Just as surely as the child in prenatal life drew his nourishment mental, moral, and physical, from the mother, so surely in postnatal life will he look to her for example, for strength, for encouragement in all virtues, for warning against pitfalls, for direction in all knowledge, for comfort in sorrow, for real heart’s-ease, for cheer and inspiration in the race of life. God pity and forgive the mother, who has no storehouse from which her children can draw their supplies of comfort and courage and rest. I like to think of the wonderful Shepherd Psalm as a prototype of what God designs the parents to be to their children. Remember the ancient shepherd _led_ his sheep; so should the mother, in obedience to God and her higher nature, in loveliness, in patience, in hope, in cheerfulness, in sweet charity, lead her little ones in the “Paths of righteousness.” CHAPTER XX. COMMON AILMENTS OF CHILDREN. Little Ailments.—Nursing Babies Affected by Condition of Mother.—Sleep and Health.—The Baby’s Food.—Why Babies are Restless when Nursed from the Right Breast.—Children’s Symptoms often More Grave than the Ailment.—Illustrations.—Fevers and Teething.—Vomiting.—The Cause of Rash.—Pallid Children.—Chafing.—Babies do not Cry without Cause.—Need of Water and Fresh Air.—Sleeping in open Air.—Relief in Constipation.—Important Suggestions. I speak of ailments of children not diseases, since this is in no sense a “Doctor Book.” In the common ailments every mother should be so well informed that she may not distress herself at a trifling indisposition, neither show no concern when marked symptoms of disease are present. There are many ailments to which the most healthy child is susceptible, and for which no alarm need be felt, as they are trifling and usually last but a few hours. In nursing babies, the child is very apt to be affected by the condition of the mother. If the mother is quiet, well balanced, free from worry, not subject to fits of anger, does not overdo, does not eat stimulating food, keeps early hours; in short is quiet, self-contained and healthful, the probability is that her children will be well, easily managed children. On the other hand, if she be easily disturbed, unbalanced, constantly going beyond her strength, eating forbidden things, keeping late hours, and thus using or rather wasting her energies, she has not the vital force to give to her children, and they suffer proportionately. Here again is exemplified the truth that what the mother is that will her child be.