Page:Vindication Women's Rights (Wollstonecraft).djvu/271

Rh thee Rebekah's, and for the ake of their own children they violate the mot acred duties, forgetting the common relationhip that binds the whole family on earth together. Yet, reaon eems to ay, that they who uffer one duty, or affection, to wallow up the ret, have not ufficient heart or mind to fulfil that one concientiouly. It then loes the venerable apect of a duty, and aumes the fantatic form of a whim.

As the care of children in their infancy is one of the grand duties annexed to the female character by nature, this duty would afford many forcible arguments for trengthening the female undertanding, if it were properly conidered.

The formation of the mind mut be begun very early, and the temper, in particular, requires the mot judicious attention—an attention which women cannot pay who only love their children becaue they are their children, and eek no further for the foundation of their duty, than in the feelings of the moment. It is this want of reaon in their affections which makes women o often run into extremes, and either be the mot fond or mot careles and unnatural mothers.

To be a good mother—a woman mut have ene, and that independence of mind which few women poes who are taught to depend entirely on their hubands. Meek wives are, in general, foolih mothers; wanting their children to love them bet, and take their part, in ecret, againt the father, who is held up as a carecrow. If they are to be punihed, though they have offended the mother, the father mut inflict the punihment; he mut be the judge in all diputes: but I&ensp;