Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1858-12-08
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nSHE Has OUTLIyED HER USEFULNESS"

Not long since, a good-looking man, in middle
life, came to our door asking for the minister"
When informed that hc was out OF town, he
seemed disappointed and anxious. On being
questioned as to his business, lie replled-"l
have lost my mother, and as this place used to
be her home, and my father lies here, we have
come to lay her beside him."
Our heart rose in sympathy: and we SAID,
mYou have met with great loss"
"Well-yes," replied the strong man, with
hesitancy, " q mother is great loss in general;
but our mother has outived her usefulness; she
was in her second childhood, and her mind was
grown as weak as her body, so that she was no
comfort to herself, and was burden to every
body. There were seven of us, sons and daugh-
ters; and as We could not find anybody who
was willing to board her, we agreed to keep her
among us a year about. But I've had more
than my share of her, for she was too feeble to
be moved when my time was out; and that
was more than three months before her death
But then she was good mother in her da.V, and
toiled very hard to bring us all up
Without looking at the face of the heartlcss
man, we directed him to the house OF neigh
boring pastor, and returned to our nursery. We
razed on the merry little faces which smiled or
grew sad in imitation of ours-those little ones
to whose ear no word in our language is half so
sweet as SMOTHER" and we wondered 1t that
,]ay could ever come when they would say oil
ms She has outlived her usefuneSs-shc is no
cnmfort to herself and burden to everybody
else % and we hoped that before such day
would dawn, We might he taken to our rest.
God forbid that we should outlive the love OF
our children. Rather let us die while our hearts
are part Of their own, that our grave may bc
watered with their tears, and our love linked
| with their hopes of heaven.
When the bell toled for the mothers burial,
We went to the sanctuary to pay our only token
Of respect for the aged stranger; Tor VIC tell
that we could give her memory tear, even
though her own children had none to shed.
aShe was a good mother in her day, and
toiled hard TO bring us all up-she was no com,
fort to herself, and burden to everybody else =
These cruel, heartless words rang in our ears a'
we saw the coffin borne up the aisle. The bel
tolled long and loud, until its iron tongue hat
chronicled the years of the toil.sworn mother
One-two-three- -lour--tivc, How clearly ant
most merrily each stroke told of her once peace
full slumber in her mothers bosom, and of hcl
seat at nightfal on her weary fathers knees
x-seren-eight-- --nine-ten--rang out the tall
of sports upon the green award, in the meadow
and BY the brook.
Elcyen-twelve-tLirt cen-fourteen-tifteer
spoke more gravely of school-days, and littl
household joys and cares. Sixteen-sevcnteel
eighteen, sounded out the enraptured vision
of maidoniood, and the dream Of early love
Nineteen brought before lis the happy bride
Twenty spoke of the young mother, who's
heart was full to bursting with the new stron
love Which God bad awakened i'll her bosom
And then stroke after strokc> told Of her carl
wornanhool-of the love and cares, and hopes
fears and tolls through which she passed dnri''
thesc long years, till fifty rang out harsh all
ioud. From TINT 10 sixty each strnke told {
the warm hearted molller and grandmothe
living over again her own joys and sorrows
those of her children and childrel's children
, Every family of all the group w.nted g' gran''
'sacnrc the prize; but lark the bell tolls ol
Seyenty-serenty-o one-two-threc-four.
She begins to grow feeble, requires some COR