The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1857-01-28

and loud.
From that to sixty each stroke told OF
the warm-hearted mother and grandmoth-
Ier, living over again her own joys and
sorrows in, those of her children and chill
dren's children. +. Every family of all the
lgroup wanted grandmother then, and the
only strife was, who should secure the
prize But hark! the bell tolls on! Sew
eHty--one-two- o-three--four. She be-
gins to grow feeble, requires some care. is
not always perfectly patient or satisfied
she goes from one child's house to another
so that no one place seems like home
She murmurS in plaintive tones, and after
all her toll ard WEAKNESS it is hard she
cannot be allowed home to die in; that
she must be sent, rather than invited, from
house TO house. Eighty-one--two-
three--four--ah, she is now second child;
now "she has outlived her usefulness, she
has now ceased to be comfort to her
self or anybody" that is, she has ceased
/ to be profitable to her earth craving and
money grasping children.
4 Now sounds out, reverberating through
our lovely forest, and echoing back from
our chill for the dead," eighty-nine, there
she nowIlies in the coffin, cold and still
she makes no trouble now, demands no love,
no soft words, no tender little offices. A
look ofparient endurance, we fancied also
an expression of fgrieffor unrequited love,
sat on her marble features. Her children
were there, clad in weeds and woe, land in
irony we remembered the strong man's
words, She was good mother in her
day. .nsssatal9I s4F 5 BE-
| When the bell ceased toliing. the strange
minister rose in the pulyit. His form was
very erect, and his voice strong, bnt his
hair was silvery. white. He read several
passages of Scripture expressive Of Gods
compassion to feeble man, and especially
ofhis tenderness when gray hairs are on
him, and his strength faileth- He then
made some touching remarks on human
frailty, and of dependence 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 sThen,1 said he, "the
eterual God shall be thy refuge. and be-
meath thee shall be the everlasting arms. !"
Leaning over the desk, and gazing intent
ly on the coflned form before him, he then
said reverent!y, "From a little child /
honored the aged; hut never till gray hairs
covered my own head, did | know trniy
how much love and sympathy this class
have right to demand of their fellow
creatures Now / feel it. Our mother" !"
he added most tenderly, .who now hes in
death before us, was a stranger to me, as
are all these her descendants All |
know of her is what her son told me to-
day that she was brought to this town
from afar, sixty-niie years ago, a happy
,bride+that here she past most OF her life,
toiiing as only mothers ever have strength
-toztoil ,yuntii she has reared large family
of sons and daughtcrs-that she left her
home clad in the weeds of widowhood, to
dwell among her children: and then, till
health and vigor left her, she lived for
her descendants You who together have
shared her love and her care, know how
well you have requitcd her. God forbid
that conscience should accuse any of you
ofingratitude or murmuring, on account
of the care she had been to you of Jate.
Wien you go back to your homes, be care
full of your words and your examples be-
foreyour own children for he'fruit of your
own doiligs you will surely reap from them
when you yourself totter on the brink Of
the grave. l entreat you as a friend, as
one who has himself entered the "evening
of life" that you may never say in the pre-
sence of your families nor of Heaven, "Our
mother has outliyed her usefulness. She
was burden to us )" Never, never! A
mother cannot live SO long as that! No;
when she canno longer labor for her chill
dren, nor yet care for herself, she can fall
like precious weight on their bosoms,
and call forth by her helplessness all the
noble generous feelings OF their natures.
Adeu, then, poor toil-worn mother
There are no more sleepless nights, no
more days OF pain for thee Undyiug
vigor and everlasting usefulness are part
of the inheritance of the redeemed Fee
BILE as thou vert on earth, thou wilt be no
more burden on the bosom of infinite
Love, but there shalt thou find thy loug-
ed-forrest, and receive glorious sympathy
from Jesus and his ransomed fold"
| asf' etaesf
fW Punch says that q kitten should
always be kept where there are Children:
when they grow tired of pulling its tail