Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-02-02
Mother - BY Veola Allen
of Abba

The woman who merits the greatest
| fame is the woman who gives bril-.
| liant mind to the world. The mothers
Of the great men and women deserve
| just as much honor as the great men
and women themselves, and they will
receive it from the better understands
| ing of the coming days.
1t is the childish impressions that
count. 1t is the memory of whispered
prayers. Of bedtime stories. of old
ideals held unfalteringly before boys
gaze. 1t is the half-forgotten songs
and dim visions that make every warp
and wool of the soul. 1t is pennies
that mother teaches boy to save
and se]f-denial that she inculcates in
doing it that form the real foundation
of the fortune Of the millionaire 1t
| is the mother that loves, looks. and
| who gives her sons her love. learning,
who bestows the great scholars, the
writer's, and orators on the world. 1t
! is the mother that worships science
who turns up the eyes Of the child
upon her breast up to the wonder OF
| the stars. and who teaches the little
toddler at her side to- observe the
, marvel of beast and bird and flower
and all created things. In my moth
er's presence I became for time
transformed into another person. How
many of us have felt the truth of this
statement! Or how ashamed we feel
when we meet her eyes that we have
ever harbored an unholy thought or
dishonorable suggestion! 1t seems i'm
III 10 1r1,s hof
magic influence. What revengeful
plans. what thoughts of hatred and
jealousy have been scattered to the
four winds in the mothers presence.
Her children go out from communion
with her resolved to be better men
and nobler women, true citizens. When
we had the scarlet fever or diphtherfa
and not one would come near us, who
held the cup of cold water to fever
parched lips? Who bent over us day
and night and fought away with
almost supernatural strength the
greatest of all enemies - death? The
worlds greatest heroine - Mother!
Who is it that each Sunday dinner
time chose the neck of the chicken
that we might have the juicy wing or
breast or leg? Who Is it stays home
from the concert, the social, the play,
that we may go with others and not
be stinted for small change? Who is
it that sacrifices her love Of pretty
clothes, her desire for good things, her
longing for pleasure, that we may
have all these? Who is it? Mother!
The greatest heroine in the world Is
the mother. No one else makes such
sacrifices or endures anything like the
suffering THAI she uncomplainingly en-.
dures for her children. There Is no
one who does not value the mother.
and yet there is no one who
lis more generally neglected or
taken advantage Of. She must re.
main at home evenings and look after
the children when the others are hav.
ing a good time. Her cares never
cease. She is responsible for the
Homework, for the preparations of the
meals. She has the children's clothes
to make and mend. There is COM
pany to be entertained, darning to be
done in odd moments, snatched from
her busy days. And she is often up
working at night long after everyone
In the house Is asleep. No matter
how loving or thoughtful the father
may be, the heavier burdens. the
greater anxieties. the weightier res
possibilities of the home, of the chill
dren, usually fall on mother. Indeed,
the very virtues Of the good mother is
constant temptation to the other
members of the family, especially the
selfish ones, to take advantage or her.
They seem to take it for granted that
they can put all their burdens on the
patient. accomplishing mother, that
she will always do anything to help
ont and to enable the children to have
a good time and in many homes, sad
to say, the mother, Just because OF
her goodness, is shamefully imposed
upon and neglected.
ooh, mother won't mind. mother
will stay at home" How often we hear
thoughtless children say 1t. 1t is al
ways the poor mother on whom the
burden falls, and the pathetic thing is
that she rarely gets much credit or
praise. Many mothers in the poorer and
working classes practically sacrifice
all that most people hold dearest IN
life for their children. They deliber-
ately impair their health, wear them
selves OUT, lIldhe III soi 10 Va SnSA AiASSS
to send a worthless boy to college.
They take in washing. go out house
cleaning. do hardest and most mental
work in order to give their boys and
girls an education and the benefit or
priceless opportunities that they never
had. Yet how often they are re-
warded only with total indifference
and neglect Whatever else you are
obliged to neglect, take no chances of
giving your mother pain by neglect
ing her and thus making yourself
miserable in the future. The time may
come when you will stand by her bed
side in her last sickness, or by ner
coffin. and wish that you had eX-
changed a little Of your money for
more visits and more attentions and
more little presents to your mother.
when you will wish that you had cult
waited her more even at the cost OF
making a little less money. There Is
no one else in this world who can
take your mothers place in life And
there is no remorse like that which