Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-04-27
LIEEsIADDRESSED TO MRS. JNO. n.
ERWIN
TO MY MOTHER.


TO MY MOTHER.
Since thou art in the cold grave laid,
And God has called thee to thy rest,
Twill not Time and Death upbraid
As Robbers Of thy presence best
But like thy noble self, will seek
From Him we serve, the reason why
Against His creatures, crushed and weak,
Such mighty bolts Of wrath must fly.
To His all seeing eye alone,
Thy deeds of love so numberless,
And heart set free from self, were shown
In all their fervent faithfulness.
He only knew the trials keen
As wife and mother thou hast borne,
When sickness, pain, and care have been
For days and nights the trammels worn
When through them all, thy valiant soul
Looked up TO Him, and strength received,
To press with ardor to the goal,
Each days fresh labors still achieved.
To Him alone thy woes were breathed
When parents, husband, brothers lost,
Thy spirit, agoniZing seethed
Upon bereavements' maelstrom tost.
when all thy sons, three noble ones,
Successive left thee here to mourn,
HIS ear alone received thy groans,
He only, knew, thou vert forlorn.
For up to thee, as to Star
To lead them out Of dreary ways,
Thy daughters gazing from afar,
Drew light and comfort from thy rays.
Thy long afflicted husband too,
Whose heart ami mind in thee reposed,
Mid intellectual treasures, drew
From thee the joys his life disclosed.
Thy fortitude so high and grand
Thy strength to do, when others fell,
To bind in one enduring band
The children thou didst love so we'll
ThT ministrations day and night
Among the lowly and the poor,
Thy love of justice, and of right,
Thy sympathy for bosoms sore
Thy lofty talents chiefly spent
In private duties out Of view,
Thy noble presence, all unbent
BY age, when Death HE arrow throw
Appeal to us of thee bereft,
To ask Of God the reason why,
Such love as ours thy spirit left,
Though loved ones waited In the sky.
No vision answers to my prayer
But His own words, sweet comfort give,
For Christ, q mansion shall prepare,
For those who TO His glory live.
Blessed are they, who In the Lord
Die, and unto their Father go;
And such, obtain supreme reward
AS, many tTibulations know.
Before the glorious throne Of God
Nor heat nor want, shall reach them more
The Lamb shall guide them by His rod
And from their eyes no tears shall pour.
For unto them the King shall say
aye blessed of MY Father comei
The Kingdom is your own to-day
Inheritance OF duties done.
ttFor since unto the least ofsthese
Ny little ones, We offered free,
Sweet charities without decrease,
Ye also gave them unto Me"
Thus God has answered to the crv
or lovely panied bereavement born,
And bade me also answer why
Hearts filed with love, by grief are torn.
Like as a Father pitieth those
The children of His fOndest love.
So God His pity will discl lose,
To all who seek His grace to prove.
And whom He loves He chasteneth,
Reminding, of His power and grace;
And by Affections hasteneth,
The moment when we seek His face.
Thus, though we mourn thine absent form
And all the dear delights we knew,
While yet thy heart beat fond and warm,
To every lofty instinct true.
We Yield thy gracious presence now
To Him who made thee great and pure,
And TO His fat humbly bow,
Though Time can ne'r thine absence cure
Ali Mother, though thy spirit dwells
Among the blest, beyond our call,
Thy influence yet thy mission tells,
And like the dew, doscends on all.
While distance and their duties, parts
Some North, some South, some East, som
West,
Thy children's undivided hearts,
In love and faith, stin hold thee best,
And with q fond religious zeal,
Recall thy wishes and commands,
And ev'rmore believe and feel
Thou'Tt waiting them in heavenly lands.
REBECoA j. Corr.
NASHVILLE, Tenn, April, 1873.