The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1908-02-27
Most Pathetically Difficult
Problem Of Motherhood

There cones a time in tie life Of a
woman when she confronts what to
her and her children Is an actual
crisis in her motherhood, and upon IT'S
outcome depends the happiness Of
herself and her associations with her
children thereafter, writes Louise ID.
Mitchell. II is that period In which
she faces the first compelling Instance
of the maturity of her child. which has
expressed itself in the clashing Of
their Wills in scme matter of authority
heretofore unquestioned.
Il has reached the point at last
where she is shocked into a realization
that IT Is now question Of mother
and son, no longer that of mother and
child. II is one of the most rathet-
ically difficult problems of mother
hood, and every woman who faces II
uneXpectedly--as most Of them do
deserves the sympathy of all those
who can comprehend what ii must
mean to her. II is literally abdlcation.
She steps down from the position of
ruler into that of familiar mingling
with those whom she has rulod-yet
IL Is, or at least should be, surrender
with honor.
The girl is always mole OF woman
than the boy Is man. In fact. with
rare exceptions, the boy retains his
bOyishness throughout his life, deep
hidden beneath n thousand cares and
absorbing interests, yet forever crop
ping up to make him dependent upon
a wCman's help. II is part OF the trag-
edy of womanhood that from her child
hood. when she deyotes her loving lit
tie heart to the care of her doll the
shadow OF her motherhood, with it's
attendant sacrifices, should fellow he.'
throughout her life.
Far beyond into his gray-haired ma
turity the boy In the man viii feel
the necessity for mother" in his
hours of deep anxiety, when the dis
interested sympathy Of a woman is
the only thing that will soothe and
understand his need; and when, alas,
the wife he has chosen falls short of
this call of the heart, the mother he
instinctively Graves may be mother
herself, but If not IL will be sister, or
! some other woman, since IL cannot be
| wife. II girls were taught their re-
sponsibilities toward their brothers or
other young men, and were broad
enough to see what II might do for
themselves and them, there wcula be
fewer men-and brothers-2o wrong
through their influence or lack of It.
Il is the instinct of boy to protect
his mother from physical danger CT
mental anxieties and the wise woman
viii foster this.
Courtesy begets courtesy, and aa
! you SOW" this rare seed in the lie
of your children, so shall you reap
rich harvest Of delight Urol the
day of your "abdication" you have no
longer the power TO say do this OF do
that with the imperlousness that
! most mothers address their children
You are then face to face with mel
or women who have tho right to dc
mand OF YOU the same consldera;e 10
litenoss you would show the young
people of your friends!
The earliest born moral sense that
we have Is that Of Justice, and Il is The
one most trampled on by friends ant
foes alike, II you would stop ant
question whether you would Ike saci
and such a thing said or done TO 30,
| think that fewer children would q,
about with lacerated feelings aad burn
ing resentment where they shouiI
have known nothing but the dolightfu
harmony Of q mother who was the.
sympathetic companion, sharer o
their secrets, Of their hopes and fears
and the best fellow OF the bunch"
I'd like TO write familiar Quotatio!
thus, II Ella Wheeler Wilcox viii 70.
give me;
Laugh, and your boy laughs with you
Scold, and he'll leave you aloao.
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