The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1921-11-23
New ype Of
Mother

MUllIEl
4 She was the new type OF
4 mother,la college graduate, very
much interested in science, wide
& awake every moment when she
q wasn't asleep, saved from over
conscientiousness by sense OF
I humor. AS her two children, a
boy Of IL and a girl Of nine, were
playing together out in the gar
B den, she said:
"Often when / look at those
kids I wonder if / really had a
I right to bring them into the
! world. 3
/ might have found the words
startling if / hadn't heard her
say even more startling things
ijbefore.
why not,?" I asked.
y "Oh, it seems such an awful
responsibility to start any one on
4 the long pilgrimage of life. And
/ without their being consulted in
Iany way. However, | console
! myself with the thought that I
twas following the urge of nature.
It happens to be fashionable
nowadays to speak of that urge
as if it justified almost any
thing
/ AS / glanced at the two chill
dren, obviously healthy and hap
/ py and well cared for, I said:
They're pretty fine specimens. !"
'Iknow. We've been very for
tunate. But how in the world
can / tell what's inside them in
the way of possibilities for the
| future? / suppose they've got
to take their chances like the
rest Of us. But there are NOM
ents when actually shiver when
/ think of the dangers that may
be ahead for them. When talk
about this matter with Billy he
| gets irritated. He likes to say
that life is an adventure and if
there were nothing but security
for us we'd all be flabby and use
less. Perhaps he's right. / try,
to make myself think so. But |
haven't convinced myself yet"
/ sWell, there they are. You
might as well make the best of
the situation"
That's a problem, too. How
| do | know that I'm not making
the worst Of the situation? My
| Aunt, Emily, who's old-fashion-
ed, used to tell me was perfect
lily dreadful to bring the children
up without any religion. 1t hap
pens that Billy and / are agnos-
tics. | thought it would be
wrong of us to teach the children
things we couldn't possibly be
lieve ourselves. But some months
ago / made the acquaintance of
Arthur Gardner, the writer on
scientific subjects, you know,
land he told me that when chill
dren were brought up without
any religion they were likely,
/ when they grew older, to get re-
Iligion and to get it bad. To have
what he called "a violent attack.
He advised me to send the chill
dren to a Sunday school and
bring them up to the generally
accepted Christian principles
My, what a wrench it was, start
ing them off,"
What happened?'
| Each of them took to the
teaching as a duck takes to-
water. | thought Tom would
be rebellious. But he wasn't.
Mabel, ] knew, would respond
like an angel. Now they say
their prayers to me every night.
feel quite exalted"
But doesn't the interest of
the children make them want
you to be just as religious as
they are?"
'Of course. The other night
Mabel insisted on my saying a.
| little PRAYER. So / nut nv hands
over my face and said, o God,
make me a good mother
Mabel pulled my hands down
and she said: Wait minute.
Now, God, don't you pay any at
tention to what mother says.
She's a lovely mother"
ut must have been very pleas
ant to get that recommends
ton"
T should have enjoyed it more