Friday, October 14, 2005
Mothers & Sons
How befitting that my dear son picked me this sunflower out of our garden, and so it was at my table where this book, Mothers' Counsel To Their Sons, by Jennie C. Rutty, copyright 1899. also sat (awaiting another excerpt be copied, I know, I know)... But "What a picture!" I thought, and so it is...
And now, Pages 1 & 2.
One of the highest, noblest, and purest emotions of the natural heart is love, and this is most strongly expressed in the mother's devotion to her children. From their earliest existence they have received her care, her most tender and loving solicitude for their welfare, and the great wealth of human affection. Their well-being has employed her thoughts while passing through the greatest physical anguish, and no joy is so great as when she first looks into their faces and sees life, health, perfection of form, and infant beauty.
Their care is her delight as she sees them day by day unfolding their God-given powers; and while she dearly loves their infant ways, she is looking fervently to the perfection of manhood and womanhood for her darlings. She dreams of their nobleness of nature, of their moral strength to resist evil, and of their courage and physical strength to face life's battles and lovingly care for her in the declining days of life. She faithfully and uncomplainingly yields herself and all her interests for their good. Her self-denial is proverbial, and many are the instances where her love for them has been stronger than love of life and she has freely suffered death in protecting them from danger.
Her affection for her daughters manifests itself in loving solicitude and a shielding from all the hardships of life possible, with the desire to see them quietly anchored in some sweet haven of rest and security. Her love for her sons holds within it a respect for manhood that is beautiful to witness. As she looks into his baby face the words "My baby boy" spring up, and express the tenderness of love mingled with high aspirations and a consciousness that within him should be the possibilities of a greater and a stronger nature than her own.
As the years pass and he dons the dress of boyhood, her affectionate pride expresses itself in the words "My little man". Then as he enters manhood and his height and strength exceed hers, she says in tender respect, "My son"; but all through his youthful years her heart held for him that sacred name that should express more than relationship. All the good mothers give greater honor to the moral and intellectual development of their children than to the physical; and their hearts are made glad by every evidence of intellectual ability and moral integrity, as they know greater will be their influence for what is good and pure.
Previous Entry; To the Boys
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