The Ten Commandments of Womanhood

Description:

Poster, printed in black text on white paper and mounted on linen, titled "The Ten Commandments of Womanhood." Prepared by the President of the Connecticut Congress of Mothers and issued by the Connecticut State Council of Defense in 1918. The text of the poster is as follows: "Thou Shalt Not Waste Time, for idleness is shame and sloth a mockery; and lo! the day cometh when they men shall be called from the harvest and their workshops stand empty and silent. Thou Shalt Not Waste Substance, for once, thrice and ten times shall thy country call upon thine household for gold, and woe betide the land if at the last thy purses be found bare. Thou Shalt Not Waste Bread, for every fragment that falls idly from thy board is withheld from the mouths of thine allies' children, and the kits of thy sons and brothers in the trenches. Thou Shalt Not Bedeck Thyself Lavishly, for the silk upon thy back and the jewel upon thy breast are symbols of dishonor in the hour of Earth's agony and thy nation's peril. Thou Shalt Not Be Vain and Self-Seeking, for the froward and jealous heart judgeth itself in the sight of the Lord; and in the time of world travail who shall say to her sister, 'I did it and thou didst it not.' Hearten Thy Men and Weep Not, for a strong woman begetteth a strong man, and the blasts of adversity blow hard and swift across the world. Bind Up the Wounds of Thy Men and Soften Their Pain, for thy presence by the light of their campfires is sweet and grateful, and the touch of thy hand deft in the hour of need. Keep Thou the Faith of Thy Mothers, for in the years of thy country's sacrifice for Independence and Union they served valiantly and quailed not. Keep Thou the Family Fruitful and Holy, for upon it the Lord shall rebuild His broken peoples. Serve Thou the Lord Thy God with Diligence, for His houses of worship shall not be empty nor His altars unvisited, in the years of His mighty chastening."

Date Issued:

1918-01-01T00:00:00Z

Data Provider:

Detroit Historical Society

Collection:

Military

Subject Topic:

Connecticut, World War I, and World War I Posters

Rights:

No Copyright - United States

URL:

http://detroithistorical.pastperfectonline.com/archive/8DFFCCC5-000D-41FA-B9BE-204508227820