Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-09-25
Rabits' Department,
ri H INFLUENCE.
ny l. VIRGINIA FRENCH.

tongue so we may Ms justly call our first
tompers. our 'mother's tempers.'" How
truly it has been said Of her duty, and its
reward
"a mother. In her Office holds the key
OF the soul and che IL IL who stamps The coin
OF character; making the being who should be .
Bat Tor her gentle cares, : ehris.iaa1
Then crown her Queen o the World"
The great and good in all ages Of the
world have borne witness to the mothers
influence" and earth's erring children too
often, and with reason, plead as heir apology
for wrong-doing, the absence Of that moral
and mental training which she alone can beS-
tow. "Poor child she never had q moth
err is the excuse often urged by some kind
hearts when the world sits in judgment upon
one who has fallen away from the pleas
ant ways" Of wisdom and virtue. And there
Is much Of meaning in the apology-more,
perhaps, than can be realized by any one who
has never felt the loss Of a mothers care, a
mothers counsel and a mothers prayers.
Examples Of the mothers power for good
or evil, multiply before us, and may be said
10 constitute /" a multitude which no man can
number" In ancient times, take only one
instance-Monica, the mother Of Augustine.
Her son was, at one time, dissolute, profit
gate, and addicted to the hercsies Of the
Manichees. She laid her sorrows before a
pious minister Of Christ, who, struck with
her piety, her anguish, and her devotion to
her child, exclaimed with enthusiastically
is impossible that the child of such prayers,
and tears, should be finally lostl"
81 should have been an Atheist" remarks
John Randolph, eff it had not been for one
recollection and that was the memory of
the time when my departed mother used to
take my little hands in hers, and teach me
upon my knees to say, "0ur Father who art
in Heavenr' John Quincy Adams paid the
following tender tribute to that excellent wo-
man whom he called mother :" at is due
TO gratitude, and to nature, that | should ac-
knowledge and avow, that such as l have
been, whatever it was-such as / am, what
ever it is-and such as | hope to be in all flu
turity, must be ascribed, under Providence
to the precepts and example of my mother
And what shall we say of the mother of our
beloved Washington, the man without
model, and without a shadow p He was bu'
eleven years Of age, when she was called up
on by a melancholy necessity to assume tn
entire guardianship and control of her youth
full family. And, says our latest and bes
historian, "She proved herself worthy Of tn
trust. lie inherited from her a high temper
and a spirit OF command, but her early pre-
cepts taught him to restrain and govern tina
temper, and to square his conduct upon ii
exact principles Of equality and JUSTICE
Her maxims also had n great influence
forming his character. They were certain
~exemplihed in his conduct throughout life
After her son had become the "cynosure
nations" first Of warriors and statesmen, ST
asked what course Of training she had pui
sued for the production Of SO grand a resul
She replied, that when a child, she had a
ways endeavored to impress upon his mil
the importance Of three things, viz: "ob
dieaee, diligence, and truth"
And to come down to the verge Of o
own times, the memoirs of S. S. Prenti
furnish a striking example Of the effect Of
good mothers influence. There is scare
letter addressed to his mother, in which
does not render some heartfelt, and touch
tribute TO the care and early training VIII
she bestowed upon him, ascribiug his Ell
nent success in his profession, his increas
property, as we'll as whatever Of good th
was in his works, or his nature, to her in
ence, and that of his "sweet sisters"
poleon, the warrior, reverenced the opinion
Madame Mere" Cowper, the poet,
claims to his mothers picture,
"oh that those lips had ~languagel Life hath pa
WITH ME BUT ROUGHLY SINCE l MET THEE LAST
acknowledging her power TO soothe,
smooth, and soften, the asperities of his
and to-day, with us, it is Victoria the mot
not Victoria the Queen, who is the true
real sovereign.
Turn we here from the good mother, wi
"syes ran sweet influence" to az opp,
picture for example look in upon the
and view the path of that brilliant,
wandering star" the soul Of George Go
Byron. lie was just such a creature as
passions, the caprices, and the ~inconsis
cies Of his mother were calculated to /
him. She educated him with no sys
with no aim, and he presents to all col
time the most melancholy spectacle
powerful intellect and richly gifted S
which on earth wore away, wasted itself
out a purpose. Typifying himself, he 81
ola
Wandering mass OF shapeless fame,
"A comet, and a curse"
and his whole wild, restless life was
tiuctuating and lurid shadow Of that Q
trio star which hung over his cradle, a
with its unsteady brilliancy the pathw
his early years.
Or, turn we to another, and q yet s
scene-to q richly freight.d bark
crushing prone" ne'er felt the guidanC
mothers ~hand-which glided over dar
bitter waters, and sank at last into
sea, amid surrounding shadows-th,
barque of a Southern born poet, Edgar
Poe. Had a mothers angel administr
soothed that "soul with sorrow lad,
had her early lessons conducted, in wis
xUav her o,fad b,t - -lpi =