Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-02-20

| Not long since, good looking man IN mid
die life came to our door, asking for Z" the
minister When informed that he was out
of town, he seemeddisappoinsed and anxious.
On. being questioned as to his business; he
! replied: 81 have lost my mother, and this
place used to be her home, and as my father
lies here, we have come to lay her beside
him."
Our heart rose in sympathy, and We said,
1You have met with great loss p.
Well-yes," replied The strong nau, with
hesitancy, a mother is.a great loss-in gen.
eral; but our mother had outlved her use.
fulness. She was in her second childhood,
and her mind was growna as weak as her body,
so,that she was no comfort to herself and
was burden to everybody. There were
seven of MS Sons aud daaghters; and, rs we
could not find any one who would board her,
we agreed to keep her among US o year
about; but have had more than my share
of her, for she was too feeble to DC moved
| when my time was out, an6 that was more
than three months before her death. But then
size was good mother in her day, and toiled
very hard 70 bring US ups
Without looking at the face Of the heart.
less man, we directed him TO the house. of a
neirhburing pastor, and returned to our nur-
scry. We gazed 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 " mother,'
and we wondered if that day could ever come
when they would say Of us, "She has outlved
her usefulncss-sbc is no comfort to herself,
and a burden to everybody else, we
hoped that before such day would dawn We
might BE taken to our rest. God forbid that
We should outlive the love of our children!
r ,ther let US die while our healts are part
ol,their own, that our grave may be watercd
with their tears. and our love linked with
their hopes OF Heaven.
When the bell tolled for the mothers burisi,
we went 10 the sanctuary TO pay Our only
token of respect 10 the aged stranger; for
we felt that we could give her memory
GEAR, even though her own children had none
TO she'd.
"She was good mother in hs: day and
teicl hard to bring us all up-she was no
comfort to herself, and burden to everybody
esseI' These cruel, heartiess words rung in
our ears as we saw the cUilin borre up the
aisle. The bell tollcd long and loud, until its
iron tongue had chronicied the years of the
,oil.worn mother One-two-tlrce-fuur
five. How clearly and al. ost merrily each
,trokc told ,of her once peaceful slumber in
her mothers bosom. and Of her seat at night
fall OH her weary fathers knees. Sjx-scven
-eight-ninc-ien-r out the taie OF her
sports upon the Z: g:eensward, in the meadow,
and beside the brook. Eleven-twelre--
,hir,ceu-rourtcen-spoke more grayely of
-.chool days and little household joys and
cares. Observation-Disclosures, ad.
ed out the enraplurrd visions Of madcnhdod
and the dream Of carly love. Nineteen
brought before US the happy bride. Twenty
smoke of the Young mother, whose heart was
| Inll TO bursting with the new, strong love
! which God had awakened in Ter heart And
then stroke alter stroke told Of her early wo-
uanhood-of the loves, and cares, 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
| Grandmother, living over again her own sor-
rows-in those Of her children ard children s
children.
Every family of all the group wanted
grandmother then, and the only striie'was
who should secure the prize; but, ;hark, the
bell tolls on Scyenly-sercnty. one--two
-tbree-tour She b%gins to grow fecble,
REQUIRES some care, is not always perfectly
patient or satisfied; she goes from one cliild's
! house to another; so that no one place seems
like home She murtnurs in plaIntiye tones,
and after all her toll and WEAKNESS, tits hard
she cannot be allowed home to die in !; that
she must be seat rather. than invited from
house to house. Eighty-eighty- y-ouc-two--
three-four All, she is now second chhd
nov. "she las outlyed her usefulness, she
has now ceased to be comfort TO herself or
arybody;" that is, she has ceased to be profita
Bile to her earth craving and money grasp;pg
children.
Now sounds out, reverberating through our
lovely forest, and cchoing back from our
chill of the dead" cighty-nine! There she
lies now in the coffin, cold ind still-she
makes no trouble now, demands no love, no
snit words, no tender little Offices. A look
4 of patient endurance, we fancied, also an ex-
preston Of grief for unrequited love, sat on
her marble features. Her children were
there, clad in weeds of woe, and as in irony
we reIRCuDeTGu LUG uIdu wOEuo,
"She was a good mother in her day."
VIII the bell ceased tolHng, the strange
. minister rose to the~pulpit. His form was
very erect, and his voice strong. but his hair
was silvery white. He read several passages
of scripture expressive Of GODS compassion
to feeble man, and especially of his tender.
ness when gray hairs are on him and hi,
strength faileth. He then made some touch
:, ing remarks on human frailty, and our de-
4 pendence on God, urging all present TO make
their peace with their Master while in health,
that they might claim his promises when
heart and health failed them. Theh,n lie
said athe eternal God shall be thy refuge,
and beneath thee shall be the everlasting
arms.n Leaning over the desk, and gazing
intently on the cofflned form before hin, ,s
then said reverently; I" From little child
have hono-ed the aged but never till gray
hairs covered my own head, did know truly
how much love and sympathy this class have
right to demand of their fellow creatures.
Now I feel itn "0ur MOTHER" he added
dinost tenderly, "who now lies in death befere
ps, was stranger TO me, as are: all of these,
her descendants. All know of her is what
her son has told me today-that she vas
brought to this town from aGar, sigty-rne
) years ago, happy bride-that here she nas
passed fuost of her life, toilng, as only moth.
ers ever have strength to toll, until She lad
reared large family Of sons and daughters
THAT she left her home here, clad intho
weeds of widowhood, to dwell among her
Children; and that till health and strength
Id Lo. aod Sort;d that cnnsrien.a s,,.njd