Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene - Ellen G. White

Mothers are drawn away from the duties of home
and the careful training of their little ones, to the
service of self and the world. Vanity, fashion, and
matters of minor importance are allowed to absorb
the attention, and the physical and moral education
of the precious children is neglected.
If she makes the customs and practices of the
world her criterion, the mother will become
unfitted for the responsible duties of her lot. If
fashion holds her in bondage, it will weaken her
powers of endurance, and make life a wearing
burden instead of a blessing. Through physical
weakness she may fail to appreciate the value of
the opportunities that are hers, and her family may
be left to grow up without the benefit of her
thought, her prayers, and her diligent instruction. If
mothers would only consider the wonderful
privileges that God has given them, they would not
be so easily turned aside from their sacred duties to
the trivial affairs of the world.
The mother’s work begins with the babe in her
arms. I have often seen the little one throw itself
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