Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-02-06
fur the Nnnte Gitfle.
MY MOTHERS VOICE.

MY MOTHERS VOICE.
A friend told me, some time ago, q beau
tiful story about kind words. A good la
dy, living in one of our large cities, was
passing drinking saloon just as the keeper
was tbrusting a young man out into the
street. He was very young and very pale I;
but his haggard face and wild eyes told
that he was very far gone in the road to
ruin, as with oaths, he brandished his
clenched fists, threatening to be reyenged
on the man who had so i'll used him. This
poor young man was so excited and blinded
with passion, that he did not see the lady,
who stood very near to him, until she laid
her hand upon his arm, and spoke in her
gentle, loving voice, asking Whist was the
matter. ...
At the first kind word, the young man
started as though heavy blow had struck
him, and turned quickly round, paler than
before, and trembling from head to foot.
He surveyed the lady a moment, and then,
with sigh of relief, he said, 81 thought
lit was my mothers voice, it sounded 30
strangely like it! But her voice has been
hushed in death for many years"
"You had mother, then," said the la
dy, ssand she loved you?"
Bursting into tears, he sobbed out, ooh
yes, had an angel mother, and she loved
her boy! But since she died, all the world
has been against me, and am lost-lost
to good society, lost to decency, lost for
ever!'
sNo, not lost forever: For God is mer-
ciful, and his pitying love can reach the
chief of sinners" said, the lady, in her low,
sweet voice; and the timely words swept
the hidden cords of feeling, which had long
been untouched, awakening host of ten
der emotions, which had been buried very
deep beneath the rubbish of sin and crime.
More gentle words the lady spoke, and
when she passed on her way, che young
man followed her. He marked the house
which she entered, and wrote the name
which was on the door-plate in his little
memorandum book Then he walked slow
ly away, with deep, earnest look on his
white face, and deeper and more earnest
feelings in his aching heart.
Years gided by, and the gentle lady had
quite forgotten the incident We have rela-
ted, when one day stranger sent up his
card, and desired to speak with her. Won
dering who it could be, she went down to
the parlor, where she found noble look
ing, well dressed man, who rose deferen-
TALLY to meet her. Holding out his hand,
be said, "Pardon me, madam, for this in
trusion but I have come many miles to
thank you for the great service you rem
dered me few years ago."
The lady was puzzled, and asked for an
explanation, as she did not remember ever
having seen the young man before.
81 have changed so much" said he, "that
you have quite forgotten me; but though
1 only saw your face once, I am sure I
should have recognized it anywhere. And
your voice too-it is so like my mothers J"
These last words brought to her recollec-
tion the poor young man she had spoken to
in front of the drinking saloon so long be-
fore, and she mingled her tears with those
which were falling slowly over the mans
cheeks. After the first gush of emotion
had subsided, he sat down, and told how
those few gentle words had been instrumen-
tai in saving him and making him what he
was. "The earnest expression OF, mo, not
lost forever followed me wherever went,
and it always seemed that it was the voice
of my mother speaking to me from the tomb.
repented of my many transgressions, and
resolved to live new life and, by the mer-
cy and grace of God, I have been enabled
to resist temptation and keep my good re-
solutions"
81 never dreamed there was such power
in few kind words before" exclaimed the
lady; ssand surely after this I shall take
more pains to speak them to all the sad
and suffering ones I meet in the walks of
life. ."-Mother's Treasury.