Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-03-16

may have to get up night after nigh
to take care of a sick child, and vel
must by day continue to do all he1
household duties as well; and if the
family means are scant she must usu
ally enjoy even rare holidays taking
her whole brood of children with her
/ The birth pangs make all men the
| debtors of all women. Above all oul
sympathy and regard are due to the
struggling wives among those whom
Abraham Lincoln called the plain PEG
pie, and whom he so loved and trusted
for the lives of these women are often
led on the lonely heights of quiet, self
sacrificing heroism
Duty.
Just as the happiest and most hon
orable and most useful task that can
be set any man is to earn enough for
the support of his wife and family, for
the bringing up and starting in life OF
his children, SO the most important, the
most honorable and desirable task
which can be set any woman is to be
good and wise mother in home
marked by self-respect and mutual for
bearance, by willingness to perform
duty, and by refusal to sink into self.
indulgence or avoid that which entails
effort and self-sacrifice. OF course
there are exceptional men and excep-.
tional women who can do and ought to
do much more than this, who can lead
and ought to lead great careers of
outside usefulness in addition to-not
as substitutes for-their home work;
but am not speaking Of exceptions;
am speaking of the primary duties,
am speaking of the average citizens
the average men and women who
make up the nation.
Children and Influence.
Unto the woman's keeping is com.
mitted the destiny Of the generations
to come after us. In bringing up your
children you mothers must remember
that while it is essential to be loving
and tender it is no less essential to
be wise and firm Foolishness and af-
lection must not be treated as inter-
changeable terms; and besides train
ing your sons and daughters in the
softer and milder virtues you must
seek to give them those stern and
hardy qualities which in after life
they will surely need. Some children
will go wrong in spite of the best train
ing; and some will go right even when
their surroundings are most unfortu-
nate; nevertheless an immense
amount depends upon the family train
ing. If you mothers through weakness
bring up your sons to be selfish and to
think only of themselves, you will be
responsible for much sadness among
the women who are to be their wives
In the future. If you let your daughters
grow up idle, perhaps under the mis-
taken impression that as you your
selves have had to work hard they
shall know only enjoyment, you are
preparing them to be useless to others
and burdens to themselves. Teach
boys and girls alike that they are not
to look forward to lives spent in avoid
Ing difficulties but to lives spent in oy-
grooming difficulties. Teach them that
work, for themselves and also for 9TH
ers. is not a curse, but blessing seek
to make them happy. to make them en-
Joy life, but seek also to make them
face life with the steadfast resolution
to wrest success from labor and adver-
sity, and to do their whole duty before
God and to man. Surely she who can
thus train her sons and her daughters
Is thrice fortunate among women.
Race Suicide.
There are many good people who
are denied the supreme blessing Of
children, and for these we have the
respect and sympathy always due to
those, who, from no fault of their own,
are denied any Of the other great
blessings OF life. But the man or wo-
man who deliberately forgoes these
blessings. whether from viciousness.
GOODNESS, Observation-Disclosures, self-in-
diligence, or mere failure to appreciate
Alright the difference between the all
important and the mportant-why
such creature merits contempt as
hearty as any visited upon the soldier
who runs away in battle or upon the
man who refuses to work for the SUD-
port Of those dependent upon him. and
who though ablebodied is yet content
to eat in idleness the bread which 9TH
ers provide.
Training the Child.
Teach boys and girls alike that they
are not to look forward to lives spent
in avoiding difficulties, but to lives
spent in overcoming difficulties. Teach
them that work, for themselves and
also for others, is not a curse but
blessing; seek tc make them happy, to
make them enjoy life, but seek also to
make them face life with the stead
last resolution to wrest success from
labor and adversely and to do their
whole duty before God and to man.
Surely she who can thus train her
sons and her daughters is thrice for
tunate among women.
The existence of women of this type
forms one of the most unpleasant and
unwholesome features of modern life.
If any one is SO dim of vision as to fail
TO see what a thoroughly unlovely
creature such woman is, I wish thew
would read Judge Robert Grants novel
'Unleavened Bread ponder seri-
ously the character Of Selma. and think
OF the fate that would surely overcome
any nation which developed its aver
age and typical woman along such
lines. Unfortunately it would be un.
true to say that this type exists only
IN American novels. That it also ex-
In, A ~, nr{n