Year: 1878

As they dreamed Of Angels Spelling Bee and thought


Bret Harte il, November Scribner.
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The Girl With No Mother


[From the Philadelphia Times,]


The song asks ''Whst is home without a


mother? ?" and leaves the question for the


singer to answer. And answer may be made


either in poetic measures or in the most


homely prose, to the effect that q motherless


home is melancholy place. and that when a


loved and worthy mother is called away the


household is deficient in that which gives it


its chief excellence and attractiveness. 1t is
especially in the case of growing daughters
that the lack of mother is felt. The daugh-
ter who grows into womanhood without the
kind and capable training which can be be-
slowed only by mother, grows up at great
disadvantage both to herself and to those
with whom she may in after life be assOcia-
| ted.


But there are daughters who cannot exactly
be said to be motherless, who are to all in
tents and purposes without mothers. A doll
of thing goes into society, or otherwise at
tracts the notice and wins the affections of
young man looking for wife. She knows
just enough to get married on, which is ex-





| conversation to keep courtship from being q
drag, she appears to him the concentrated
| embodiment of. all that is lovely. With
enough knowledge of housekeeping to select
a tasteful pattern in carpets and the most
novel designs in furniture, she becomes the
light and JOY of the new home, for the practi-
| cal duties OF which she is entirely unframed.
In the course OF events she becomes mother.
There is no relation on earth more sacred
than that which exists between mother and
daughter, nor is any tie more full of the
hOliest affections. But maternity has no
power to confer skill and training on the un-
skilled and incompetent. The little one is q
pet, and time, which changes all things,
changes her in the course of years into wo-
man and possible wife. Her training or
lack of training is much the same as that of
her mother and the consequence is fully
developed woman-developed, at least, as
regards the possibilities of the management
OF affairs, but undeveloped in regard to any
practical ability for meeting her responsible
ties In her turn she will capture the affec-
tiOns of somebody, and the race of the un-
trained and the unskilled will be indefinitely
perpetuated.


The "girl with no mother" lacks one of the
most healthy stimulants to self-improvement
1t is not natural that daughter should of
herself aim at making greater attainments
either in mental culture or in fitting herself
for the home duties of life than the mother
to whom she looks with afectionate rever-
ence. If the mother rlanguidly dawdled through
snowy boarding school, picking up little
of the sham which was by courtesy called
education, it is not to be expected that her
child will become profound scholar. If
her handiwork were imperfect and she
thought it answered the purpose just as well
as if it were of better quality, it would be
unwise to seek in the daughter an expert arti-
san. If the mothers housekeeping is sue
cession of blunders and exhibitions of incom-
potency, it would be both unnatural and un-
reasonable to demand Of the growing girl
that without additional training from some
outside quarter, she should become an &C.
complished housewife. And yet she is salts
fled with things as they are. If she come
short in anything it is enough for her to re-
fer to her highest of all earthly authorities |
and say that what mother did and does 1t !
right As long as she looks on mothers as |
perfect she will seek no higher attainments.
She may have ever so good father, but |
there are thousands, of things that no father
iciences which, with his best endeavors, he
Is powerless to make good.


But there is hope even for girl whose
mother is no help in leading her on. 1t lies
largely with her outside associations. 1t is
essential that she first see her own deficiencies
and her need of growth in directions toward
which she has been dwarfed. Then, if her
associations are otherwise than the best it is
bod business for her. If they are helpless,
Dr. rattle-brained, or incompetent, or lacking
IN ambition, they will drag her down till she
has no ambition whatever to try to do better.
But if they are CHEEKY and helpful people,
Who turn to advantage every opportunity for
improving mind, body and estate, who know
what in life is worth Lying for and what is
of time and attention, the girl who
has received nothing from her mother may
eceive at the hands of strangers all the cul-
ure which viii make her into q truly magnif-
ent woman.
'sYou's pooty, but you's got no brains"
vas the sad remark of a disappointed little
maiden to her fair-haired wsxen doll baby. |
lay none of our daughters be open to the
riticism that, however good looking they be,
hey are untitled for the work which the {
World has right to expect of them.
"Why does lightning 90 rarely strike twice
d the same placer" Professor Workman
sked the new boy In the class of natural
philosophy. ssHuh, said the new boy, 1t I
ever needs TO-" And 1t is little singular
nat nobody had ever thought Of that reason
efore.