Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-09-05
TRUE
MOTHER
LOVE
Ella Wheeler Wilcox Writes
About the Eternal
Instinct

There is always one sure test Of the
extent Of the fatherly" and ''platon-
ic" element in married man's inter
est in young woman.
If she is as intimate with his wife
and daughters as with himself, IL the
women of the family receive her with
as great cordiality as the husband does
IL there are no clandestine meetings
or rendezvous and no letters ex-
changed when the world and the wife
might not see, then, indeed, tho moth
er may feel that her daughter has
platonic and fatherly friend.
But even under these conditions the
really loving and wise mother does not
countenanee tete a-tete calls Of the
married man upon her daughter or
approve of his acting as her escort un-
accompanied by any member of his
family.
The unselish, unmereenary and kind
mother brings her daughter up 20
young womanhood in a manner and
with such ideals that the young wo-
man herself would not permit
friendship with a married man TO
reach the danger point. She would
not receive gifts or attentions from
him.
The state Of Connecticut is fortu-
nate in having prison warden a man
Of exceptional brain, heart and syinpa-
thy; a man who thinks, feels, and acts
in accordance with the most humane
and practical religious principles in
his association with unfortunate hu-
manity. Not long ago this man said
to visitor: "Children who receive
the right mental training for the first
ten years Of life never wear prison
stripes in later years All criminal
instincts can be eradicated by forming
the right kind Of brain cells for chill
dren before they are ten"
The speaker did not mean educating
children in book lore. He meant
teaching them how to think, unselfish-
ly. sanely and sensibly.
Not one mother in thousand
teaches hor daughter or her son this
three.fold system Of reasoning.
The scores Of Glowing" and devoted
mothers" Of whom the sentimentalists
write and talk, consciously or uncon'
sciously, train the minds Of their chill
dren to desire financial success, posi-
tion and social power. Oft times chill
dren are taught to envy the wealthy
and 10 covet their advantages through
listening TO conversation Of their el'
ders not intended for their ears.
Few little girls Of ten, twelve or
fifteen can be found who do not cater
10 the fashionably attired woman ire
spective Of her character. They long
to emulate her rather than the woman
Of great mental or moral Sttainments
who makes less show in the world.
This is not the fault Of the children,
but Of the elders who have formed
their minds.
The mad desire Of hundreds OF moth
ers 10 have their daughters dress well,
10 appear in ''mart" society, and to
travel and enjoy the pleasures wealth
gives, blinds them TO the highest ideal
Of womanhood. The thoughtless, fool
ish ambition Of many a mother TO
have her daughter ga belle" and to
have her outshine other mothers
daughters has proven the first step In
the girls downward path to the posi-
tion Of correspondent.
Again, the slavish, weak devotion
OF a mother TO a daughters whims
and desires from childhood 70 woman
hood helps the girl TO ruin.
AS a two-year child she sees ehoeo-
late drops in tho eonfeetioner's win
dow and demands them, and the edo
voted mother" who cannot bear TO
disappoint her beloved child, gives
them TO her even while she knows they
win harm teeth and indigestion.
Later when the daughter wants the
husband Of another woman the mother
takes the same standi she Is ready
TO break through the legal window
that her child may have what she
wants.
This phase Of mother love is pitiful'
but not beautiful
1t makes one think Of brilliant Ju'
lien Gordon's comparison Of the aver
age sentiment Of Mother Love to the
She Wolf instinct, which tears other
animals 20 feed its own.
know a mother who paid a large
sum of money from her own purse to
induce a wife to give up her husband
m -