Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-06-11
Fireside Department.
A Mothers Love.

The tenderest illustrations o
Divine love are drawn from the
well-known and almost universe
affection of parents for their off
spring. "Like as father pitietl
his children, so the Lord pitietl
them that fear him." ''If We then
being evil, know how to give
good gifts unto your children
how much more shall your Fa
ther which is in heaven give goot
things to them that ask him 2" In
the instance given below by the
Edinburgh Witness, the strength
OF maternal love isEmost touch
ingly exhibited, and by the com
parison a clearer conception il
given OF the power and long-suf-
fering of Gods love. awhile we
were vet sinners, Christ died fol
u.s. While the sinner is still fal
from.G .God, his grace persues, con.
victs, converts and saves the
wanderer.
In the Highlands of Scotland
a poor widow found herself una
BILE to pay tbe rent OF her small
cottage, and the agent of the
landlord threatened to dispossess
her. A kindsman who lived al
some distance had promised to
assist her, and she set out for his
residence, carrying on her back
her only child, a boy about two
years old.
The morning in which she left
her home, gave promise of a love.
ly day. But before noon the
heavens were darkened by a
gathering storm. 1t was in the
month of May, and the fall Of
snow on that day, SO unusual
both for its season and its sever
ity, is yet remembered in the re-
gion as 'sthe great May storm"
The severity of the storm over
took the lone traveller in a wild
mountain pass, ten miles from
her home. She knew that a mile
beyond it there was a house
where she would find shelter; but
whenever she attempted to face
the blast which was rushing
through the gorge, all hopes fail
ed of proceeding in that direc-
ton.
After wandering for some time
among the huge fragments OF
granite which skirted the base OF
the overhang1ng precipices, she
found a sheltered nook under a
ledge of rock, where she crouch
ed, pressing her child to her
trembling bosem. The storm
continued to rage, and it became
bitterly cold. All she thought
ofwas the protection of her child.
She wrapped him in her shawl,
which was thin and worn. As
night came on, she stripped off
almost all her own clothing and
wrapped it around the child,
whom at last, indespair, she put
it in deep crevice Of the rock
among some dried heather and
fern. Covering his face with tears
and kisses, she left him in a soft
sleep, and rushed into the snow
drift, resolved to find assistance
for him or perish in the attempt.
That night of storm was sue
ceeded by a peaceful morning.
The people of the village, fear
ing that she could not have reach
ed her destination, set out in
body to search for her. They
reached the pass, and at its en-
trance they found the widow
dead, her arms stretched forth as
if emploring assistance. Before
noon the cries of the child guild
ed them to its safe hiding place,
where all the story of the moth
er's love was revealed.
Fifty years later, an aged min
lister was preaching in a distant
city on the love of Christ, and in
illustrating the nature of the
Glove which seeketh not her
own," he told the story of the
Highland widow, whom he had
known in his boyhood. Some
time afterward, a message was
brought to him from man sup
posed to be dying, who greatly
desired to see him. The request
was speedily complied with. The
sick man seized him by the hand,
and, gazing intently in his face,
said, "You do not know me, but
l know you, and knew your ia
ther before you. have been a |
wanderer in many lands, and
have fought and bled for my
country. l came to this town a
few weeks ago in bad health,a land
was providentially led to the
place where you were preaching.
l heard you tell the story of the
widow and her son." Here the
voice ofthe old soldier falterd. |
but recovering himself for a mo-
ment he cried, ~ am that son l'
and burst into a flood of tears.
eyes," he continued when he
had regained his composure, 81
am that son Well might you ask
what a heart would mine have
been if such a mothers love had
been forgotten by me. | never
forgot her, and my last desire is
to lay my bones beside hers in
The old church yard ameng the
hills. But what covers me with
shame is, that until now | never
saw the love of the Saviour in
giving himself for poor sinners"
With deep emotion, he added,
1T was God made you tell that
story. Praise to his holy name
ny mother has not died in vain,
md the prayer she offered for me
has been answered. The story of
ler love has been used by the