"Equally great are the ignorance and consequent injury, when we turn
from the physical to the moral training. Consider the young, untaught
mother and her nursery legislation. A short time ago she was at school,
where her memory was crammed with words and names and dates, and her
reflective faculties scarcely in the slightest degree exercised--where
not one idea was given her respecting the methods of dealing with the
opening mind of childhood, and where her discipline did not in the
least fit her for thinking out methods of her own. The intervening
years have been spent in practicing music, fancy work, novel-reading
and party-going, no thought having been given, to the grave
responsibilities of maternity, and scarcely any of that solid
intellectual culture obtained which would fit her for such
responsibilities; and now see her with an unfolding human character
committed to her charge, see her profoundly ignorant of the phenomena
with which she has to deal, undertaking to do that which can be done
but imperfectly even with the aid of the profoundest knowledge!"
In view of such considerations, every young lady ought to learn how
to take proper care of an infant; for, even if she is never to become
the responsible guardian of a nursery, she will often be in situations
where she can render benevolent aid to others, in this most fatiguing
and anxious duty.
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