New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1914-06-06
HALF BAKED MOTHERS.

AS between a mother who is s.
far forgetfuI Of her duties in tn
premises, as to neglect a child
whether an infant or a schoo
child, for the sake Of society
whether that means charcl
sociable, a quilting bee a hv'
o'clock tea, suffragette caucus
a tango joint or fashionable dg
g1egation Of gossipers, and leave
that child to the neglect Of az
ignorant servant; or one Sc
steeie in selfshpess and v9nlty
as to squander money on & gown
or Easter hat, when the chill,
perhaps is in need Of clothing tC
cover its nakedness and shield
its tender pelt from the weather
changes would as a matter OF
course be voted a human brute IN
any civilized community. 1t is
equally apparent that the over
indulgent mother who squanders
everything on child, money,
time. attention, affection who is
proud of the smartness Of the
child. it's cute and cunning ways,
it's precocity and bends every eff
Fort to pamper and to please, I'M
til she becomes a veritable slave
to it's every whim, is doing in
hnitely more harm to the child
than is dore by the neglect Of the
former; while that neglect may
and has frequently resulted IN
the premature death of the child.
if it survives the inhuman neg
lect, it does not necessarily fol-
low that it's morals are ruined;
some of the best and most af-
fectionate children have sprung
from such compost heap; but the
petted and spoiled and pampered
darling, if it survives, rarely be-
comes a credit to the household,
for every mean and selfish trait
has been assiduously cultivated
and with the flight Of years and
the growth Of the child becomes
crystalized into excrescences
that mar, disfigure, pollute and
cannot be removed; so in the last
analysis there is very little diff.
ference between the cold-blooded
selfshness Of the one who neg
Iects and the equally great self
ishness of the one who pampers,
The latter may lay the fattering
unaction to her soul that she is not
selfish, because she knowingly be-
comes a slave to the object Of
her devotion, but the self decep-
ton does not dec others. Ev-
cry common-sense individual
must recognize that the mother
who sternlv disciplines the child
for its own good even though
she might lacerate her heart
strings while doing it exhibits a
higher and more unselfsh sense
of dnty than the one who yields
to this whim; with every yielding
there is a severer tax levied on
the patience and it is marvellous
the perception Of a child until
absolutely blunted in it's per-
ception by constantly yielding
to it's whims.
It is a terrible heritage that a
mother endows the child with IN
til rude contact with the outer
world dispels the illusion that it
is the only CIT" the inevitable
result is the generating Of a pro-
found contempt. No amount Of
natural human affection Of child
towards it's mother unaccomp-
anied by respect can take the
place of that reverential affection
which properly reared children
bear towards their parents. Gas
the twig is bent the trees in
clined;" it may be growing in
the back lot of the humble cot
tager or on the lawn of the mil
lionaire, the rule holds good.
AS between half baked mothers
of the land and their name is Leg
ion in America, those who neg
lect, and those who pamper, the
latter do infinitely more harm to
the rising generation and the pity
is that the State cannot in some
way step in and save the children
Of both from the insane folly and
assinine selfshness Of America 8
hale .halyad mothers Landry