The Washington herald., 1910-01-30
Motherhood by Rule.

We confess a seeming inability TO wax
even ever so slightly enthusiastic over this
currently discussed thing called scientific
motherhood" As nearly as we can
gather, scientific motherhood" means
motherhood by rule-an all but impossible
proposition primarily. we should say.
Entertaining enough, and instructive
10 a degree, perhaps. is the recited case
Of a certain Mrs. Noyes, who has reared
her one boy. thus far. scientifically"
Some of the things she has done to her
helpless infant are worthy Of note, albeit
We feel reasonably sure they Will fail
utterly toy convince a number of people
who may or may not be profoundly stupid.
The young Master Moves under considera-
ton has never been rocked or sung 10
sleep; he has never been dressed in dainty
things trimmed with blue and pink rib
bons. but in e bag with a drawstring at
the top he has always slept in a common
market basket, and has never been pettad,
kissed. cuddled, or squeezed; TO develop
his brain and properly exercise certain
muscles, he has been carried around the
house by his heels three times each day;
and-last, but not least-he has never
been permitted to believe that his baby
goo meant anything whatever. generally
or specifically,
When last heard from, young Master
Noyes was "aliye and kicking" we re-
joice to report We congratulate him that
the former circumstance may be truth
fully set down, and We admit total lack
of surprise that the latter circumstance
has been duly NOTED. His animated status
Indicates a future constitution Of iron
persuasion, which is nicely balanced by
an evident intensely human inclination
to balk when deliberately provoked.
Wherefore. we somewhat grudgingly rate
Mrs. Noyes' theory Of scientific mother
hood important, IL true, but that Is all.
Her son may some day come TO be Presi-
dent, also, he may develop into an
iconoclast; likewise. he may grow to be
a mollycoddle. Time must tell the story:
and We favor giving time plenty of lati-
tude in the matter-lillewise an abundance
Of longitude, if that be desirable.
We cling, nevertheless. fondly and
firmly to the old-fashioned mother. She
may be wrong. but We are with her. Her
only books are baby's looks, and folly
may be all they have taught her; but we
doubt it. We consider with extreme salts
faction the results Of her efforts these
many years; and while they might have
been better in the average praise be,
they surely might have been woefuHy
worse. The biggest rule she knows is
mother love. and that has never yet been
fashioned in communicable thoughts. or
approximately embaImed in song or story.
The hand that rocks the cradle "scien-
tifcaily" indicted though 1t be. has sue
ceeded in ruling the world fol-. ages dead
and gone; and though # Is part and parcel
of the mother who bedecks her offspring
I'm ribbons and laces. smothers it in
kisses. and swears by the unchanging
stars that its every goo means some
thing sweet and precious. whether it does
or not-weH, God bless her and have her
IN His keeping, She has been here a
long time, and il she is not scientific"
exactly. her boys all love her-and her
girls, too, for she usually has a few of
both-and she Is as secure in her glory as
Is the Lords own sunshine!