon an ignorant ob,ld and
take contemplate sort OF satisfaction
IN IL! Knowing this, and feeling It's
utter heiplessness. the child rebels. and
mat very rebellion hurts the soul. The
human mind Is never too infantile to re-
sent the humiliation OF a blow: It hurts
the germ wherein lies o. mans future
honor-his pride.
FEAR OF PUNISHMENT.
And the fear Of punishment, with the
moral cowardice inherited from three
iourths Of the mothers OF the world. make
mars of their children. ] think that.
When l read OF the doctrine OF original
sin. il is original fear. instead Of. as
1t should be, the doctrine Of love. Very
many children are punished as severely
Tor the breaking of a cup or window
pane carelessly as If they had broken
all OF the Ten Commandments.
1T is so easy TO be unjust, and injustice
is the crying sin OF this otherwise adora-
bic century.
1t is a cowardly thing 10 strike a little
child! And my heart so aches for the
children-the helpless children Of the
world. One is tempted sometimes TO
question the Providence that gives them
into hands brutal, unjust, and unsparing.
All the world cries out against the wife-'
beaten. and he Is called every mean name
in a vocabulary rich In modern vitupcra-
ton. A woman is "a mans equal. ] have
scant sympathy for her who permits, in
these progressive days.E any abuse from
her mighty lord, and there is no excuse
for her so long as bread may DE earned
and good cooks are at a premium. But
there is no redress for the chldren-none.
THE GOOD, THE HAPPY.
The good mothers are the happy
mothers, and vice versa. These constitute
the other fourth. The reverence in which
the mother IS held I'm many heather coun-
tries might well be emulated. "a mothers
lou A. LII 81, rf..rr In
benighted Africa. "a mothers love will
draw up from the depths Of the sea-" de-
clare noble and peasant in despotic Rus
STA" Mothers love is ever in its spring"
cries the courtly and pleasure-loving
Frenchman; and the English poet has but
voiced the faith Of all sorts and condl-
tions of men when he sings:
"a mother IS mother still
The hottest thing alive"
There is one part Of this broad republic
where women and mothers hold the
balance of power-where they head the
totem-poles and come on down with all
tho lineage and property rights Of the
Territory in their own hands. It is in
Alaska. Before the white mans advent
the royal succession or chieftainship OF
the natives descended on the mothers
side. absolute royalty vested itself I'm the
nearest male relative Of the wife's family.
The hideous totem-pole, - many yards
Of linear nightmare. was carved on its
high apex with the raven or the wolf,
token of the wOmans clan. and set right
before the husbands door to keep him per-
petually reminded Of her rights.
1t is questionable how this sentiment
would work if Alaskan women possessed
the culture and amenities of civilized
= q
there are good grounds to work upon.
1t seems 10 me. that, among other evils
possible Of eradication. women should
weed out-as with a clOse-toOth rake
every obnoxious law that hurts q wo-
mans heart. They'll be ready for "suf-
frage" and the millennium after this IS
accomplished. Where they do not con-
dict with O mans Interest the abolish
ment OF these laws would be obtainable.
They have a heathenish relic Of bar
barism IN Pennsylvania; it is a law that
prohibits a condemned murderer from see
ing his mother, This is a good law TO
commence on. and there are others"
However grand the intent. women cannot
always be on the mountain-top Of hope or
enthusiasm and elation. There must
come days Of EFFORT and self-sacriflce. It
IS the woman's century-and their life
work waits.
A large flock OF wild geese few over
Rockhsh Gap yesterday. They were
heading straight for the northern shores,
but left In their wake the usual wild
goose storm" which farmers say breaks
~ the winter
Mrs. J.. w. Goodloe is in Charlottesville
for the week.
Mr.. Cloud Goodwin left Thursday for
Clifton Forge.
MI. Duncan Lipscomb. Of "Redlands,"
has left for Charlottesville.
A pleasant entertainment was given
to the Literary Club on Tuesday evening