Memory’s Dissimilar Pictures of Birth-Chamber Scenes.—Newborn Souls Welcomed to Mother’s Arms and Love.—The Rebellious Mother with Empty Heart and Unwilling Arms.—The Older Children Reflect the Spirit of the Mother toward the Newcomer.—Illustrations of Conduct of Intelligent Children toward Mother at Birth Period.—How to Calculate Date of Confinement.—Birth Chamber no Terror for Those who Live Hygienically.—Anæsthetics.—Their Use Explained.—Allaying Anxiety.—Earliest Premonitions.—Preparation.—The Three Stages of Labor.—Tying the Cord.—The Rest and Joy that Complete and Crown Labor. Some of the darkest, and some of the brightest pictures of life, hung on the walls of memory, have been painted for me in the birth chamber. Bright when the little newborn soul is welcomed to a mother’s arms and love; love that is months long and deep. Dark when there has been a bitter rebellion that she must be a mother at all, and the little one comes into an empty heart and unwilling arms. Another class of pictures comes to me; of the children trained by these mothers. The one class, children who are angry and rebellious that more little ones must come into the home, prepared to greet them with a hateful welcome, and looking upon their parents with a jealous distrust, thinking they must be in some way responsible for this unhappy state of affairs. Is it not true that such children are but the echo of their parents’ hearts? The other class of children, looking with love for the advent of the new brother or sister, cherishing it more and more every day, and giving their parents loving confidence. Two of the bright pictures come to my mind. A little daughter who had been wisely taught where babies are first cradled, became in her seventh year a little woman in comfort and care-taking consideration of the dear mamma. “What can I do to help you, mamma, dear? and if you should be taken sick all alone here, you would call me and let me help you, wouldn’t you, mamma?” were questions often heard, and they sank freighted with comforting love, into the mother’s heart. This same daughter is now budding into womanhood and prepared to meet all its responsibilities and temptations, and yet withal, modest and winning in her girlish, wise womanliness.