Page:The Mothers of England.djvu/14

Rh of her own actions; but now the consequences are strictly to another, and that other a being almost dearer than herself. Upon her parents, her relations, nay, even upon her husband, she may have secretly thrown the blame of many of her own faults and deficiencies; but there can be no blame thrown upon another here. The field is open before her, in which she has to act—the page is clear and vacant upon which she has to write. Whatever is written there in the capacity of a mother, is written on her own responsibility—whatever is done, is done for time, and for eternity.

There are cases occurring to all of us, perhaps, oftener than the day, in which we do not take the trouble to decide whether we are right or wrong, simply because we deem the occasion of too little consequence to merit any serious thought; or, at all events, even while we feel that we are a little wrong, we satisfy the claims of conscience by the plea that it is our custom, our habit, or a thing we must do, because we have always done it. But in the training of a child, this plea can never be allowed, if indeed it had been available before, because everything is of consequence then; and the sins of omission in that most trying process, tell as legibly upon the character under formation, as those which are more positive and direct.

From the duties of a mother there is then no escape; and hence it follows, that if ever, in the whole course of woman's life, she is called upon to think seriously, it is when she first becomes a parent. I can not but suppose, however, that English mothers will most of them have learned to think seriously long before this period, except, indeed, in those lamentable cases, where the husband has chosen a companion for life simply from the fancy of a moment—where the rose of a blooming cheek, the grace of a lovely form, or the sparkling pleasantry of an undisciplined spirit, have been presumed upon as guarantees for the happiness of a whole life.

Were I writing a book for the benefit of men instead of women, I might here enlarge upon the domestic calamities to which many have subjected themselves in consequence of making this kind of choice. I must confess that to me the spectacle of a silly mother, surrounded by a family of