Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-06-24
A Mothers COunScIS and Prayers.

A mothers counsels and prayersl Who can
estimate their influence? When the son has
left the parental roof, and gone forth mingling
with gay and trinng world; among all the re-
collections which crowd themselves upon his
mind, none 90 deeper into the fountains of feel
ing, none excite purer emotions, than those of the
affectionae counseIs and feryent prayers of
pious mother. If happily he is associated with a
pious family, whose alter fires never 90 out; as
they surround that altar in the morning. hear the
Word of Life as it is read, and listen to the ar
dent petition as it rises to God; his mind Wanders
quickly and quietly back to his own home, where
he has often witnessed the same scenes-Where
the same plous practice is maintained AS they
surround the table, and the blessing of God is
invoked, these halIowed associations are again
stirred When about to retire to rest, as he
sees the child at the knee of its parent, offering
up its evening prayer he remembers how often
he has done the same. And when he lays his
head upon his pillow in the stiffness of night, he
medates upon the advice and the prayers of his
mother. Does he attend the house Of God-as
he hears the minister speak of the glores of
heaven of religion, or Of the Sutierings of Christ
he recoects what his pious mother used to tell
him concerning these things. Let him be where
he may,-whether pursuing his classic studies in
college halls or engaged in the absorbing pur-
suits of merchandise, or ravcrsing the country in
pursuit of recreation or health or whatever may
be his employment there are times when these
recollections will force themselves upon him.
Yes, the weather-beaten sailor, away upon the
mighty ocean, will sit down among his comrades,
and as he details the events of his earlier days. he
proceeds without difficulty until he has occasion
to say my mother and with this his voice fall
tiers, his lips culver, his frame is convulscd, and
the BIC tears are wiped away in their descent by
his rugged hand. Good woman he says, if
ever there was Christian, she was one and it
is not until he has made pause to recover him
self, that he can proceed with the marathon
Even the in6del or the atheist, in his more sober
moments when rejecting upon the future, as re-
Elections like these flow up in his mind, feels his
foundation culver and quake Argue with him
upon the subject of religion, and while he re-
mains unmoved by every other appeal, only men
ton mothers counses and prayers and IN an
instant the great deep of his heart is broken up,
and his tears freely flow. The soldier, though
his finer feeling may have been buried for awhile
amid the clangor of war and the prospect of mil
itary glory, yet when the strife is over, and he
gives way to reflection, tide of feeling will rush
over his soul as he thinks of his mother And
do these recoections always end with the emo
tons which they excite! No. They exert most
powerful influence upon the conduct Is that
son tempted, in an evil moment, to take adyant-
age by telling falsehood, the remembrance Of
the pure unadulterated truth which ever flowed
from his mothers lips, checks him in the attempt
Is he prompted to take his Makers name II
vain, he remembers with what reverence thai
name was spoken by his mother, and his tongue
is siIenced All, who could have the hardlhooo
to commit crime against which he had beer
warned by his mother, with that warning before
his mindl Where is the inebrlate, however deep
Iy sunk-where is the Iibertine, however aband
oned-where is the scoher, however hardened
who, iftrained by such mother, has not, undo
the influence of these recollections, formed pur
poses ofreformation! Nay, where is the rebe
against God or man, whose heart has not beer
softened, and had its palpitations quickened b.
such hallowed remembrance! o. the influence
exerted upon son by these things is vast un
measurable 1t strikes deeper in the soul, an
twines more closely round the spirit than an
other. 1t is in the soul as beacon light to sho,
the dangers of the way 1t is the sillIen cord t
incline gently and affectionately to the path {
virtue and piety. 1t is the influence of whc
has, no doubt been the means of landing many
soul in the paradise ofGod-MOthers Magazin