Nebraska advertiser., 1867-12-12
II
A Mothers LcYe.
.,sEoIore liss methsr Iers VI srsr nov. :

any sacrifice within her power? We
have seen a mother reduced 10 penury.
toiliRg, begging for her suffering child
when she would rather die than do il
fer herself When the world heaped
opPrObrium upon her offspring, maternal
love elung TO them none the less deVotedly,
Can mothers heart grow cold to-
ward her child Wild and reckless is
Wrings her heart almost to breaking with
anguish, and sometimes it has broken,
but through grief intense love shines
out mos; clear. An exile-lheir name
forbidden one-her heart goes after
them tenderly and full of yearning
she cannot forget them.
A mothers hopes and ambitions cer-
tire upon her children; they are her
treasures. With what pride she looks
upon Them in the bright morning hours
Of promise; with what a glow of anti
cipatiOn TO the time when they shall take
their places in seats Of honor and prefer
ment; "When my son becomes a man %
The fond heart murmurs. And then her
anxiety as they go out into the world
4 mothers love, ever wstchful and
unchanging goes with US from infancy
10 the grave If her life be spared, and
beyond it, for, surviving, does she forget
you? How often have we seen the lips
culver, and the tears drop when speaking
Of ''the loved and the lost" Diving, her
last earthly thoughts are Of her Children;
they are the strongest and often the only
tie that binds her to earth. Earnestly,
oh, how earnestly she commends them
to God. The last gentle word is spoken,
the last look of love rests upon them, the
last sigh quivers upon her heartstrings,
and the spirit wings its way to the shin
ing ones gone before.
How beautiful, in after years, is the
sweet picture Of q mothers love, when
we have grown weary Of the world, of
It's yanities and deception, It's animosi-
ties and sirifss- As I look back upon
my own mothers life-and hers is buT
a sample Of every true mother s life-so
full Of devotion fer US, her sOhciGude,
ber sympathy, her tender admonitions,
her gentle counsels, her prayers, for US,
| can but fesl how precious is that moth
eT's love.
a mothers love and devotion we can
never repay, bat can we not do some
thing TO eyince our grateful appreciation
Of il? We esteem it a pleasure; we
love 10 contribute to the happiness Of
those even who have 10 claims upon US;
can we net DO as much for the mother
who reared US? We hail with delight
the opportunity Of expressing our graft
tude to n benefactOr, grateful for even
the smallest benefit conferred can we
not render as much to the mother whose
life is devoted to US?
Beautiful it IS to see a child doing
this. How sad, when her labor of love,
her life of devotion, is all unapprecia,ed,
not even recognized; when selfshness
and waywardness is the only return she
receives!
1t is said, in a heathen country, that
the aged. when they become sick and
are left to die uncared.for and
alone. Scarcely less cruel and unfeeling
seems tbs wicked, rebellious conduct of
N a christion land, in discard.
ing 4 mcther's counsels, in turning a
deaf eur 20 her admonitious, in pursuing
their evil InclinatiOns in spite Of warn
iags and ertreGties, thus drapiug her
heart in mourning, and bOwing her down
in SORROW.
4 mothers coursels, her hopes and
desires, her prayers and tears, should be
sacred 70 Us. We shall never find an
earthly friend like her, and when we
lose her we lose the best and sometimes
the only real friend we possess in the
world.
Speak gently to her, you who pass her
by carelessly, indiderently. Oh, how
cruel seems cOldness and neglec. to a
mother! She may make no sign, bu, IL
wounds her sensitive nature none the
less.
Is your mother hard at work wbile
yon, unmindful, are idling away vour
time2 Let not her life be a sacrifice.
lel il not be worn out in unceasing toll:
Tighten heT burdens lift them from her
shoulder; you will not always have her
with you: do not have il to think OF
when she is gone, how much you might
have done, and did il not.
Do you ever give way to impalispce
and spleen? Do you ever speak petu-
lently TO your mother, undutifullv and
rudely. There are those who would pive
worlds, if they possessed them, to recall
what grieVed a mothers heart to have
her back if for one brief hour 70 BEG her
forgiveness. Let not, when she IS Iy-
ing il the cold grave, the remembrance
Of a single bitter word come to haunt
you, to sting you like barbed arrow.
Strive to make her pathway sweet and
pleasant. You viii not gret it when
the hands are folded that did so much
for you; when the eyes are duh and
sighGless that looked so tenderIy upon.
ycu; when the heart has ceased TO throb
that beat so tenderly for you. You Will
wish that you bad done moro, bad loved
her better Oh, be good to your moth
er; be watchful. tender, true. Love
ike hers you viii never know save the
love Of God. You may be poor in this
worlds goods, bu. in the possession Of
II how blest you are OBJ, prize It!
HATTIE A. WINsoR.