The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-10-05
Parents Should Join
the Toothbrush BRIGADE

ably led to the homes and to the mothers
presiding there
The boys might have been ordinary
looking youths, slipping through a crowd
without attracting attention one way or
another had the teeth which nature gave
them been half cared for; but there was
the trouble, for they had beer so pain
fully, so grossly neglected that a single
glance at them made one want to look
the other way. And there was no choice
among the boys; all were offensive aIiks-
BUT the trouble was not rightly charge
aDle TO them; it fell back upon the
inothers' where, unfortunately, man.
roylsh shortcomings must fall.
ana the thought, unbidden, was bound
10 steal INTO the mind that the world has
SC long localized motherhood, Just moth
erhooo' without greatly reckoning with
IT'S quality, that some irresponsible folk
nave gotten the impression that a hale
rests upon woman's head merely BY
grace Of motherhood. Nobody tells their
and they do not figure it out themselves
that the motherhood halo, lust as any
other must be fairly earned. And per-
raps those who have had the yyonderfuI
opportunity Of learning what mothers
can do when they do the best and the
most they can are the ones most Jealous
Of seeing the word lightly applied.
Were Not Started Right.
Now, those boys were quite spruce6
up IN the way OF snowy clothes; they had
gotten as close to the latest fashion die
tates as their faulty Judgment and lin
tied means would allow. And they want
ed to make a good impression wherever
they went But they had not been start
ed right and did not know what were the
things that counted the most, for they
had missed the fine advantage Of moth
ers who told them.
And If it were possible for training
popular standards and popular cOncep-
tions of the duties OF motherhood tc
reach homes where ordinary ideals are
lacking and teach some of the stepping
stones to the motherhood halo, then we
might not need so much hygienic and
moral instruction in our public schools
Health-possibilities, Character-possibiIi-
ties, and the development Of the better
side Of children from every viewpoint
mean so much, once maturity is reached
and the real work of life is begun, that
the motherhood halo is one Of the most
wonderful things that the sun shines
upon
But as one looks about at the little
folk who elOquently enough reveal their
mothers unfitness to guide in physical
ways and TO inspire in the building of
character. the conviction easily grows
that the world needs its schools for moth
ers, schools to open their eyes to the
real purpose of motherhood, its dignity,
and its mighty responsibilities.
Responsibility Lightly Assumed.
For part of the trouble is that the re-
spOnsibilities many times are lightly as
sumed. perhaps in the half-formed belief
that Nature somehow will whisper the
way to guide, to inspire. and to help in
the making of useful lives
II the irresponsible ones were led to
know that motherhood is beautiful and
wonderful only as mothers make it so,
We might not so many times look at little
folk and the types of men and women
into which they develop and be Obliged
to comment-the pity Of it. For moth
ers, IL they like and II they rightly grasp
the depth of their responsibilities, can do
lot in the creation of useful, attractive
manhood and womanhood.
1t is easy enough to try and fail. but
the point of it is that there are some
who do not comprehend the magnitude
of the task before them. and they do not
even Try, except in a haphazard way.