El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-12-14

q lance that no nurse ever equals. per-
haps no mother. either Scarcely five
minutes can pass without soothing
some little ones tears. or bringing
peace to two others who have quar-
relied, or comforting another who has
| been left out OF a game
But there's an even greater fatigue
I in the pale. unsmiling faces OF the
little mothers" Yet they are not
on that account a bit less kind OF af-
/ fectionate or resourceful- One Won
I ders sometimes II IL is the pure spirit
OF motherhood that blossoms out in
these innocent girl-children, uncor-
rupted by the possessive element that
| is part Of an actual mothers maternal
feeling
More Than Mothers.
They are not playing the mother
part so perfectly from a sense OF duty
alone You can see that they care for
the younger children quite as a moth
3 er cares and that they guard them
with even more than a mothers par
tisanship and zeal And nothing
could be more touching than the
pride they display II one Of the little
4 brothers or sisters happens by some
: miracle 70 be healthy. or beautiful. or
. precocious-
Is woman really a better mother.
I in these practical ways. at Il than she
. is at 242
/ However this may be. It IS IN
doubleday true that one cannot be a
Z good mother at both ages And II a
sirl forfeits her youth and even part
I OF her childhood. and never learns to
play. and overtaxes her strength, and
: misses the chance to become strong
and healthy. all in the interest OF
children for whom she isn't response
Z bic, what is going to become Of her
own life and motherhood and OF the
children for whom she will some day
be responsible?
Sound Health n Duty.
This, OF course. IS the reason why
we ought TO weep over the spectacle Of
little mothers" instead Of compla-
Gently commenting that IL is sweet Of
I them TO help out at home. but that
They oughtn't to be brought into
the case at all Suppose this a hours a
day JOB OF child tending does develop
in them the virtues Of unselfishness?
| The danger is that they won't have
any self left at all: that they will
be drained Of all natural youthful i'm
pulses. and reduced. at IS, TO a mere
] exhausted. anaemic shred OF near
WOmanhOOd
An the helpless little brothers and
] sisters, whom IL is true that some
body is bound to care for. are first OF
all the parents charge But. when i'll
ness or overwork or poverty ineapaci-
/ tates the parents cor. better still. be-
fore this happens). then the eommu-
nifty should step in offering its day
nurseries and nursery schools and Wis
iting nurses. and all the devices Il
can think Of for keeping little chill
dren sound and safe and happy.
Communities Not Adequate.
] There aren't enough OF such insti-
tutions now t. accommodate all the
| little children Of large cities and
] towns. But those OF US who have
been too thoughtIessly pleased with
/ the little mothers" arrangement. and
who perhaps haven't already more
than we can do. might devote our
selves 10 the starting Of new nur-
series.
a mother whose husband is dead or
out OF work. or who has more chill
dren than can be fed by the fathers
wages unless she works also. oughtn't
to have TO cripple her oldest daughter
In order 10 keep the youngest ones
alive.
One child should have as good a
chance as another. And some day.
when there are plenty OF child well
4 fare stations. and day nurseries and
infant schools and Fairgrounds. per
haps every child can have a chance.