Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-02-04
sELFIsHNEss OF MOTHERHOOD

In one of his subtly humorous plays,
Barre depits a lovely and humorous
mother, who calmly murders man be-
cause he won't shut down window
through which the cold air blows on her
little girl The little girl has shifting
cold in her head, and when fellow pas
senger in railway refuses to deprive
himself of a little fresh air on this ac-
count. the infuriated mother pushes him
out of the door, where ne falls upon the
tracks and is killed
| And the mother can never be made
to understand that she has done any,
thing in the least wrong. In her opin-
ion she has performed virtuous and
meritorious act in numbering anybody
that lnterfered in the slightest degree
with her childs pleasurs and comfort.
And we all know hundreds of just
such mothers in the play. They may
not actually take your life to make
Roman holiday for their offspring, but
they slay your peace and comfort and
destroy your property to amuse their
brats without a single pang of COM
Function. Nay, more: They feel that
you ought to consider yourself honored
and blessed in being offered up as liv-
ing sacrifice to their little babies and
Susies and Maggies.
Talk about the unselfishness of moth
! tfaN - Al
selfish passion on earth. When it comes
to question between other people and
her children, the average mother never
even considers the rights, privileges or
desires of the party of the other part.
She's just bent and determined that
her child shall have the best of every
thing, and the most of everything, and
that it shall do as it pleases, and if this
robs you or disturbs you or makes you
miserable, so much the worse for you.
She isn't even sorry for you. She con-
siders that it merely shows what a
mean, selfish brute you are, not to be
willingto hand over everything on a
silver salver to her precious little tid-
dleums.
There is something in motherhood
that changes the gentlest, the most
generous, the most just and delicately
considerate woman into a ferocious
monster of selfishness, who tramples
roughshod over everyone who comes
near her in order to crafty the slight
est whims of her children. These may
seem harsh words, but ask you to con-
slider the conduct of the mothers of
your acquaintance, and deny it if you
can.
Consider as Exhibit A, if you please,
the behavior of mothers on the street
cars when accompanied by their off
spring. Do they not invariably put
little Johnnie up so he can kneel on the
seat, with his muddy shoes in the exact
position to wipe off their filth on the
clothes of every passerby? Do they
not also take the psychological time
and place, where JOHNNIE can do the
most harm to the most people and the
most raiment, to feed him on soft
bananas?
/ Consider Exhibit B. The wanton
destruction of your property by children
under the very eyes of their mother. A
woman will bring her child to see you,
and watch him draw pictures with pin
on your best mahogany table, and then
smilingly ask you if you don't think
that Tommy shows real artistic talent.
Or she will! reach down from the man
tel your one precious statuette that
you've gone broke buying, and give it
to her little girl to play with, and when
it is smashed, and the child howls with
rage, she will say, Never mind; moth
er will buy her tootsie wootsie another
doll as we go home. -
| People with good furniture never in
vite mother with children to come to
see them if they can help it, because
they know that an otherwise laudable
woman becomes perfect vandai where
her children are concerned, and that
she will aid and abet them in running
your rugs and smashing your china,
and soaring up your precious chairs, if
it'll afford her infant terrors the slight
est amusement.
Consider Exhibit G.: The lack of con-
sideration for the sufferings of others
that mothers exhibit. Did you ever try
to tell good story or thrilling piece
of news to a young mother? just as
you reach the delicate point of your
joke she says, Look at the cute way
Teddy is using his hands. Or just as
you finish relating your epoch-making
bit of news about the declaration. of
war, or some great scientific discovery,
or telling her of book. or play, or
picture that has the white fire Of gem
ius in it.. she will say, Il believe Sallie