Salt Lake Telegram | 1918-10-17 | Page 4 | A Regular Mother

A Regular Mother J There is plenty of sentiment about motherhood but little romance. Essayists and editors irvho write about motherhood with a ,: capital M and a tremolo tone grandly call it a "profession." Actual mothers know it is a job. . , . There are picture mothers attired in 'Jacy negligees and bending tenderly above pink babies in silk-lined baskets. a. Or pdemmothers with silver, hair gracefully disposed under white caps, sitting, testament in hand, by cheerful firesides or windoVs flooded with sunset. Or popular song mothers whose whole business is to be "wait-' "wait-' Jng.day byplay" for some ungrateful son who is invariably repentant re-pentant and invariably "far away." . . But what is a-"regular" mother? A regular mother is the capable lady who sends son John off to the army, and Mary off to her lypewriter, and father down to the shop, and little Bill away to sixth grade, A and generally makes the world go round and stay in its tracks. A regular mother hasn't any time to "look the part." wo silk negligees, or white 'caps, or waiting day-by-day for her! Generally the regular mother's hair isn't silver white at all. It's that pepper-and-salt mixture of brown and white that signifies strength, common sense and "the best wearing qualities." Nor Is It smooth and soft It's usually a little rumpled by the rush to "get the family off ta work" or "get dinner on the table." Nor are the regular mother's eyes "dim with tears' or "soft with memories!" Please .tell us what a. regular mother's eyes would do with tears and memories when she's got to see everything from the hole in Bill's stocking to thatnew blush) Mary wears when Jim calls up to make a date! And when it comes to dress, there's mighty little silk and lace about t regular mother. She's satisfied with a clean white shirtwaist with its crocheted edge on the collar (to save the cost of lace), with a fresh apron over her "durable" serge skirt, and for jewels, only her scratched wedding ring, and the little old gold brooch grandma gave her. But she ALWAYS LOOKS BEAUTIFUL that regular mother! So If the sentimental "mother" of the cheap picture and the poem and the popular songs brings the quick tears to our homesick eyes it's only because we have had a regular mother and know her as 'a thousand times more wonderful than these I