The Saint Paul globe., 1905-03-14
DWELLS ON DUTIES
OF MOTHERHOOD
President Tells Mothers Con-
gresS About Family
Affairs

WASHINGTON. March 13.-An ad-
dress by President Roosevelt was the
feature of the evening session of the
hational congress of mothers at the
Metropolitan Methodist Episcopal
church The president was introduced
oy Mrs Frederic Schoff of Philadel-
phia, president of the congress. Mr.,
Roosevelt said in his address:
The nation is in bad way if there is no
real home. if the family is not of the
right kind: If the man is not a good ans
band and father. if he is brutal or cow
sense of duty. If she is sunk in yapid self
Indulgence or has let her nature be
twisted so that sne prefers a sterile
pseudo intellectually to that great and
beautiful development of character which
comes only to those whose lives know the
fullness of duty done. of effort made and
self-Sacrifice undergone.
The woman should have ample educa-
tlonai advantages; but save in exceptional
cases the man must be, and she need not
be. and generally ought not to be, trained
Tor lifelong career as the family bread
winner. On the whole think the duty of the
woman the more important the more diff
cult and the more honorable of the two;
on tae whole l respect the woman who
does her duty even more than l respect
the man who does his.
No mother has an easy time. and most
mothers have very hard times; and vet
what true mother would barter her expe-
rience OF joy and sorrow in exchange for
life OF cold selfiShneSS, which insists
upon perpetual amusement and the avoid
ance OF care. and which often finds it's fit
dwelling place in some fiat designed to fur
nish with the least possible expenditure Of
enort the maximum of comfort and Of
luxury, but in which there is literally no
place for children? Your duty is hard.
your responsibility great; but greatest of
All Is your reward. do not pity you in
the least: On the contrary, / feel respect
and admiration for you.
The chiIdIass
There are many good people who are
denied The supreme blessing of children,
and Tor these we have the respect and
sympathy always due to those who. from
no fault or their own, are denied any of
the other great blessings of life. But the
man or woman who deliberately foregoes
these blessings. whether from viciousness.
coldneSs. shallow heartedneSS f-indul-
gence. or mere failure to appreciate Alright
the difference betweet the all important
and the unimportant-why, such q crea-
ture merits contempt as hearty as any Wis
lted upon the soldier who runs away in
Dattle. The existence of women of this
type forms one of the most unpleasant
and unwholesome features of modern life.
The Woman'S task is not easy-no task
worth doing is easy-but in doing it, and
when she has done 1t, there shall come to
her the highest and heliest joy known to
mankind: and having done it, she shall
nave the reward prophesied in scripture;
for her husband and her children, yes
and all people who realize that her work
ilcS al the IOunuaIlOn or all national
happiness and greatness. shall rise up and
call her blessed.
Mrs. Schoff delivered an address, In
which she spoke OF THE Children Of
the Nation" She strongly advocated
moral training in the public schools,
and favored the appointment of an in
terdeDominatlonal convention for con-
ferences on a practical, simple code of
moral instruction that would be ac-
cepted by all faiths. She also set out
the Importance of the introduction Of
moral training and domestic science
into all schools.