The Mother and Her ChildSadler, William S. (William Samuel)
Science
The Mother and Her Child
Sadler, William S. (William Samuel)
Child care; Infants -- Care; Infants -- Health and hygiene; Pregnancy
Anyone of my readers need not look four blocks from her home to find a
mother who is run down at the heel, whose dresses are calico, whose
hat is five or six years old, whose black silk dress (the only one she
ever had) is worn shiny or threadbare, who works and saves every penny
that she can that her children may look well; and, even when the
husband does invite her to go out with him, he will often be
confronted with this remark: "John, I would like to go, but really my
clothes are a little bit shabby." The world is just full of such
women, with their very hearts being eaten out of them for the want of
a beautiful gown, a beautiful hat or a pretty pair of evening shoes,
and they might have them every one if they would be willing to allow
the duties of the household to be presided over by a woman that cannot
do the things the mother can do, while she goes out and accrues a
number of dollars each week which will more than provide for the
things that her soul desires so that she may go well dressed by the
side of her husband in quest of that very necessary intellectual
culture and social diversion.
The wife of a prominent judge, in my office just this week, said to me
that she believed that most of our social and domestic uneasiness was
due to the fact that fathers and mothers and children went out
together so seldom. The father goes to his club, the children go to
their little gatherings, and mother usually stays at home; although of
late, she is beginning to realize the value of the women's clubs.
QUALIFICATIONS OF THE GOVERNESS
The caretaker should not be too old. It is a very great blessing if
there is an older sister in the family who can come in and assist with
this work, or if there is an aunt. If one is to be selected from the
open market, then we suggest a woman in her late teens or early
twenties whose heart is full of play, whose face is sunny, and who is
young enough to appreciate and like the becomingness of youthful
dress. It is needless to say she should be free from tuberculosis and
other diseases. She should be trustworthy enough not to administer
soothing syrups because the children won't sleep, or to give candy
when mother has forbidden her, or to teach the children bad habits of
any sort.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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