The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1848-05-27
Nv Mother.

Who can hear the word Mother pro-
I.nounced, without feeling emotions OF
gratitude and tenderness awakened in
his bosom? Not those whose mothers
have done honor to this interesting and
holy relationship. Not they who are
far from those who gave them birth,
nourished them in infancy, watched O.
yer theil childhood, taught them to lisp
the Saviour's precious name, dedicated
them ia him in baptism, and led them
into the peaceful, quiet and orderly
courts of His house, and allured them
into the way Of life by godly exam
pie. Not those whose mothers sleep
in the lonely grave. Many q hardened
and unflial heart has been awakened To
tenderness and pious emotion, respon-
sive to mothers love, on leaving home,
or hearing OF a mothers death, or see-
| ing her expire. And the heart Of many
an afIectonate child has been almost
broken by a mothers untimely death.
Such was the case with the 'amiable
and gifted Cowper, whose mother died
when he was child. Addressinghe
picture, long afterwards received from
a friend, he says:
Ny Mother! when learned that thou vast dead,
Say, vast thou conscious Of the tears shed,
Hovered thy spirit Ger thy sorrowing son,
Wretched even then. life's journey just begun?
But unlike the Christian poet, to many
awaken 10 fial affection and gratitude
only when their devoted mothers are
| in the spirit-and. Too many send
them with broken hearts to an un timely
grave. @
In the mothers mind, the mothers
heart and the mothers example and
| influence, lie folded up the hope, the
glory, and the interests of the world.
| No one can trace all the ramifcations
of a mothers influence. 1t may be,
and sometimes is, banefnl as the poison
. of death; but it often is, and always
ought to be, benign and salutary as the
sweet influences ofheaven.
To the mother pertain the privilege
and the opportunity, and on her rests
the obligation of unfolding and directing
the infant powers Of intellect, and infu-
sing the first rays and influences ol
heavenly truth. TO her pertains the
pleasing and delicate Office Of directing
and nurturing into infantiIe blossom the
social affections, curbing and subduing
maIign and turbulent passions, giving a
proper direction to the inclinations and
propensilies, and establishing habits oI
} virtue. To the mother belongs the still
more important and responsible office
ofarousing the moral powers, awaken.
ing the spiritual affections, and direct
. ing the infant mind to our Heavenly
Father and leading the embryo immor
; tai 10 the cross of Christ, and the path
, oflife. From her temper, character
example and instructions, the future
| man or women receives the first, deep
est and most indelable impressions.
The mother, therefore, ought to be 0
perfect model of intellectual, social, and
moral excellence and Iovliness. Asev
idence of the determining effect Of o
mothers influence upon the character
and destiny Of her own offspring, and
an encouragementto TO her fidelity, let il
be Remembered that large majority o
J altthe men and women who have dig
niied, adorned and blessed The human
!, family, have had excellent and faithful
mothers. This fact alone is worth vol
umes of reasoning and Illustration
), DR.. M Cullough.