look upon the memorandum as written down.  One of these children, boy or girl, is much more worthy of being entrusted with the care of a baby, any body’s baby, than a servant-maid with curled locks and with eyes rolling about for admirers.  The locks and the rolling eyes, very nice, and, for aught I know, very proper things in themselves; but incompatible with the care of your baby, Ma’am; her mind being absorbed in contemplating the interesting circumstances which are to precede her having a sweet baby of her own; and a sweeter than yours, if you please, Ma’am; or, at least, such will be her anticipations.  And this is all right enough; it is natural that she should think and feel thus; and knowing this, you are admonished that it is your bounden duty not to delegate this sacred trust to any body.

260.  The courage, of which I have spoken, so necessary in the case of washing the children in spite of their screaming remonstrances, is, if possible, more necessary in cases of illness, requiring the application of medicine, or of surgical means of cure.  Here the heart is put to the test indeed!  Here is anguish to be endured by a mother, who has to force down the nauseous physic, or to apply the tormenting plaster!  Yet it is the mother, or the father, and more properly the former, who is to perform this duty of exquisite pain.  To no nurse, to no hireling, to no alien hand, ought, if possible to avoid it, this task to be committed.  I do not admire those mothers who are too tender-hearted to inflict this pain on their children, and who, therefore, leave it to be inflicted by others.  Give me the mother who, while the tears stream down her face, has the resolution scrupulously to execute, with her own hands, the doctor’s commands.  Will a servant, will any hireling, do this?  Committed to such hands, the least trouble will be preferred to the greater:  the thing will, in general, not be half done; and if done, the suffering from such hands is far greater in the mind of the child than if it came from the hands of the mother.  In this case, above all others, there ought to be no delegation of the parental office.  Here life or limb is at stake; and the parent, man or woman, who, in any one point, can neglect his or her duty here, is unworthy of the name of parent.  And here, as in all the other instances, where goodness in the parents towards the children gives such weight to their advice when the children grow up, what a motive to filial gratitude!  The children who are old enough to deserve and remember, will witness this proof of love and self-devotion in their mother.  Each of them feels that she has done the same towards them all; and they love her and admire and revere her accordingly.