Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-02-20
ssshe Has outlived Her Usefuiness:"
By MRS. J, CHAPLIN.

j Not long since, Sood LOOKING man ~ intu ~
die life came to our door, asking for y" the
minister When informed that he was out
of town, he seemed'disappointed 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 VIC said
- You have met with great loss p.
Well-yes," replied the strong inau, with
hestancy, I" a mother is,a great 4oss-in gen.
eral; but our mother had ontlived her use
| fulness. She was in her second childhood,
aud her mind was grown as weak as her body,
so.that she was no comfert to herself, and
was burden to everybody. There were
seven of MS sons and daughters; and, as 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 be moved
when my time was out and that was more
| than three months before her death. But then
sic was a good mother in her day, and tollcd
very hard 10 bring US up"
Without looking at tho face OF the heart.
less man, we directed him to the house. of q
neiehburing pastor, and returned to our nur-
] scry. We gazsd 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 hasoutlived
her usefulness-she is no comfort to herself,
and burden to everybody elsc,'-and we
hoped that before such q day would dawn We
might be taken to our rest. God forbid that
We should outiye the love of our children )!
r .ther let US die while our healts are part
ul, their own, that our grave may be watered
with their tears, and our love linked with
their hopes Of Heaven.
When the bell tolled for the mothers burial,
we went TO the sanctuary TO pay Our only
token of respect TO the aged stranger; for
wc felt that we could give her memory a
,ear, even though her own children had none
to she'd
"She was good mother in her day and
teilci hard to bring us all up-she was no
comfort to herself, and burden to everybody
elser' These cruel, hcar,less words rung in
our ears as we saw the collin borne UP the
aisle. The bell tolled long and loud, until its
iron tongue had chronicied the years Of the
oil- worn mother. One-two-tLrce-fuur
five. How clearly and almost merrily each
,troke told rof her once peaceful slurber in
| her mothers bosom. and OF her seat at mig ht-
fall on her weary fathers knees. Sjx-seven
ght-ninc-ien-raIg out the tale of her
sports upon the g:eensward, in the meadow,
and beside the orook. Eeven-twelve-
| eu-JDurtecn-spoke more grayely OF
-:chool days and little household joys and
cares. Sixtcen-seventecn-c ighteen-sound.
ed out the enrapiurrd visions Of maidcnhGod
and the dream of carly love. Nineteen
brought before US the happy bride. Twenty
spoke OF the young mother, whose heart was
lull to bursting with the new, strong love
which God had awakened in Ter heart. And
then stroke alter stroke told Of her early wo-
nanhood-of the loves, and cares, and hopes,
and fears, apd tolls through which she passed
during these long years. till fifty rang out
harsh aud loud. From that to sixty, each
stroke told of the warm hearted mother and
grandmother, living over again her own sor-
roys-in those Of her children ard children's
| children
Every family of all the group wanted
grandmother then, and the on IL strile,was
who should secure the prize; but, .hark, the
bell tolls on Scvenly-sercny one--two
-three-iour. She bggins to grow fepble,
requires some care, is not always perfectly
patient or satisfied she goes from one cHid's
! house to another; so that no one place seems
like home. She murrnurs in plalntive tones
aud after all her toll and WEAKNESS, tits hard
she cannot be allowed home to die in tha,
she must be- seat rather. than. invited from
house to house. Eighty-eighty -oue-two-
three-four. All, she is now second CHILD
nov. "sbe has outliyed her usefulness, she
has now ceased to be comfort TO herself OF
an ybody;" that is, she has ceased to be pro6ta
BILE to her earth craving and money grasp:ng
children.
Now sounds out, reverberating through oul
lovely forest, and cchoing back from odl
chilli of the dcad,d cight5-nine! There she
lies now in the coffin, cold and stll-she
makes no trouble now, demands no love, nc
snft words, no tender little oflices. a lool
4 of Datien, endurance we fancied, also an ex
pression Of grief for unrequited love, sat on
her marble features Her children were
there, clad in weeds of woe, and ds in irony
we remembered the strong mans. words
"She was a good mother in her day."
VIII the bell ceased toliing, the strange
minister rose to theSpulpit. His form was
very erect, and his voice strong. but his hail
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 fai!sth. He then made SOME touch.
j ing remarks on human frailty, and our de-
4 pendeace 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," lie
said, athe eternal God shall be thy refuge,
and beneath thee shall be the everlasting
arms" Leaning over the desk, and gazing
intently on the coflned form before him, ie
then said reverently; !" From little chilG
have hono-ed the aged but never till gray
hairs covered my own head, did know trrly
how much love and sympathy this class have
a right to demand of their fellow creatur.s.
Now I feel it." "Our MOTHER he added
1 most tenderly, "who now lies in death before
US, 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, siEty-Ine
years ago, a happy bride-that here she has
passed nost of her life, toiling, 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 inthc
weeds Of widowhood,- to dwell among her
children; and that till health and strength
lleG Der. God tosbid that conscience should