Eaton Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1843-1856, 1856-05-29
miscellaneous.
'.sHE HAS OUTLINED HER USEFULNESS. =

Not long stree, a good looking man, in mid
die life, came TO our door asking Tor "lhe min
is,er." When Informed that he was out OF
town, he seemed disappointed and anxions-
On being questioned as 10 his business, he re-
pled: Il have lost my mother, and os this
place used 10 be her home, and my father lies
here, we have come 10 lay her beside him.
Our heart rose in sympathy, and we said,
sYou have met with great .oss.'
.Well-yes,' replied the sir ng man, with |
hesitancy, "a mother is great loss in general; |
but our mother has outliyed her usefulness;
she was in her second childhood, and hefmlnd
was grown as weak as her body, so that she
was no comfort TO herself, ami was burden
10 avery body. There were seven OF us sons
aud daughters; and as %e could not find any
body who was willing 10 board her, We agreed
TO keep her among us year about. But I've
had more than my share OF her, for she was TOO
feeble tosbe moved when my time was out, and
that was more than three months before her
death. But then she was good mother in her
day, and toled very hard TO bring us all up
Without looking al the faee-of The henrlless
man, we directed him 10 the house Of neigh
boring pastor, and returned 10 our nursery
We gazed on he merry little faces which Smil
ed or grew sldin imitation OF ours-ihose little
ones TO wuse ear no word in our language is
half sDsweetts' doilter;' aud We wondered i {
that day could ever come when they would
say O us, 'She has outlive1 her usefulness
she is no comfort TO herself aud burGen to
every. body else! and We hoped that before
such day would dawn, we might he taken 10
our resi-. God forbid We should outlive the
love OF our children! Rather let US die while
our hearts are part OF their own, that OUT
grave may be walered with their tears, and our
love linked with their hope Of heaven.
When The bell toled for the mothers burial,
we went to the sanctuary 10 pay our only token
Of respect 10 the aged stranger; for wefeit that
we could give her memory tear. even though
her own children had none TO shed.
She was god mother In her day, and toll
ej hard 10 bring usall up-she was no comfort
10 herself, and burden TO everybody elseP-
These cruel, hearleSs words rang III our ears
as we sew The coffin borne up the aisle. The
bell tdlled long and loud, until its iron tongue
hsd chronicled the years of the toil-worn
mother. One -two--ilree-io iour-fiye. How
clearly and almost merrily each stroke told oil
her obce peaceful sumner in her mothers bo-
SON. and ofhe. seat at night Ion her weary
fathers knees Six--seven--eight-ni lien
rang out the tale Of her sports upon The green
sward, in the meody, and by the book
smoke more grayely OF school days, aud little
household Joys and cares. Sixteen seventeen
eighteen, sounded out the enra7tured visions
OF maiden hood, and the dream of cary love.
Nineteen, brought before US the happy BRIDE.
Twenty spoke Of the young mother whose
heart was full 10 bursting with the new strong
love which God had awakenedin in her bosom,
And then stroke after stroke told Of her early
woman hood; the love and cares, and hopes,
and fears, and tolls through which she passed
during those long years, I'LL filty rang out harsh
and loud. From that 10 sixty each stroke told
of the warm hearted mother and grand mother,
living over agsin her own joys and sorrows IN
those of her children and childrens children
Every family OF ell the group wanted grand
mother then, and The only strife was who
should secure the prize; but, hark! the bel!
tolls onl Seventy seventy -one- two-three
-four She begins TO grow feeble, requires
some care, is not always perfectly patient o.
satisfied, she goes from one cbild's house 4
another, so that no one place seems like home
She murmurs in plaintive tones, and af'er al
her toll and WEAKNESS, il is hard she cannot b'
allowed ahome 10 die in; that she must bt
sent, rather thoninyiied, from house 10 house
Eighty --eghiy-one A-two--tbree = four-ah
she Is now second child, now she has out
. ~ lVeu nef. uStluIbcSbt sue bbS now C6aSed 10 u
comfort 10 herself or anybody else; 20 that is
Bhe has ceased 10 be profitable 10 her earth era
wing and money grapping children. Nov
sounds out, reverbernting through our Ioyel
forest, and echoing back from our hill Of IN
desas Eigbty.nine! there she lies now IN Ii
coffin, cold and still, she makes no tfoubl
now, demands no love, no soft words, no len
der Offices. A look Of patent endurance, W
fancied also an expression OF grief for unre
4quiitedloye, sat on her marble features. He
children were there. clad in weeds lof woe
and in irony we remembered the strong man
words, 'She was good mother IN her day.
When tbe bell ceased toiling, the strang
minister rose in the pulpit. His form was vel
erect,and hisyoice strong but his hair was 81
very white. He read several passages Of scril
tpfe expressive Of Gods compassion 10 feebl
man, and especially Of his tenderness whe
grey haifs are on him, and hisstrength failet
He then made some touching remarks on h.