128 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



DISCUSSION. 



* LED BY MRS. MAUD B. SHATTIICK, OAKLAND COUNTY. 



This subject of the -mother's greatest need is of great importauce to ns as a 

 nation, for it is a fact that mothers are the molders of national character. Woman 

 is the motlier of judges and legislation, and the educator of the ideal citizen. 

 From her they first learn to honor the tlag of their native land. If men are to be 

 good citizens she creates in their boyhood the elements out of which this character 

 is formed. With the good homes and true mothers the State is safe, for the most 

 orderly and conscientious citizens are those who have learned cheerful obedience 

 to authority at home. 



In thinlving of this theme I could hardly conceive of any one need of the mother 

 that could be greater than a host of others that came to my mind, but finally 

 concluded that if there was any one it must be ta&t, not in one th'ng alone, but in 

 all the elements that go to make up the characters of the lives placed in our 

 charge, for they must be built up on every side, th.at symmetry may appear in the 

 result. Tact is something that we may not have to begin with, but we have no 

 right to live without it. 



We may agitate this question of the mother's needs all we will in our meetings, 

 and it still remains for the mother to watch carefully all the traits that go to make 

 up the disposition of her child, and then to tactfully and prayerfully guide the little 

 one into a haven of safety. Too much attention cannot be given to the old adage, 

 "As the twig is bent the tree's inclined." You can mold a child's mind so as to 

 yearn for evil thoughts, or, on the other hand, to shrink from them; you can teach 

 him the habit of speech that demands by words and oaths, or a purer form. You 

 may lead him into paths of honesty, industry and generosity until the ways of 

 Aice, idleness and selfishness woujd be distasteful to him. But in these times of 

 great excitement and unrest, when so many snares are set for the feet of our girls 

 and boys, and even at our A'-eiy doors, we mothers must be indeed vigilant, constant 

 in season and out of season, yet withal very tactful. 



Take, for instance, the lesson of obedience, Avhich is one of the first lessons a 

 child needs to learn. AVhat adult has attained the highest mai'k unless he has 

 been obedient to the dictates of conscience, to the laws of God, to the laws of our be- 

 ing and to the laws of our country? We are aware that different dispositions need 

 different treatment. I have often lieard a mother of a large family say that what 

 she does by one child she dare not do by another, and that to obtain obedience from 

 one Avould not require any effort, while witli anotlier the greatest tact would need 

 to be exercised. 



Then again, if we Avould liave our children truthful in all things, great care 

 should be taken that through fear of punishment or any other cause we may indi- 

 rectly be the cause of their becoming untruthful and deceitful. If we would re- 

 tain their confidence, which is so dear to us and to them as well as helpful, we mnst 

 study well their nature that we do not drive them from us. I call to mind a fam- 

 ily of four children where the mother kept the confidence of three of them through 

 direct questions and a show of interest in whatever pertained to them, while this 

 very method had the opposite result on the fourth. 



Then when we think of the religious training, who can over-estimate the re- 

 sponsibility resting on the mother '.■' From the Book of books we learn "Children 

 are an heritage of the Lord," and again are we admonished to "Bring them up in 

 the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Thus are they acknowledged to be gifts 

 from God, and we as mothers must be responsible to Him for our wise and faith- 

 ful care of them. W^e must try to realize our possibilities and guard against being 

 satisfied with a low standard. 



The best that any parent ever accomplished in any instance is not too high an 

 ideal for the mother of today. By our gentleness and thoughtfulness, by our sym- 

 pathy and love, we have a natural control oA^er them which it is criminal for us 

 to neglect. We do not say that it is necessary that every mother should be lea'rned 

 or wise or highly cultured, although this is a great help, but to Avin our children for 

 Christ we must live Him, and then use tact tenderly and Avisely in dealing Avith 

 their spiritual nature. We may do many good things for our children. We may 

 teach them many things Avhich \A'ill adorn their life and character. We may impart 

 to them knowledge that Avill be of value to them in their life work; vet if we do 



