St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1867-08-16
".She has Outfired he.. Csefuf-
ness:

for the minister. When informed that
he was out of town. he seemed diSap-
pointed and anxious. On being ques-
toned rs 10 his business, he replied, -
have lost my mother, and my father lies
here; we have come TO Law her beside
him.
Our heart rose in sympathy, and We
said, 'Iou have met with grcsf
loss. -
'Well-yeS,' replied the strong man.
with he>itancy, ~ mother Is great
loss in general: but our mother has out
lived her usefulness she WAS in her sec
ond childhood, and her mind was as
weak rs her body, 80 that she was no
comfort TO herself. and WAS a burden TO
everybody There were seven of Us,
sons and daughters. and as We could moi
find ANYBODY who was willing to board
her, We agreed TO keep her a wear about
But I've 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 she was good mother IN her
day, and ioiled very hard 10 bring us ali
up
Without looking at the face of the
heartless man, we directed him 10 the
house OF 4 neighboring pastor, and re-
turned 10 our own nursery. We gazed
on the little faces which smiled or wrew
sad In imitation of ourS-ihose little ones
10 who's ear no word IN our language X
half 80 sweet ;S smother - and We won
dered If that day could come when they
would say OF Us, ',She has outliyod her
usefulness l. NO comfort 10 herself.
and a burden 10 everybody else :" and
we hoped that before such day would
dawn, we might be taken 10 our rest
God forbid that We should oullive the
love of our children, Rather let Us die
while onr hearts are n part of their own,
that our graves NAV be witerod with
their tears. and our love linked with
their hopes of heaven,
When the bell tollel for the mothers
funeral. we went 10 the sanctuary 10 pay
our only token of respect for the aged
stranger; for We could give her memory
4 tear, even ihou.h her own children
had none 10 she'i-
'.Nhe w:s = rood mother in her lav.
and toiled hard 10 bring Us al up-She
was no comfort 10 herself and a burden
TO everybody else These cruel. heart
les wor,l- ram in our ears as we SAW
the coffin borne up the aisle, The bell
tolle,l long and loud until liz iron tongue
had clroniclel the yeaIs OF the toil-worn
mother One-two-ihree- -four-tiNe
How clearly AMI almost merrilv each
stroke told Of her own peaceful slumbcr
in her mothers bosom. and of her seat al
nichtiall on her weary fathers knee
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES out
the tale of her sports on the green sw:irl,
I'm the meadow and bv The brook
-twelve-illirfetll-
fifteen->poke more gravcly ot school
days and little household JOYS and care~,
Scvenieen-eiehte,-l-- sound
Ell out the enraptured visions of maiden
hood. and the dream oi early love.
Nineteen brought before us the happy
bride Twenty spoke oi the youne
mother. whose heart WAS inll io burst
j ing with the new. stron- love which God
had awakened in her bosom And then
stroke after stroke told of her woman
hood. oi the loves and cares. and hopes,
fears and tolls through which she ha>
passed during these long wears, till fifty
rang ont harsh and loud From that tu
I sixty each stroke told OF The warm heart
Ell mother and grandmother living over
again her own JOYS and sornowS in thosr
, OF her children. and children's children.
: Every family of the group wanted grand
. mother then, and the only strife MAS
who should secure the prize, hut hark
, the he'll tolls on, Serenty-serenty-one
r -two-ihnee-four.
She begins 10 grow feeble, requires
D some care, i not ALWAYS perfectly pa
tient or satisfied; She goes from one
E chilTs house 10 another, - that no one
seems like home. She murmurs IN plain-
: tive tones. that after all her toll and
I wearinesS. II i hard she cannot be al
lowed home 10 die in: that she musi
: be sent. rather than invited. from house
, 10 house Eighty-eighty-one-two-
= three-iour-ah, she l. now Z second
c child-nOw -'she has ouilived her Use
iulness. She has ceased 10 be 4 comfort
TO herscl. or anybOdy;" that l., She ha,
e CEASED TO be profitable TO her earth-crav-
T ing and money-grasping children
:, Now sounds cut. reverberaiing through
e Onr lovely forest, and echoing back from
e our hill uf the dead, eigh1y-nine,
4 There she lies now in her coffin, cold,
n dead and siill->he makes no trouble
, now. no soft words. no tender little off,
=, Cts. \ look of patient endurance, We
|, fancied also an expression OF grief tOI
1 unrequitel love, sat on her marble fea-
lures. Her children Were there, clad IA
5 weeds of woe, and in an irony We re-
membered tie strong mans words '-She
was a good mother in her day"
When the bell ceased tolling, the strang,
P minister rose in the pulpit His form
e was very erect. and his voice strong, bui
his hair WAS silvery white. He read
y several passages Of scripture expressive
5 of Gods compassion TO feeble man, ant
especially of his tenderness when gray
hairs are on him, and his strength fail
f eth. lie then made some touching Re,
i marks on human frailiy, and on depend
b ence Oh God, urging all present I,
d make :heir peace with their Mastel
Q while in health, that thev might CLAIM
), their promises when heart and fie>l
o should fail them. Then" he SAID
9 1.-THE eternal God shall be my refuge and
: beneath thee shall be the everlasting
3: arms" Leaning over the desk, and
n gazing on the coffined form before hum.
L. =