Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-09-11
Ranies' department.


as beautiful IN It's exemphncatl0n as giorl-
Gus In its conception. A mothers lips first
breathed into our ears those words Of Holy
Writ and explained their general import;
and from the time when the story Of gray
haired Elijah and his youthful Knockers first
excited my young imagination, up TO mature
womanhood, the respect then inspired for
the white hairs Of age has grown with my !
growth, and strengthed with my strength.
We sigh as we think Of the days when the
young were wont TO bow before the hoary
head, and by gentle, uncalled.for assiduities,
strew roses IN the old mans tottering path.
But those kindly customs Of our pious an
cestors have passed away. The world grows
selfish as it grows old, and aged-dimined
eyes must turn homeward for stays to their
trembling hands and tottering limbs. Here
should they find the ful6lment of the first
commandment with promise.
No true, womanly soul ever withdrew her
gentle hands from her poor old father or
mother no manly heart ever forgot the
home loves Of his hayward childhood, or
ceased to hear the echoes Of a fond mothers
pIaytIh. hiAth III IaI0S u LHlS WOTIu, ana
the deceitfulness of riches, may choke up
the Unborn affections Of narrow souls but
few and far between is the fondly loved child,
who can be so untrue to himself or his Maker,
as wholly TO forget the mother who bore him.
Yet, even with the hottest dictates Of our
reasons andsoul', as with the wider applica-
ton Of the commandment, has Fashion in
simulated influence and the son, perchance,
who left his fond parents humble home re-
luctantly and t~earfully, to make his way to
the world, fcrgets, when fortune favors, to
welcome his rustic mother to his own luxu.
ry, with which he left her in his childhood
home. Her dim old eyes, perchance, do not
catch readily the meaningless courtesies Of
life nevertheless, they look none the less
lovingly upon her child than when they
watched over his helpless infancy. Her
withered hands may be large and bony, and
may never have known q jewel; but none
the less gently did they smooth the weary
pillow, OF battle the heated brow, in the de-
pendent days Of boyhood. Ali she's the
same fond mother still her aged and work
bent form, clad in rustic garb, conceals a heart
full Of never-dying love, and ready for new
sacrifices. And, thanks to the Great Being
who gave us the commandment with promise,
now and then there stands up a noble man,
true to his Unborn nature, who, throwing off
the trammels Of fashion, however wide the
gulf which separates him, in the worlds eye,
from the humble poverty of his boyhood-
who is not ashamed to love, befor. his Eel
lows, the humble mother who gave him birth
my Moher-permit me to present hel
to YOU" said an elegant dressed, noble look.
ing young man to a friend for whom he had
crossed a crowded drawing room, with his
aged parent leaning on his arm. There wa!
n dead silence for full five minutes. TIL,
moral beauty of the picture pervaded ever,
soul, and melted away the fost-work from
word-woven hearts. Twas the old fore
ground Of n fashionable resort, whittier host
had come, with all their selfish passions, t
seek in vain for health and pleasure. Blu
here was a yariation-a bit Of truth to ma
ture-in the motley mingling of colors.
From a little brown farm house, pent i
by forests, way up in the old North State,
that young man had gone forth with bray
heart and stalwart arm strong, like his nj
tive hills, he had already made a name f
himself Polished circles opened for hin
and gentle lips babe him welcome. Yet nor
the less carefully did his manly arm suppo
his homely, tottering old mother none Il
less softly md tenderly did he call her
queer though she looked-"my mother
amongst the proud beauties, who had strive
for his favor. Her dress was antiouated. {
the good gifts of her son had been sadly m
tilated by rustic hands yet only one hear
less girl Uttered, despite the broad frilled c,
and well kept shaw Her voice was roug
and often her expression coarse and inelega,
Used to the social mug at home, she ask
for her neighbours goblet at the table, a
was guilty OF many like vulgarities. S
was not an interesting woman, save in |
vigorous age, and her beautiful love of
son. Yet, for a week, the son watched o,
that mother, and gained for her kindness q
Difference, in the very face of fashion, walk
with her, drove with her, helped her, like
infant, up a difficult mountain side of TIVE,
miles, humored her every caprice, and e.
day found some new friend, whose heart
Saight thrill by those gentle words, Z"
mother" To him she was the gentle mot
who rocked him to sleep in childhood,
true to the great commandment she
taught him, he vas making the path smc
for her dependent years.
One there was, in the gay throng. W
eyes flashed, haughtily, as they reste
the homely toiL-wOrn woman; but she
a noble soul, and truth and right game
instant victory over life long preiud
Quietly and elegantly she crossed the r
laid her snowy little hand, with such a
tie, thrilling touch, on the arm of her |
and whispered a word in his ear.-Wi
ever forget the look Of lUve.triumph Il
eyes, or the melting gentleness of his
as he presented his beautiful, high bre
trothed to his cid gray haired doting mo
Twas a holy sight-that Of polished
ing beauty grasping the hand of wrir
homely age when the summer guess
gone, many a one remembered and VI,
hat young man, whose flial devotion
IL a moral suh1imifv Al