Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-14
THE PRESIDENT
Continued from Page One.)

ttic TWO must normally DC different be-
cause the duties Of the two ar,
normally different. This does not
mean inequality of function, but il
does mean that normally there must
be dissinil2r;ty of function. On tn
whole. | think the duty OF the woman
the more important. the more difficult.
and the more honorable OF the two:
on the whole | respect the woman who
does her duty even mole than | respec:
the man who doe s his.
No ordinary work done by 4 man is
either as hard or as responsible as the
work Of a woman who is Lringing up a
family of small children; Tor upon her
time and strength demands are made
net only every hour OF the day but
often every hour. of the night. She
may have to got up night after night
TO taxi care of sick child, and yet
must by da, continue to do all her
house hold duties as well: and if the
family means are scant she must
usually enjoy even her rare holidays
taking her whole brood of children
with her. The birth panss make al!
men the debtors of al wcmen. Above
al our sympathy AMI regard are dut
" tllt SUI w, -sl'tiS WIVES tlllOlS lIloSt
whom Abraham Lincoln called the
plain people AID whom he so loved
and trusted: for the lives of these
women are often led On the lonely
heights of quiet, self sa rificing hero
ism.
Just as the harpiaSt and most hon
ordblt and most useful task that can
ne set any man is to earn enough for
me support Of his Wife ANA family. for
the bi lnsing up and starting in life of
ms children, so the most important.
the most honorable ana desirable task
which can be set any woman is to he
d S"oi and wise mother in a home
marked by scif-reSoect and mu1ual
f"1bearance. by Willingness to pcrforo,
duty and by refusal to sink into self
indulgence or avoid that " hich entails
effort and seif-Sariitice. OF course
there are exceptional men and OK
cepilonai women Who can do and ought
I" do much more than this, who can
lead and ought to Head great careers
of outside usefulness in addition to
not as substitutes for--their home
WORK: bnt | am not speaking of ex !.
crhtionS: am speaking of the primary
duties. l am speaking al the average
cltlZcr%. Tia" avplagA men and women
VII" make IN the Nation.
lnasnuch as am speaking to an as
semblase Of mothers | shall have nolh-
ing whatever tn say in praise of an
easy life. Eou"S is the work which Is
never ended. No mother has an easv
time. and most mothers have very
hard times; AMI yet what true mother
III h.pJ. ~.
sorrow in exchange for q life Of COLI
Seif'shneHS, which insists upon perpete-
al amusement and the Avoidance of
care. and when often finds its fit
dwelling place in some Aat designed to
t"rnish with the least possible eNpendi-
t'ilc OF effcrt the maximum of comfort
2hd "f luxury but in which there is
literally no place for children?
Tie woman who is Il good wife. n
good mother. is entitled to our respect
rs is no one else; but she is entitled 10
II only because. and so long as. she is
worthy Of il. Effort and self-sacrifice
are the Lax Of worthy life for the man
as TOT the Wclnan: though neither the
effort nor the Self-sacrilice may be the
sane Tor the one as for the other. I do
not III the LEASE believe i'll the patient
filSelda type of woman in the woman
VINO submits to gross and long cOntin-
up' Ill treatment any more than | be-
ll''Ft IN a man VINO tdmClN submits TO
WI on%ful aggression. No wrongdoing
is 50 ahhorrent as wrongdoing bv Il
man toYrarl the wife and the children
Who should arouse every tender feeling
III his nature. Selhshness toward
[ hem. Ian ok nf Tenderness tn,...,rJx ,ba,,,
lack Of consideration fer them, above
all, brutality i'll any form towards them
should arouse the hearti.st scoru and
lEdI%nation in every upright soul.
believe in tho WomHn's Keeping het.
svlf-respect Just as believe in the
mans doing SO. believe in her rights
lust as much as | believe in the mans,
and indeed Il little more; ana /
regard marriage as Il partnership.
in Nhich each partner is III honor bound
t. thin'- Of the rights of tie other as
wen as of his or her own. I;ut | think
that The duties are even more import
ant than the rights; and in the long
run / think that the reward is anlpler
and greater for duty we'll done than
for tn" insiStence upon individual
rights. necessary though this. too. must
often be. Your duty is hard. your re-
S!"aSibllity great; but greatest of all
is Your reward. | do not pity you in
the least. ON the contrary | feel re-
spect and admiration for YOU.
Into the wonan's keeping is COM
n1itted the destiny Of the generations
To GENE after us. In bringing up your
children YOU mothers must remember
that while il is essential to be loving
ard tender il is 10 less essential to be
wise and firm. Fuoishness and affec-
ton must not he treated as inter-
Cnangeable terms; and besides training
your sons ANA daughters in the softer
and mlder virtues you must seek to
give them those stern and hardy quail
tiles which in after life they Will surely
Iced. Some children will 20 wrong in
spite of the best training; ana some
" i'll go right even when their sur
are most unfortunate; new
r:hcl"sS an immense amount depends
upon the family training. II You moth
erS through weakness bring up your
sons to he selfish and to think only of
themselves. You will be responsible for
much sadness among the women who
ar" to be their wives in the future. If
You let your daughters grow up Idle,