, and makes the being, who would be a savage
But for her gentle cares, a Christian man.
--Then, crown her Queen o' the world.

OLD PLAY.

The pastors now adjourned their session under the maples, and repaired
to the room where their wives were sitting. The ladies had finished
their deliberations, and had been strolling in the woods. But they, too,
had been engaged, like their husbands, in conversation about their
children, and the children of the church. "Maternal Associations" had
been the chief topic. They had discussed their advantages, and had
considered objections to them. The result was, that they had unanimously
agreed to promote such associations in their respective churches. Their
influence on young mothers, in helping them to train their children,
affording them the results of experience gained by others; the privilege
of stating difficult and trying cases for advice, of praying together
for their children, of having those mothers, during the intervals of
their monthly meetings, pray for the children of their sisters, and
sometimes, specially, for a child in peculiar need of prayer, commended
these associations to their judgment and affections. One lady referred
to the possible disclosure of family secrets, at such meetings, which it
was unpleasant to hear, and to the undesirableness of revealing the
faults of a child. They agreed that these things should never be done,
and that it was easy to avoid them by employing a friend, if necessary,
to state the case, hypothetically, so as to conceal its connection with
any member of the circle. The ladies had gone so far as to adopt a
little manual, for their respective circles, which they submitted to
their husbands for criticism. One of the gentlemen read it, as follows:

"MATERNAL ASSOCIATIONS.

"Maternal Associations are designed for mutual instruction and
consultation, in connection with united prayer. Subjects for reading and
discussion relate chiefly to the physical, mental, moral, and religious
training of children. Some individual is usually prepared at each
meeting to give method and tone to the conversation, which might
otherwise become desultory. The faults of children who are known to the
members are _not_ made the subject of remark; but cases of difficulty
are so presented as to avoid individual exposure. Associations conducted
on these principles are found to be greatly beneficial.

"CONSTITUTION OF----CHURCH MATERNAL ASSOCIATION.

"Im