The Washington times., 1916-07-03
Mistake of a
Mother
By SOPHIA IRENE LOEB.
or AM going to teach you les
son.. II you will not make your

fLV AM going to teach you O les.
son. II you will not make your
girl 50 to school I will. an
going to send you both to jail
and you will stay there until your
daughter agrees to 60 to school regular.
~"
These are the words used by The
recorder at Bayonne. N, j., when hi
committed a mother and daughter &c
prison.
1t seems the woman had been fined
previously for keeping her daughte
from school Doubtless this mother
now In custody. thinks she is very
much abused" She Is probably In
dignant at the superior right of the
community over her daughter, with lit
tie appreciation as to the value of this
Jurisdiction.
Verify. It has often been written that
the Sins OF the fathers have been
visited unto the children, yea, even unto
the third and fourth generation. and
mothers, too. one of these sins is
laxity In procuring every opportunity
for the education OF her daughter.
Causes Suffering Later.
How many girls have suffered later
In life because Of the seeming indiffer-
ence of the mother In the matter OF
learning can never be estimated.
The mother In this case evidently
thought she was splitting" the school
authorities when after she was fined
she persistently kept the girl from
school.
Wise compulsory education law-fooi-
ish motheri Evidently she does not
value the principle Of preparedness
preparedness for business, for marriage,
for life itself.
Many a mother, I regret to say, like
this one, presumes to be the Judge as
to the limit Of learning for her child.
Such q one Ii truly responsible for
the inefficiency. dependence and absence
OF self-reliance that later characterize
her OFFSPRING. On the other hand. there
are hundreds Of worthy women who
Will sacrifice everything In order that
their girls may have every advantage
In the best schools.
know a mother Of four children
who not only fostered her family, but
business and took care Of her family
that way.
Each Of these children had a good
education. Two OF them. boy and
girl. went to college, graduated with
credit and were able TO care for them
the two boys went into business in the
Far West
This mother, who had made their
welfare possible, found herself alone
But she did not remain so long. She
took three little children Of friend
who was an invalid. mothered them
and reared them as she had her own,
giving them every Advantage Of educa-
ton.
Self Support Made Possible.
They have now a foundation for self
support and the woman 10 happy that
she hds done double duty. In direct
contrast to this 10 the mother who takes
her girl away from school too early
on the theory that she has had enough
Of books and can BIO Of help at home. !"
Some of, these women mays be justi-
fed when the family 10 very large, but
1t 10 a GREAT SACRIFICE 20. fask Of
the young woman. who loses thereby.
1t Is the wise mother who Will
stretch every point that the school going
period Of her daughter be not broken
that every effort ID made for HER
CHANCE to cultivate and develop body
and brain.
Many a mother who reasons that her
learning was good enough for her for
gets that the demands for preparation
are greater NOW than in her school
going days. Competition Is keener, Ac-
curate knowledge Is in demand.
Youth Is the time for this preparation
and II is fleeing.
DOWNRIGHT lel6l