The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-02-18

| 10 DRIFT into organizations counterfeitinp
| mans, social clubs for irstance. In recent
times We have seen women working for
the Interests of their sex and of humanity
In lines like cookery and housekeeping
on scientific principles against which
no posi- oio exception could be taken that
they were not wholly comprahended in
"woman's sphere" Now we are having
q Congress Of Mothers and it is slgnih-
caut OF the past attitude of woman in her
development and reacbings out that the
announcement of the Congress created
something akin to sensation in the pop
uisr miud, slbeit 1t would seem to te a
satisfying thing that motherboo is 10
command in future the study, and con
sideration OF woman along with other.
and in every respect, lesser pursuits. Per.
hsps,woman having advanced on side lines
quite satisfactorily by her agitniing is
now disposed to demonstrate to man that
she is not thoughtless OF one OF the i'm
psrative duties for which her sex alone
hts her and in which there can be no
competition or possible infrin2ement on
the nights, privileges and Responsibilities
CT the opposite eek.
For af,er all.
"a mother Is n mother still,
The holiest thing alive"
and 1t is not likely that woman has in
the least lost sight OF that fact for all
the seeming evidence to the contrary, as
afforded by her diversions into strange
paths and by-ways seeking TO demon
strate that there were a good many ctn,r
things than being mother that she
could do better than man. Here in the
Congress we find associated many noble
women whose names are familiar in i'm
portant work undertaken by women In
many fields, and there is every testimony
to support the belief that these good
women do not regard slightiugIy the
thousands who arc chiefly good mothers
ana little besides aud hold that the |
duties OF motherhood are, after all, the |
highest duties that a woman can perform |
for the race, no matter how much emaDci |
patton may otherwise bs demanded or
how many coed works besides remain un-
done.
IL IL highly probable,as as one writer sug-
gests, that few mothers know anything
about the "oIingine up'' of their chill
drep, their proper feeding. clothing, gov
srning and educating except what they
earn by experience, and experience is
,ften an unsatisfactory s we'll as hard
eacher. As a rule, mothers are, likely
the best intenlionon persons in
he wide world. But as they must be held
srgely responsible for results, there IL
'mrle and painful evidence that lots of
hem lack "know how" We suppose our
educational system, our temperance work
ma organized effort In many other direc-
ions for the improvement OF human con-
iitions are at their foundstion, mace
necessary in great parl oscauss of the
ailings In the profession OF being a
mother as commonly practicsd. And as
lcarly SIS we are able to grasp the purpose
Il this Congress, II seeks to get at the
nothtr cirtct to strengthen her. and to
inspire her to instruct her and to elighten
Ter and to bring her into intimate esso-
istion with varied efforts for making up :
or what may be lacking in her, IL not
lwsys impossible to her.
Bless her heart Hers is often q hard ]
ow to hoe. Perhaps, II good intentions a
'sre backed up by the kino Of things
he Cngross pr5potes TO toscb, we
'ouldn't cause hor so much trouble as \
10 do, ,shS would lind life easier and alto. /"
ether mora satisfactory, we should al; be 5
eiter men and women and the eartn :,
'ould be made a creitly improved place
I residences fer well disposed and On.
ghtened human beings.
The attempt OF one OF Colonel Robert q. II