Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1856-04-19
ROCKVILLE, SATURDAY MORNING, APRIL 10, 1856


outlived her usefulness, she has now
ceased to be comfort to herself or any
body )" that is, she has ceased to be
profitable to her earth-craving and money
grasping children.
Now sounds out, reverberating through
our lovely forest, and echoing back from
our chill of the dead" Eighty-nine !!
there she now lies in the coffin, cold and
still-she makes no troubles now demands
no love, no soft words, no tender little
Offices. A look of patient endurance, we
fancied also an expression of grieffor un-
requited love sat on her marble features
Her children were there, clad in weeds
Of woe, and in an irony we remembered
the strong mans words, "She was good
mother in her day"
When the bell ceased tolling, the
strange minister rose in the pulpit His
form was very erect, and his voice strong,
but his hair was silvery white. Hcread
several passages of Scripture expressive
Of Cod compassion to feeble man and
especially Of his tenderness when gray
hairs are on him, and his strength fail
eth. He then made some touching re-
marks on human frailty, and of DEEPEN
dence on God, urging all present to
make their peace with their Master while
in health, that they might claim his
promises when heart and flesh should fail
them. "Then," he said, "the eternal
God shall be thy refuge, and beneath thee
shall be the everlasting arms" Leaning
over the desk, and gazing intently on the
cofined form before him, he then said
reverently, "From little child / have
hcnored the aged; but never till grey
hairs covered my own head, did / know
truly how much love and sympathy this
class have right to demand of their fell
low-creatures. Now [ feel it. "Our
mother" he added most tenderly, who
now lies in death before us, was stran-
ger to me, as are all these, her descend
ants. All | know Of her is what her son
has told me to-day she was brought
to this town from afar, sixty-nine years
ago, a happy hride-that here she has
passed most Of her life, toiling as only
mothers ever have strength to toll, until
she had reared large family of sons and
daughtcrs-that she left her home here,
clad in the weeds of widowhood, to dwell
among her children and that till health
and vigor left her, she lived for you, her
descendants.
You, who together have shared her
love and her care, know how well you
have requittcd her. God forbid that
conscience should accuse any of you OF
ingratitude or murmuring, on account Of
the care she has been to you Of late.
When you go back to your homes, be
careful of your words and your example
before your own children, for the fruit oil
your own doing you will surelyreap from
them when you yourselves totter on the
brink of the grave. ! entreat you as {
friend. as one who has himself entered
the evening Of life," that you may
never say, in the presence of your fami-
lies nor Of heaven, sour mother has out.
lived her usefulness--she was burden
to u.s." Never, never mother cannot
live so long as that No; when she can
no longer labor for her children, nor yet
care for herself, she can fall like pre-
cious weight on their bosoms, and call
forth By her helplcssncss all the noble,
generous feelings Of their natures.
Adieu, then, poor toil-worn mother ;
there are no more sleepless nights, no
more days Of pain for thee. Undying
vigor and evcrylasting usefulness are
part of the inheritance Of the redeemed.
Feeble as thou vert on earth, thou wilt
be no burden on the bosom Of Infinite
Love, but there shalt thou find thy longed
for rest, and receive glorious sympathy
from Jesus and his ransomed fold.