The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1867-03-07

peacefui siumOef III nef tnOtuef ,uo>
som, and OF. her seat at nigblfsll on her
weary fathers knees. Six-- seven.
eight t4-nines-- rang out the tale of
her sports upon the greensward. in the
meadow, and beside the brook. Eleven
--twelve--.t .thirteen---fo fourteen--spoke
saore gravely of school days and little
household; joys and cares. Sixteen
seventeen eighteen sounded out. the
enraptured visions Of maidenhood and
the dream OF early love. Nineteen
brought before us the happy BRIDE.
Twenty spoke ,ot The young mother,
whose heart was full TO bursting with
the new, strong love which God had
awakened in her heart. And then
stroke aher;stroke told of her early wo-
manheod-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 grand
mother, living over pgain her own sor-
tows In those Of her children aud chill.
drens children. ,. -
;, Every family of ali the group
wanted grandmother then. and the on
ly strife was who should secure the
prize !; but; hark, the bell. tolls: on -
Seventy--seveniy:one--two-:three-;
four She begins to grow feeble, re-
| quires some care. is not always perfect,
ly patient or satisfied; she goes from
one cbild's house TO anorher, so that no
one place seems like .home. She .mur.
nurs in plaintiff tones; and after all
her, toll and WEAKNESS, it is hard abe
canno. be allowed a home TO" die in (;
that she must he sent rather than invit-
ed from house to house. Eighty
Observation-Disclosures. " All,
she is now second .child-pow, she
has outliVed her usefulness; she has now
ceased to be comfort to herself or any.
body ~ that is, she has ceased to be
profitable to- her earth craving and
money grasping children. ,.::s
| Now sounds out, ,reverberating through
our lovely forest, and echoing back from
our /" hill of the Dead" eightv>nino l.
There she lies nov in the coffin, cold
and still--she makes no trouble now,
demands no love, no soft words, no ten
der little Offices. A look of pa lent en-
durance. we fancied, also,a expression
of grief for unfequitted love, sat on her
marble features. -, Her children were
there, clad-in weeds Of woe, and as in
irony we remembered tho strong mans
words, "-She was a good motherin her
day" 49,. > -.,..-.,. ....... = .
When the bell ceased .oling, the
strange minister rose TO the pulpit
His form was very erect, and his voice
strong, but his hair was silgery white.
lie read several passages of scripture
expressive Of Gods compassion TO feeble
man, and especially of his tendelness
when. gray hairs are on lrim and bis
strength faileth. He then made some
touching remarks on human frailty
and our dependence 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 -."Then," he said
"the eternal God shall be thy refuge, and
| beneath !. thee shall be the everlasting
arms" Leaning over The desk,;and gaz-
ing inten,ly on the coAined form before
him. he. then said reverently: =" From
I little child | have benored the aged
but never ill gray. hairs covered my
own head, did I know truly how much
love aud sympathy this class have q
right 10 demand, Of their fellow crea,
lures. Now feel il. Oh mother." !" he
ad ded most teuderly," "wha new lies IL
death before us, was n stranger. 10 me
as are adj of these, her descendants!--
All I know cf her Is what her son has
told me to-day--that she was brought
to this town from afar, sixty-nine years
ago, happy bride-that here she pass
ed the most Of her life, toi!ing, rs only
mothers ever have strength TO toll, unit
she had reared a large family of SOM
and .daughters----that she left her hom,
g. here, clad 10 the weeds Of widowhood
TO dwell among her children; and tha
till health and strength left her. Goo
furbid that conscience should accuse an,
ofyou Of ingra,itude or murmuing OF
, account oflhe care she has been TO you
Of late. When you go back to you
homes, be careful of your example be
fore your own children {; for. the fruit o
your, own doing you will surely raal
! from them. when you yourselves to,te
on the brink Of the grave. = i eutrea
r you, as a friend, as one who has him
r self entered the evening Of life, that yo
/, may never saw, in the presence Of you
{ families nor Of Heaven "'Our lnothe
had ouiliyed her nfefulness--she was
. | hnrInr 10 un. y. m nnnr nnua. a m nt lro