Motherly character (6)
I believe the answer is:
nature
I believe this clue is a double definition.
'motherly' is the first definition.
(I've seen this before)
'character' is the second definition.
(I've seen this before)
(Other definitions for nature that I've seen before include "The world with allits features and living things" , "Character - wildlife" , "Fundamental character" , "variety" , "Fundamental qualities" .)