The Washington herald., 1915-10-10

Nearly always where such conditions prevail
the reason may be traced to the attitude OF par
ents. The love that drew those parents together
may either have ceased to express itslf or may
have disappeared.
! There are comparatively few families where
parents maintain the affectonate and respectful
relations essential to concord and peace. As a
result vast numbers OF children brought up in
an atmosphere of disusion, OF WEAKNESS and re-
sentiment 1t has far influence on their
character, than all those prenatal influences we
hear much about.
The verv parents that do the most wondering
about the why their children are not bet
ter children fail to see how active they have them
selves been in spreading corruption.
Several wears ago one of the best | have
ever met was severely censured account Of his
treatment OF his wife and family. His wife brought
suit for divorce til. ground that he had aban-
doned her and their three children. He let it go
! by default and in reply to the charges he said
nothing. But few W no were close to him under
stood and sympathzed with his attitude OF mind.
He and his wife were always arguing and quar-
reline He was determined that his children should
| not be brought up in such atmosphere. He
knew that the effect would be degrading them
as we'll as on his wife and himself. He pre-
ferred to provide them with comfortable income
and to let them live apart
| The law is very stern in its determination to
protect the home 1t lays great stress the infu-
encc of home life in the shaping OF character and
it recognizes the mother as the chief figure there
If the mother is not what is called "a good
an it will. in many instances, refuse to lot her
make home for the children Ruthlessy it will
separate the children from the mother.
nd we all know that women W. ho lead i'm
moral lives be good mothers. Some OF the
qualities that betray them into immortality may
in themselves be good. Generous sympathes
often lead to disaster. Besides, knowledge and
experience OF evil often become safeguards
Furthermore, women who highly moral
may nevertheless be very poor homemakcrs. The
maintaining OF happy home requires qualities
much more positive and active than resistance to
this kind OF temptation.
! There are mutitudes Of perfectly proper wom-
en- who arc baeful influences in the home lifc
who create all about them atmosphere of dis
cord. "If my mother weren't quite so good"
once heard friend whimsically remark, she
would be good deal better
| At the time l suspected that he was referring
to habit OF his mothers. we'll known among the
ncighbors of indulging in censorious and mali
cious gossip expression of that high morality
so Val1antly nalnta1ncQ IN many hOneS and so
damaging to real appreciation Of goodness.
! The evils that go on in home life, however
are only diseases that emphasize the beauty of
iwholesomeness Where wholesome conditions
prevail there is no institution in the world that
can compare with home.
The trouble is that most people don't care
enough to realize how the happiness of group is
related to the subordination Of self and to consd-
Grafton Of others
Then, too, much of the misery in home life
comes from motives that are either good in them
selves OF that disguise themselves as good.
, Just now, it must be admitted. the home is
coming under arraignment. There arc even those
bold enough to question the right of parents to
bring up their own children. The truth is we are
getting away from some of our long-established