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science　of　life　out　of　the　treasures　of　her　abundant　experience。　（12）

After　a　lengthened　interview　with　her；　an　enthusiastic　traveller

said；　〃Now　do　I　understand　how　Goethe　has　become　the　man　he　is。〃

Goethe　himself　affectionately　cherished　her　memory。　　〃She　was

worthy　of　life！〃　he　once　said　of　her；　and　when　he　visited

Frankfort；　he　sought　out　every　individual　who　had　been　kind　to　his

mother；　and　thanked　them　all。



It　was　Ary　Scheffer's　motherwhose　beautiful　features　the

painter　so　loved　to　reproduce　in　his　pictures　of　Beatrice；　St。

Monica；　and　others　of　his　worksthat　encouraged　his　study　of

art；　and　by　great　self…denial　provided　him　with　the　means　of

pursuing　it。　　While　living　at　Dordrecht；　in　Holland；　she　first

sent　him　to　Lille　to　study；　and　afterwards　to　Paris；　and　her

letters　to　him；　while　absent；　were　always　full　of　sound　motherly

advice；　and　affectionate　womanly　sympathy。　　〃If　you　could　but　see

me；〃　she　wrote　on　one　occasion；　〃kissing　your　picture；　then；　after

a　while；　taking　it　up　again；　and；　with　a　tear　in　my　eye；　calling

you　'my　beloved　son；'　you　would　comprehend　what　it　costs　me　to　use

sometimes　the　stern　language　of　authority；　and　to　occasion　to　you

moments　of　pain。　　*　*　*　Work　diligentlybe；　above　all；　modest

and　humble；　and　when　you　find　yourself　excelling　others；　then

compare　what　you　have　done　with　Nature　itself；　or　with　the　'ideal'

of　your　own　mind；　and　you　will　be　secured；　by　the　contrast　which

will　be　apparent；　against　the　effects　of　pride　and　presumption。〃



Long　years　after；　when　Ary　Scheffer　was　himself　a　grandfather；　he

remembered　with　affection　the　advice　of　his　mother；　and　repeated

it　to　his　children。　　And　thus　the　vital　power　of　good　example

lives　on　from　generation　to　generation；　keeping　the　world　ever

fresh　and　young。　　Writing　to　his　daughter；　Madame　Marjolin；　in

1846；　his　departed　mother's　advice　recurred　to　him；　and　he　said：

〃The　word　MUSTfix　it　well　in　your　memory；　dear　child；　your

grandmother　seldom　had　it　out　of　hers。　　The　truth　is；　that　through

our　lives　nothing　brings　any　good　fruit　except　what　is　earned　by

either　the　work　of　the　hands；　or　by　the　exertion　of　one's　self…

denial。　　Sacrifices　must；　in　short；　be　ever　going　on　if　we　would

obtain　any　comfort　or　happiness。　　Now　that　I　am　no　longer　young；　I

declare　that　few　passages　in　my　life　afford　me　so　much

satisfaction　as　those　in　which　I　made　sacrifices；　or　denied　myself

enjoyments。　　'Das　Entsagen'　（the　forbidden）　is　the　motto　of　the

wise　man。　　Self…denial　is　the　quality　of　which　Jesus　Christ

set　us　the　example。〃　（13）



The　French　historian　Michelet　makes　the　following　touching

reference　to　his　mother　in　the　Preface　to　one　of　his　most　popular

books；　the　subject　of　much　embittered　controversy　at　the　time　at

which　it　appeared：…　〃Whilst　writing　all　this；　I　have　had　in　my

mind　a　woman；　whose　strong　and　serious　mind　would　not　have　failed

to　support　me　in　these　contentions。　　I　lost　her　thirty　years　ago

（I　was　a　child　then）nevertheless；　ever　living　in　my　memory；　she

follows　me　from　age　to　age。



〃She　suffered　with　me　in　my　poverty；　and　was　not　allowed　to　share

my　better　fortune。　　When　young；　I　made　her　sad；　and　now　I　cannot

console　her。　　I　know　not　even　where　her　bones　are：　I　was　too　poor

then　to　buy　earth　to　bury　her！〃



〃And　yet　I　owe　her　much。　　I　feel　deeply　that　I　am　the　son　of

woman。　　Every　instant；　in　my　ideas　and　words　（not　to　mention

my　features　and　gestures）；　I　find　again　my　mother　in　myself。

It　is　my　mother's　blood　which　gives　me　the　sympathy　I　feel

for　bygone　ages；　and　the　tender　remembrance　of　all　those

who　are　now　no　more。〃



〃What　return　then　could　I；　who　am　myself　advancing　towards

old　age；　make　her　for　the　many　things　I　owe　her？　One；　for

which　she　would　have　thanked　methis　protest　in　favour

of　women　and　mothers。〃　（14）



But　while　a　mother　may　greatly　influence　the　poetic　or　artistic

mind　of　her　son　for　good；　she　may　also　influence　it　for　evil。

Thus　the　characteristics　of　Lord　Byronthe　waywardness　of　his

impulses；　his　defiance　of　restraint；　the　bitterness　of　his　hate；

and　the　precipitancy　of　his　resentmentswere　traceable　in　no

small　degree　to　the　adverse　influences　exercised　upon　his　mind

from　his　birth　by　his　capricious；　violent；　and　headstrong　mother。

She　even　taunted　her　son　with　his　personal　deformity；　and　it　was

no　unfrequent　occurrence；　in　the　violent　quarrels　which　occurred

between　them；　for　her　to　take　up　the　poker　or　tongs；　and　hurl　them

after　him　as　he　fled　from　her　presence。　（15）　It　was　this　unnatural

treatment　that　gave　a　morbid　turn　to　Byron's　after…life；　and；

careworn；　unhappy；　great；　and　yet　weak　as　he　was；　he　carried　about

with　him　the　mother's　poison　which　he　had　sucked　in　his　infancy。

Hence　he　exclaims；　in　his　'Childe　Harold'：…



　　　　　　〃Yet　must　I　think　less　wildly：…　I　have　thought

　　　　　　　　Too　long　and　darkly；　till　my　brain　became；

　　　　　　In　its　own　eddy　boiling　and　o'erwrought；

　　　　　　　　A　whirling　gulf　of　phantasy　and　flame：

　　　　　　And　thus；　UNTAUGHT　IN　YOUTH　MY　HEART　TO　TAME；

　　　　　　　　MY　SPRINGS　OF　LIFE　WERE　POISONED。〃



In　like　manner；　though　in　a　different　way；　the　character　of　Mrs。

Foote；　the　actor's　mother；　was　curiously　repeated　in　the　life　of

her　joyous；　jovial…hearted　son。　　Though　she　had　been　heiress　to　a

large　fortune；　she　soon　spent　it　all；　and　was　at　length　imprisoned

for　debt。　　In　this　condition　she　wrote　to　Sam；　who　had　been

allowing　her　a　hundred　a　year　out　of　the　proceeds　of　his　acting：…

〃Dear　Sam；　I　am　in　prison　for　debt；　come　and　assist　your　loving

mother；　E。　Foote。〃　　To　which　her　son　characteristically　replied

〃Dear　mother；　so　am　I；　which　prevents　his　duty　being　paid　to　his

loving　mother　by　her　affectionate　son；　Sam　Foote。〃



A　foolish　mother　may　also　spoil　a　gifted　son；　by　imbuing　his　mind

with　unsound　sentiments。　　Thus　Lamartine's　mother　is　said　to　have

trained　him　in　altogether　erroneous　ideas　of　life；　in　the　school

of　Rousseau　and　Bernardin　de　St。…Pierre；　by　which　his

sentimentalism；　sufficiently　strong　by　nature；　was　exaggerated

instead　of　repressed：　（16）　and　he　became　the　victim　of　tears；

affectation；　and　improvidence；　all　his　life　long。　　It　almost

savours　of　the　ridiculous　to　find　Lamartine；　in　his　'Confidences；'

representing　himself　as　a　〃statue　of　Adolescence　raised　as　a　model

for　young　men。〃　　（17）　　As　he　was　his　mother's　spoilt　child；　so　he

was　the　spoilt　child　of　his　country　to　the　end；　which　was　bitter

and　sad。　　Sainte…Beuve　says　of　him：　〃He　was　the　continual　object

of　the　richest　gifts；　which　he　had　not　the　power　of　managing；

scattering　and　wasting　themall；　excepting；　the　gift　of　words；

which　seemed　inexhaustible；　and　on　which　he　continued　to　play　to

the　end　as　on　an　enchanted　flute。〃　（18）



We　have　spoken　of　the　mother　of　Washington　as　an　excellent　woman

of　business；　and　to　possess　such　a　quality　as　capacity　for

business　is　not　only　compatible　with　true　womanliness；　but　is　in　a

measure　essential　to　the　comfort　and　wellbeing　of　every　properly…

governed　family。　　Habits　of　business　do　not　relate　to　trade

merely；　but　apply　to　all　the　practical　affairs　of　lifeto

everything　that　has　to　be　arranged；　to　be　organised；　to　be

provided　for；　to　be　done。　　And　in　all　these　respects　the

management　of　a　family；　and　of　a　household；　is　as　much　a　matter　of

business　as　the　management　of　a　shop　or　of　a　counting…house。　　It

requires　method；　accuracy；　organization；　industry；　economy；

discipline；　tact；　knowledge；　and　capacity　for　adapting　means　to

ends。　　All　this　is　of　the　essence　of　business；　and　hence　business

habits　are　as　necessary　to　be　cultivated　by　women　who　would

succeed　in　the　affairs　of　homein　other　words；　who　would　make

home　happyas　by　men　in　the　affairs　of　trade；　of　commerce；　or　of

manufacture。



The　idea　has；　however；　heretofore　prevailed；　that　women　have　no

concern　with　such　matters；　and　that　business　habits　and

qualifications　relate　to　men　only。　　Take；　for　instance；　the

knowledge　of　figures。　　Mr。　Bright　has　said　of　boys；　〃Teach　a　boy

arithmetic　thoroughly；　and　he　is　a　made　man。〃　　And　why？Because

it　teaches　him　method；　accuracy；　value；　proportions；　relations。

But　how　many　girls　are　taught　arithmetic　well？Very　few　indeed。

And　what　is　the　consequence？When　the　girl　becomes　a　wife；　if

she　knows　nothing　of　figures；　and　is　innocent　of　addition　and

multiplication；　she　can　keep　no　record　of　income　and　expenditure；

and　there　will　probably　be　a　succession　of　mistakes　committed

which　may　be　prolific　in　domestic　contention。　　The　woman；　not

being　up　to　her　businessthat　is；　the　management　of　her　domestic

affairs　in　conformity　with　the　simple　principles　of　arithmetic

will；　through　sheer　ignorance；　be　apt　to　commit　extravagances；

though　unintentional；　which　may　be　most　injurious　to　her　family

peace　and　comfort。



Method；　which　is　the　soul　of　business；　is　also　of　essential

importance　in　the　home。　　Work　can　only　be　got　through　by　method。

Muddle　flies　before　it；　and　hugger…mu