t forms a suitable introduction to some of the
interesting and important duties which will devolve on her if it
should be His good pleasure for her to become a mother.

You will, I dare say, readily see the object I now have in view. It is
that I wish to impress on you how desirable it is that you should take
every opportunity of becoming acquainted with the habits and wants of
babies, and the best way of managing them. The more you have to do
with them the more you will like the labors, and the easier and more
delightful it will become. It is fair that, before you have children
of your own, you should get your knowledge as to the management of
them by experience with other people's. I take it for granted you will
at all times do your best for them. You will then have but little
cause to fear accident; and if accident should happen, as with all
your care it sometimes will, you will have more confidence in your
powers, and will be more likely to do what is best at the moment, than
if you were unused to children. Much of the disease and early death
that happens among children arises from the ignorance of the mothers,
who, however, are much more to be pitied than blamed in the matter.
They had never been taught their duties toward their future
offspring.

Few mothers are, perhaps, sufficiently aware of the great influence
which their manners, habits, and conversation have upon the tender
minds of their children, even from birth. The child should grow up
with a feeling of reverence for its parents, which can only be the
case when wisdom, as well as affection, is exercised in its bringing
up. Hence the necessity of the mother fitting herself, both
_intellectually_ and _morally_, for her sacred office, that the child
may become accustomed to yield perfect obedience to her wishes, from a
principle of love, and may acquire, as it advances in life, the habit
of yielding a like obedience to that which is right.

As you well know that you are not perfect yourself, you must be
prepared to find that your husband has also his imperfections, and it
is no unimportant part of your duty to help him to get rid of them.
Indeed, it is one of the highest uses of marriage for each partner to
assist the other on the journey to the heavenly Canaan. But before you
attempt to point out a fault in him, consider how you had best proceed
so as to attain your object; for unless you adopt a judicious mode,
and an affectionate as well as earnest man