Show v 0 i Concerning Retrograde Mothers I. I 4 By OLIVE ROBERTS BARTON Did a a. certain New York actress really use the word retrograde when her husband asked her Jo o leave the stage sago and devote her time to their baby Did she actually refuse to be be mother just And did she say that su such h a course was unreasonable unreason unreasonable unreasonable able and antiquated Well VeIl if she felt and thought that way one must at least give her credit being honest enough to say so for although there Isn't a doubt that she has plenty of company in despising motherhood few have had the tho courage to come right out and admit It t. t They usually have an alibi Other mothers all over the country must have shuddered as I did when they read this scornful contempt for child rearing Retrograde Never have we heard before of one who thought that motherhood motherhood moth moth- was lower than the stage or any other pro pro- I looked at the young womans woman's picture in the rotogravure section taken with the baby in question about the most appealing bit of childhood d I have ever seen a boy of 2 and 2 and I have como come to two conclusions conclusions con con- either she has Jas been misquoted or she he does not mean exactly what she says I If neither are true there is only one thing that can account for such utterance youth youth and ignorance There are little children whose mothers are occupied occupied pied pled with business or professions who really are better cared for by paid attendants or in nursery schools than if fl their mothers were constantly at home These are the children of women who find themselves absolutely unfitted for motherhood and who wh admittedly would only be able to give their children the most casual personal attention There are other children whose mothers must be away each day in order to provide the family with necessities or comforts comfort But these mothers dont don't feel that they themselves would retrograde by staying at home Near my desk hangs one of Raphael's beautiful l The Child at her knee is about the age age of the bc bot b in the picture In each baby face is the same look of trust It would need no second glance to tell which of the mothers had retrograded A T |