The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-10-27

when they stand before the Judgment
bar, ana are called upon to render an
account OF their stewardship OF their
children, and why, out of the fine ma
terial that was put into. their hands.
they turned out men and women who
were thieves, and gluetons, and para
sites and loafers.
The mothers VIII say that they
sinned through love. that their tender
ness was 80 great that II made them
weak, that they could not bear TO
make their children do anything they
thing that they wanted to 40, and 30
they fostered every evil impulse In
their offspring, and let them plunge
UNCHECKED down the road to ruin.
This IL most familiar type OF
mother 70 us all. A doctor was telling
mo about such a one the other day.
He said that she had desperately sick
child whose life depended upon its
conforming absolutely to the treatment
ne was Swing II. But the child re-
fused. TO take the medicine because II
was bitter. II fretted and cried con-
tinually because It had to be kept in
2 certain position. and the mother let
1t move at will.
but can't make Johnnie do any
thing he doesn't want to do" said the
mother mother. I've always loved him so
couldn't bear to cross him."
Then" said the doctor, you have
killed him, because ! can do nothing
FOR him. His life depends upon his
obedience, and you have never taught
him 70 obey" And the child died.
young girl OF my acquaintance
young man full Of talent and ambition,
and one who Is going far in the world.
HUI the girl had never been taught
sef-control, or to think OF anyone ex-
cept herself, and her mad extrava-
lAxV 80 -
fors the. admiration OF other men, soon
wrecked tho marriage, and brought her
into the divorce court.
II know Mary Is to blame" admitted
her mother, but she is my only child,
ana loved her no. that have let her
life. and she's never even Thought Of
DENYING herself anything she wanted. y
And the curious thing about these
mothers In that they account IL unto
themselves for righteousness that they
aye rd dheir children sn 80 much that they
them any self-control, instead Of real
izing that they are the greatest ain
ners' on earth, and are accessory to
nine-tenths OF the crimes and misery
In tho world.
For into the mothers hands are given
the plastic souls of her children. she
II IL who forms and fashions them,
ana turns them into the kind Of men
or women who bless or curse the world
There is no woman so dun that she
uoes not know this, and that before n
child Is 10 years old his mother had
practically settled his fate, and, know
Ing this. how any mother can love her
enid little enough not to az least try
70 safeguard Its future, is something
that passes all comprehension.
woman Knows, for ins. lnce, that
temper probably wrecks more lives
man any other one cause. II Is un-
Dridled temper that makes men siay
IN anger. II Is uncontrolled temper
that makes thousands upon thousands
of mon and women of ability failures
Ihey cannot get along with their fol-
low -worlmen, or they take offense and
onuck up their Jobs at the very moment
or success. II II temper that wrecks
homes, and sends tiscordant men ana
women 20 the divorce court.
iet instead OF conquering their chill
drons tempers, and teaching them
self-control. the great majority OF moth
ers humor them In their tantrums.
they haven't tho nerve to stand behind
the child and force 1t to fight its par
ticular devil and get tho best OF Ii.
And II a child Is indolent and lazy.
mother loves II too well to hold an iron
hand on Il, and force II 60 work until
i forms the unbreakable habit OF IN
dustry Yet mother knows where loaf
the seedy. shabby men and women who
were born too tired to work, and who
have drifted through the world sponginw
living on others. She knows in what
contempt they are held. and yet she
let's the maudlin emotion she calls
mother love" doom her own child TO
II had to work. when I was child,
80 determined my children should
never have anything to do but play"
II had very few indulgences whom
was child, 80 I made up my mind
that my children should have every
thing they want" II was made 60 obey
when ] was child. so I have never
subjected my children to any disclp.
line"
These are things that you hear women
continually say, and YOU wonder that
they have not intelligence enough TO
SEQ hat everything they are, they
were made by the very training they
got In their youth.