oUCIAL QUESTIONS ANSWERED By Arthur W. Spalding Husband Overseas [ am «a young mother with tio children, My husband is an oflicer in the army and about to be called overseas. No many women tn such cases are going hone to their parents with ther children, we are debating whether 1 shall do this or remain alowe with the children na city apartment. My parents are well along in years, but in fairly comfortable cir- cumstances, apd Live on the outskirts of a small torn. They have onvited, even urged, us tw come to them, but IT wonder if they will be able to stand the activity and worse of the children. [am a trained nurse, and could perhaps give my service ff 1 ocould leave the children arith their grandparents or other coretalers. 1 could perhaps make some provision for care of the clicldren here in the ity, and nurse ina hospital, It would help to distract my mind from the pain of the long separation and un- certarnty. I want to do my duty to my coun- trig, no mailer what the soerifice; and this may he my duty. It may be. And it may be that vou have a higher duty. Whenever need for service confrouts us, it 12 our patriotic as well as Christian duty to give the utmost that isin us. A trained nurse mayv help to meet emergency by her skill and devotion. If and when we come personally into the horrors of war, God give us the strength and the will to play our part. But the greatest service that a mother owes to her country and to God is to give her time, care, and devotion to her children. Holland prays: “God giveus men! A time like this demands Strong minds, great hearts, true faith, and ready hands!” God answers that praver not by raining down men from heaven, but through the common miracle of birth and the blessed process of education. Fathers and mothers are the makers of heroes, if heroes there are to be; and in these times when country calls fathers to the battlefield, more than ever the double burden of maintaining the home front falls upon mothers. No surer way to lose the war could be devised than to take from the upcoming generation the loving care of mothers. Battles may be won; but if American homes are destroyed, all that men fight for 1s lost. Shall our warriors come home, like David to Ziklag, to find but smoking ruins? We need to be re- minded by Joaquin Miller: “The bravest battle that ever was fought: Shall T tell you where and when? On the maps of the world vou will find it not: It was fought by the mothers of men.” You want, not distraction, nor even di- version, but worthy occupation of mind; and no better means nor greater cause can AUGUST, 1942 supply that than purposeful and competent training of your children. Its easy to yield to prevailing excitement and to mistake a grand jamboree of public activities for patriotic service. There are indeed services to be supplied mn the public iterest, and mothers are not exempt from doing their part; but first let the unmarried and the childless but competent be called to the hospitals and the auxiliary services, and leave the homes mtact under the guard of mothers. Until, if ever, the time comes when the supreme sacrifice must be made, let us not cast our children into the flaming lap of Molech and hasten away to mistaken duty. The care and education of children is no small task. It requires more and better tramimg than nurse or stewardess or enter- tamer or chauffeur requires. It 1s the supreme office of teacher and nunister. Merely staving at home with children, without intelligent and purposeful teach- mg, might indeed mark the slacker. If a mother cannot play the part of mother, let her by all means put on the uniform but know at the same time that she 1s reereant to duty. To train children in the character qualities of obedience, courage, reverence, patience, and self-control, to insure their health and health-preserving habits, to fill their minds with nature lore and story and song of virtue and faith, to keep the peace that must in the end conquer war, to calm and uplift their spirits in the universal presence of God, is the greatest work and the most necessary =ervice that mothers an give. The city 12 not the best place to attempt all this. There the hell of war casts its strongest reflection behind the lines. God put His writing and His signature upon the creations of nature, but in the city man has effaced that handwriting. If no other argu- ment weighed, the fact that vour parents live in the country would decide your ques- tion: for there the children will be under the most favorable mfuences, and there vou can best train them in the qualities of citizenship most needed. The greatest mistake vou could make in their case would be to leave them in the city in the hands of a caretaker or of a hired pedagogue while vou frazzle your nerves on the emery- wheel of professionalism. It might be that your parents could take some responsibility in caring for the chii- dren, if in the viemity of the little town vou were called to give some professional serv- ice, but the conditions should be carefully weighed before that decision 1s made. Your parents’ love for you and the children 1s an inestimable asset, and they too may feel a patriotic urge to do their aged hit by thus leaving vou free for public service; but the hevday of their strength 1x past, and ther slender reserves should not be needlessly exhausted. Seldom are grand- parents able to do as good service for ehil- dren asx are the younger and stronger parents, Their invitation opens the way for you to make the best conditions for vour children and probably for vourself, and they will indeed be happy to have vou. But there are parents and parents, and grandparents and arandparents. No one can tell vou whether the results of vour gomg home will be happy; no one can know better than vour-