Mexico weekly ledger., 1908-03-05
THE oPTIMIsT.
BY Lea Mitchell White, Formerly Of
the Mexico Ledger. now Of Dem
yer Post.


happy life. The first fills . woman's
heart with such abundance Of love
there remains no space for baser feel
tugs, while the latter causes q man TO
forgetall his low instincts and In the
Joy OF a clean life become supreme.
Mrs. @. O. Orossman, Of New York
City, In q recent address, stated:
"What we need is the suppression Of
unnecessary reproduction. When par
ents cannot support their children 1t
is q crime to bring them into the
world'i. In other words the policy Of
President Roosevelt, under some con-
ditions, is wrong and anti-race suicide
q mistake.
The gutter is the school for crime
and the gateway Ito unhappiness.
Happiness cannot be found in a
place reeking with low standards OF
ethics and criminal instincts. The
impressions OF our youth are the most
lasting and shape careers. Society and
life ideal depends upon the current OF
parental care.
Optimism has as its source the
home where mother love Ia supreme.
This mother love is the greatest OF all
loves and that which makes the world
go round".
When parents neglect a child they
neglect their own happiness Of peace
OF mind.
A baby lie often the needed ray OF
sunshine to dlspel the clouds Of
estrangement lowering over a home.
1t was In one OF the city's 10 cent
theaters that ! took my seat next a
woman with a child In her lap. The
performance had already begun and
the auditorium was In semi-darkness.
At first ! paid no attention to my
neighbor but the.strong oder OF garlic
and whisky, from her direction caused
me to turn and notice her.
She was poorly clad In soiled tinery,
her ill-fitting garments hiding what
little symmetry OF form remained. In
the dusk Of the theater the lines upon
her face became deeper and more sin
lister, while the half slumbering child
in her lap appeared to be but a dis
heveled bundle Of clothing.
Her face was yellow, not the hue OF
the Asiatic, butt dead tint which
comes from a life in direct opposition
TO nature. Though the features were
repulsive In their co-arseness there
still remained . semblaHce OF a youth
full beauty which was, perhaps, In part
the cause Of her degradation.ls
The o Of a few years had deter
iorated into a weed for want Of proper
attention.
Her eyes were scared and yellow
and remained half hidden beneath
roughly penciled brows, and her hair,
struggling owe . face in ill-kspt neg
iect, made the picture enc OF regret
and buried hopes.
The child was not over 4 years OF
age and through the dirt on Its little
face signs Of baby beauty we're evid
emit. At intervals some sound from the
stage would arouse it and a whimper
escaped its lips. The mother made no
attempt at comforting, but replied to
its cry with q singing slap.
Can you picture the future OF this
baby girl with no better influences to
guide than those Of this fallen wo-
man?
One does not care to scrutinize hell
yet / could not keep my thoughts
from dwelling upon the life In store
for this baby. The countenance Ia a
reflection Of the soul and the contrast
between the faces Of mother and child
was night and day.
The mothers sordidness seemed to
enwrap her offspring In the death-like
silence Of struggling chaos and the n
nocent glare Of Its blue eyes into the
shifting depths Of the mothers was as
a lightning flash questioning the
Hopelessness seemed to lurk In
every possibility. There was no pleas
re in reflection nor smiles in day
dreams.
Perhaps as the child grew older out.
side influences would make themsel-
yes felt in her life and the future as
sumo more reseate probabilities and
the pleasures she knew nothing Of not
make ner life I'M Of unsatlsfied long
There are hundreds OF women like
this mother to-day who do not see the
possibilities for escaping the depths
BY ladders constructed OF their errors.
The morgue, the potters field, and the
prisons, are filled with her counter
part. Love cemented with misdlrect-
ed instincts soon falls apart and
discovers a path Of signs and tears.
The earth feeds on man, sin on wo-
man. and this "unto the third and
generation.
IL is u duty to make the world as
bright as possible for children as well
y older persons. So everyone cheer
Up and see just how much sunshine
can distribute, even though we
eel like a thunder cloud. Remember
environment has much to do with I'M
happiness, so try to make yours oneI |.
o be sought for Its cheering warmt b.