232 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



and in justice to the child, can they not have a wise, tender, truthful 

 answer? 



More girls go to ruin for the lack of proper knowledge of them- 

 selves and the laws that control them (which their mothers should lov- 

 ingly and truthfully communicate) than from any other cause. 



Mothers, something is wrong. I have had bright, sweet faced girla 

 come to me in confidence and ask me such questions as these: "What 

 am I? What did God design me for? Why, and how am I different to 

 my brotter?" I always tell them that they must ask their mothers of 

 these sacred things. ''I dare not even speak to my mother about these 

 things, and I do not believe she would tell me if I did." How I pity such 

 a girl. 



Voice: "What do you do? 



Mrs. Mayo : Do? Clasp her just as close to my heart as I can, and tell 

 her all I know about the strange, wonderful, mysterious body God has 

 given her; tell her she is a woman and the beautiful possibilities of her 

 life; tell her how to care for her wonderful body, how to keep it pure, 

 sweet and strong, ready for the Master's use. 



Mothers, if your daughter does not come to you and talk these impor- 

 tant matters over with you, your child is on dangerous ground and you 

 have placed her there. This is strong language, but I believe it. 



These questions are forcing themselves upon your children, and if you 

 do not answer them, some one else will. And the chances are that they 

 may receive their knowledge from impure sources, and in an improper 

 manner. An awful responsibility rests upon us as mothers. Let us not 

 dare to put it aside, scoff at it or shun it altogether. 



I know a bright boy ten years old. He came home from school one 

 •night all excitement. "Mother, I want to tell you something; T must 

 tell you." The mother took her boy into her lap, and there this little 

 lad told her vile, wicked things that some vicious boys had taught him at 

 school. The mother was almost overwhelmed. Two thoughts were 

 pressed upon her. While I have been sleeping the enemy has come in 

 and sown tares, and how shall I root them out and save my boy. Fer- 

 vently that mother prayed, and clasping close her boy she told him those 

 were black, vile thoughts and he must try and put them out of his mind, 

 never to think of them again. Then she told him about himself, that 

 God had made him to be a man, how anxious she was that he should be 

 a clean, pure, strong man. The boy did not comprehend the mother, so 

 she made it plainer and plainer until the boy did understand, when he 

 threw his arms around her neck, laid his cheek to hers, and in such an 

 earnest tone said, "Mother, mother, why did you not tell me this before?" 

 W^hat a reproof! 



Why is it that children are so frequently born a bundle of nerves, 

 peevishness, fretfulness and misery? Because the mothers so often are 

 ignorant of the laws that govern themselves and their unborn child. Dr. 

 Norris here will tell you this is true, and that mothers, pregnant with 

 their first children, almost go demented from lack of knowledge. The 

 greatest want of this nation today is pure, clean, strong men and women, 

 and we must rear them. 



In the general assembly I heard them talking about "breeding high 

 grades, pure stock; set up an ideal and breed to it." In the selection of 

 fruit trees, "Get the best ; it does not pay to raise anything else." 



