The evening times., 1900-05-26

boy il was fashionable TO have fathers. He
thought that the father. as well as the
mother, should have hand in the forma-
tion of the child's character. 1t was srg-
gested at the Congress that IL women are
to be trained to be mothers. 1t might not
be a bad idea 10 give the young men of the
day some sort Of education which would fit
them to become heads OF households. and
perform the duties of such a position thor
oughIy. willingly, and gracefully.
Aside from all this. IL may be all very
we'll to say that girls ought to have some
training which Will fit them for mother
hood. but what on earth is it to be? Are
We to have colleges turned into founding
hospitals, that the maidens may have a
chance to practice on live infants those
soothing arts which they will some day
exercise in the rearing of their own chill
dren? And without practical experiences
what is the use OF all the training that
can be given2 Anybody knows that one
pounds in weight. can put to rout good
man. weighing two hundred pounds, dow
cred with all the degrees which the best
Of colleges can bestow. and not even the
medical profession is exempt from this
general rule. A baby, by reason of its
smallness, its -belplessness. its caprice.
and its general incomprehensibility can
keep a large and fairly intelligent house
sold on the move for mest Of the twenty
four hours, trying to find out what it
wants. How, then. can a college course
prepare one to cope with this inhnitesimal
bunch of humanity? One squall from the
average baby will drive out of its moth
er's head all the learning she ever ac-
quired at any school
The ordinary woman brings up her first
baby by the-Iight of nature, assisted by
the learning and experience Of her mother
or any ether practical matTon swho hap
pens to be at hand. During the early
years of this infant she acquires. some
times more or less expensiyeIy, knowledge
which she applies to the others. She
spends most Of her time during those
years of apprenticeship not in applying
formulas, but in finding out that she can
net do anything of the kind II seems
as If all the early traits of the baby s
father and herself come out in that child.
combined with primeyal tangles which can
be traced to neither of them.
However. there are a few things which
the college woman might advantageously
learn during her school days. and which
will fit her. if not for motherhood. at least
for some of the duties connected with il.
Many women could take care OF their ba-
bies without much trouble IL they knew
how to manage their housework easily, 50
as to give most Of their time and thought
TO the more important subject Of training
infant minds and tempers. A cooking
school would be good adjunct 10 the col
lege. If II could be run on a practical ba-
sis-not otherwise. There are certain facts
in chemistry and physiology which could
also be taught in the classroom. and would.
at any rate. protect the infant of the fu-
ture from those dire superstitions which
have killed children by the hundred In the
dark ages. There is always some old
dame VINO insists on croaking TO the young
mother that such and such remedy was
what she always used. and il the mother.
equipped with latter-day scientific knowI-
edge. IS absolutely certain that the rene
dy is useless or harmful. she is in a POSI-
tion to resist such influences with her eyes
open The argument OF the old lady who
proudly states that she "has buried six
children and ought to know something
about bringing up babies" will not be inn
pressive to fther enlightened mind of the
coIlege-bred matroR. 1t is sometimes good
for a woman TO reason as well as TO love.