The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1858-03-04
Gbe 8ourc Cirtlr,
'sbo has outiivod bor Usofuinoas."

appointed ana auAlOus. On Delug QueS-
toned as to his business, he replied
'I 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, "You have met with a great loss "
"Well-yes, replied the strong man
with hesitancy; ga mother is a great
loss in general but our mother has out
lived 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 everybody. There were sew
en- Of us, sons and daughters, and as we
could not find anybody who was willing
TO board her, we agreed to keep her
among us q 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 a good old mother in her days, and
toiled very hard to bring us all up.
q Without looking at the face Of the
heartless man we directed him to the
house Of the neighboring pastor, and re-
turned TO the nursery. We gazed on
Che 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 "Mother;"
and we wondered if that day could over
come when they would say of MS, "She
has oUtlived her usefulness-she is no
comfort to herself and a burden to ev-
erybody else !" and we hoped before
such a day would dawn, we might be
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, and that our grave
may be watered with their tears, and
our love linked with their hope Of hoav-
en-.
When the bell tollod for the mothers
burial, we went to the sanctuary to pay
our only token of respect for the aged
stranger, for we fylt that we could give
her memory tear even though her own
children had none to shed.
"She was a good mother in her day,
and toiled hard to bring us all up she
was no comfort to herself, and burden
to everybody elsel" These cruel, heart
less words rang in our ears as we saw
the coffin borne up the aisle. The bell
tolled long and loud, until its iron
tongue had ohronicled the years of the
toil-WOrn mother. ne-tWo-three-
four-fve. How clearly and almost
merrily each stroke told of the once
peaceful slumber in her mothers bos-
ON, and Of her seat at nightfall on her
weary fathers knees. Six-soven--
eight-nine-ten-rang out her sports
on the green sWard, in the meadow, and
by the brook. Eleven-twelve-t
n-ffteen--spoke more
gravely Of school days, and little house
hold joys and cares Sixteen-seven-
teen-eighteen-sounded out the en-
raptured visions Of maidenhOod and the
dream Of early love. Ninetoen-brought
before us the happy bride. Twenty
spoke Of the young mother, whose heart
was full to bursting with the new, strong
love which God had awakened in her
bosom. And then stroke after stroke
told Of her early wOmanhood-of the
love and care, and hopes and fears, and
tolls through which she passed during
these long years, till fifty rang out harsh
and loud.
From that to sixty each stroke told of
the warm-hearted mother and grand
mother, living over again her own Joys
and sorrows in those of her children and
children's children. Every family of
all the group wanted grandmother then,
and the only strife was, who should Sc
cure the prize; and hark the bell tolls
on ! Seventy-seventy-o ty-one--two-thre
-four. She begins to grow feeble re-
quires some care, is not 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, that after all her toll
and weariness, it is hard she cannot be
allowed a home to die in; that she must
be sent, rather than invited, from house
to house. Eighty--oDo--two-three-
tour-ah, she is now second child:
now "she has outlived her usefulness;
she has now ceased to be a comfort to
herself OF anybody else, 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 echoine
back from "our hill Of the dead" eigb-
ty-nine; there she now lies in the coffin.
cold and still-she makes no trouble
now, demands no love, no soft words no
tender little Offices. A look of patient
endurance, we fancied also an express
sion Of grief for unrequited love, sat on
her marble features. Her children
were clad in weeds Of woe, and In
irony We remembered the strong man
Words-"She was a good mother in her
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.
He read several passages of Soripture
expressive Of Gods compassion TO feeblo
man, and especially Of his tenderness
when gray hairs are on him. and his
strength faileth. He then made some
touching remarks on human frailtv and
ofdopendoneo in God, urging an pres-
ent to make their peace with their mas-
ter while in health, that they miobt
claim His promises when heart and Aesb