The American Mother in Detroit

Description:

Cover page with a 12-page letter handwritten in black ink on slightly yellowed paper by Mrs. John Vallée Moran (née Emma Etheridge). The text of the letter has been transcribed as follows: "To Hon. Wm. C. Maybury Mayor of Detroit. A few reflections on the American Mother in Detroit. Compliments Mrs. John Vallée Moran née (Emma Etheridge) 1 The American Mother in Detroit. The divinely instituted order of Motherhood, into which so many of us have been initiated, imposes upon its members an obligation so serious, and withal so sweet, that one hesitates to enter upon a discussion of its real status, and influence, upon the social fabric of our city, at the close of this wondrous century, realizing as one must, that upon the mothers of our day rests 2 the destiny of many in the years to come. The pen of an angel or a sage might be worthily employed to predict from present conditions how far maternal influence is to determine the fate of millions, in the mysterious gloom of futurity; a power of prophecy to tell what will be the effect of our present mothers upon the children of the new year. The honorable Mayor has asked for a brief expression of opinion on the "American Mother in Detroit" as she stands 3 today; the task is interesting, but not easy, especially in the limited hours allowed to a subject so far reaching, reaching indeed to eternity and which deserves profound reflection; to group facts and properly draw conclusions is impossible, but even in these last quivering moments of the closing year, a few distinct impressions may be noted, and they need not go very deeply into detail. In the first place, our Detroit mother may be declared a very fair product of her age 4 - an age however that has done more for the development of woman - per se - than for woman as mother; and the closing century finds her along with her sisters of the United States, a center of influence - social, intellectual, patriotic, philanthropic - if not strictly spiritual (the latter quality cannot always be denied her however, for we discover in our midst matrons who are examples of deep religious fervor that cannot fail to influence the child's mind.) The theatre of action for this modern nineteenth century mother is 5 not confined to the limits of home, she is recognized in the great world of activity and denied entrance to very few of its fields of advancement, where she plunges with intense zeal into the current of affairs, and readily becomes a devoted follower of the various cults - fads - and philosophies that distract our minds and destroy the serenity of existence. But in spite of these seeming inconsistencies, this same American mother carries in her heart a warm strain of devotion to 6 her children, ambitious earnestness in their behalf, and a fervid desire for their advancement, that taken all in all , has not been surpassed by the mothers of any age, even unequaled in many respects. If she be somewhat lacking in feminine virtues or the full measure of gentle composure, so needed to make her a perfect receptacle of childish confidence, she atones for it in the enthusiasm and tireless energy with which she assumes control in all that pertains to the health, comfort or mental development of her children, making herself their guide and directress from the cradle and kindergarten to the threshold 7 of social, business or professional life; and even further, she may follow as counsellor, and assistant in occupations which were closed to her in the early days of the century. Our fin de siecle mother does not cling to the traditions of those early days, but following the strong bent of her own convictions, is more frequently intense and earnest, than concentrated and composed - surprising the world by the multitude of her interests - she stops at nothing that to her seems worthy of human endeavor, and living as it were upon her nerves, finally exhausts them in the activity of her aims. 8 Stopping at nothing, she finally and naturally wearies of everything. It must follow that the care of a household - and the rearing of children to this product of a trying age, while nearest to her heart, and uppermost in her mind, must often become a burthen to the mother where interests cover so wide an area - and the boasted liberty of our great century [country?] - the liberty that has struck fetters from slaves in every land - unbound the realms of human thought and professed to emancipate woman and place her on an equal footing with man, 9 has really made of her a slave to its conflicting theories. Until our women have checked this tendency to substitute new for old methods, they have not learned the best lessons of the century. Reviewing the past we find that it is the domestic woman, the serene and motherly whose image we love to resemble because we loved her, and the enlightenment that deprives this sweet concentration of gentle forbearance, self control and pines to guide without egotism or excitement of a single 10 element of feminine charm, [?] us of the mother we need, and the nineteenth century must be responsible for some falling off in these qualities. Family life today is certainly less limited than in the old old times, where our fathers watched the yule log play its wondrous light upon the loving group that gathered round the warm hearthstone. But human hearts are all aglow with quickening love and sympathy and in this hurried greeting to the mothers of a new century, there goes a hope that its close may 11 find them as proud and happy in the kingdom of home as we are today - for whatever complex questions arise to vex the maternal mind, our "American Mother" sits enthroned upon a pedestal that is upheld by the loyalty and devotion of millions of sons - husbands - fathers, and her generation will bring her forth victorious from every trying ordeal of a brilliant and bewildering age - May God be with her in her mission and lead her gloriously through the 12 battles and scars and triumphs of the centuries! This is the wish of her sisters who send this greeting and benediction to her in the dying moments of a mighty age; this great nineteenth century that at this moment breathes its dying sigh and fades into eternity! Emma Etheridge Moran Detroit, Michigan December 31st 1900 Midnight."

Date Issued:

1900-01-01T00:00:00Z

Data Provider:

Detroit Historical Society

Collection:

Detroit Anniversaries

Subject Topic:

1901 Time Capsule and Motherhood

Subject Name:

Etheridge, Emma and Etheridge, Emma

Rights:

No Copyright - United States

URL:

http://detroithistorical.pastperfectonline.com/archive/4C19E419-B316-4322-A846-754119154808