The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-12-30

pass It is long, long ordeal, lasting from before birth until the years ot dis cretion have been reached by the child and there are no periods of immunity Cnceasing watchfulness is the keynote of good motherhood.
 SeIfshness, we are told frequently, IS the dominating influence of our time Motherhood admits of nothing of the kind Always the child should be the first consideration, both on the part of the mother and of the father. There will be discouragements without num- Der, obstacles innumerable- Always there will be opposing influences to overcome; but no battle can be won save through fighting, and those who would reap victory in having brought into the world man or woman of whom they may be justly proud, must struggle sunceasingly. The peace of old age will be all the sweeter. t'-s Kother-i,vs the er.atest Force
 During all my fight against diversity. which lasted until my coming to Amer ica in ISoS-oniy eleven years ago-I had te provide for large family of -chil- dren. My point of view, therefore, Is not that of the care-free woman whose material wants are amply provided for. Many times has the task of feeding, clothing and educating my boysand girls seemed beyond my power, and ire quently was a continuation of the struggle despaired of.
 I knew that I owed to my children the very best that I could give them in every way; I dreaded to contemplate that they should have to go into the great world handicapped in any manner While. perhaps, l did not realize 1t at the time, know now that 1t was the mother-love in me that spurred he on to work and plan, to strive onward and upward through all those years.
 Mother-love is,-to my mind, born with the child. Unfortunately there are cases in which 1t dies from lack of nourish- u1ent, or is superseded by simple affec- ton through being choked by the weeds of selishness, distrust and ill-temper. So many mothers who have loved their boys and girls.
 And so many parents who have exer- cised all the unsclhshness their natures were capable of in behalf of their boys and girls, have grown careless in their attention to the welfare of the youths and raaidens of their families Con- trary to general opinion though 1t may be, I hold that there is no dangerous age" of children From the time a baby IS porn until the. young man or woman gains full knowledge of the world and the, ability to think for himself or her self, and to think rightly. all ages are dangerous.
 fly Own Expsrienes
 But to return to my own story: Be- fore I came to America all my children had been under my constant personal care. believed my duty lay that way. and I have never had reason to change my opinion. Naturally my burden was considerable one, for I was a busy woman and my family was large Still l did think then, and l do think now. that the natural duties of mother can not be delegated to another without dis astrous results.
 ; It was this belief that caused me to nurse my own children always, even when playing an operatic engagement Many times my baby has been in my dressing-room waiting for me while l have been responding to an encore.
 When l first set foot on American soil l decided to establish home here ultimately and educate my children on this side of the Atlantic. American life, institutions and characteristics inn r-e-<ed me greatly and [ became con