Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-02-11

tale Of her sports on the grcensward, in the
meadow and beside the brook. Eleven
twelve - thirteen - fourteen = spoke moro
gravely Of school days and little household
Joys aud cares. Sixteen--seveuteen- eighteen
sounded out the enfaptured visions Of
maidenhood aud the dream Of early love.
Nineteen brought before us the happy bride.
Twenty spoke Of the young mother, whose
heart was full to bursting with the new,
strong love which God had awakened 10 her
bosom. Aud then stroke alter stroke told Of
her early womanhood-of the loves, and
cares, and hopes, and fears, aud tolls through
which she passed during these long years,
till fifty rang out harsh aud loud. From
that to sixty, each stroke told Of the warm
hearted mother aud grandmother, living over
again her own joys aud sorrows 10 those Of
her children aud chiloreu's children.
Every family Of all the group wanted
grandmother then, and the only strife was
who should secure the prize but, bark, the
the bell tolls on Seventy--seventy- one--
two--three---four. Sac begius to grow fee
BILE, requires some care, is not always per.
fectly patient or satisfied she goes from one
child's house to another, so that no one place
seems like home. She murmurs in plaintive
tones, aud after all her tolls aud WEAKNESS,
it is hard she cannot be allowed place TO
die 10 that she must DO sent rather than
invited from house to house. Eighty--eighty-
ne--two-three--four. All, she is now a
second chilI--now 'she has outlived her use.
fulness, she has now ceased to be comfort u
herself or anybody !" that is, she has ceased
to be profitable to her earth.craving AND
money-graspiug children.
Now sounds out, reverberating through
our lovely forest, and echoine back from our
chill Of the dead" eighty-niue There sh,
lies now in the coffin, cold and still---sh,
makes no trouble now, demands no love, nc
soft words, no tender little Offices A looI
Of patient endurance, we fancied also al
expression Of grief for unrequited love, sa
on her marble features. Her children wer
there clad 10 weeds of woe, and ia an irony
we remembered the strong mans words, "sh
was good mother in her day.
When the bell ceased tolling tn
strange minister rose in the pulpit. Ill
form was very erect. and his voice strong
but his hair was silvery white. He read sew
eral passages of scripture expressive G
: Gods compassion TO feeble man, au
especially of his tenderness when gra
hairs are on him, aud his strength failet
him. lie then made some touchin
remarks on human frailty, aud Of depend
euce on God, urging all present to max
= their peace with their Master while in healtl
that they might claim his promises whs
: heart and flesh failed them. Then"
u SAID, "the eternal God shall be thy retug
Z and beneath thee shall be the everlastin
arms" Leaning over the desk. aud gain
intently on tho cofhnod form before him,
. then said reverently, "From Il child hS,
u honored the aged but never till gray ha
J, covered my own head, did truly kAow no
Il much love and sympathy this class have rigl
j to demand Of their fellow creatures. Now
. feel it. Our mother" no added most tel
u derly "who now lies in death before US WI
a stranger to me, as are all Of these, hor d,
J. scendants. AN know of her is what hC
e son has told me to-day-that she was brougl
. to this town from alar, sixty-nine years az
= a happy bride-that here she has pass
u most of her life, toiling, as only m,thers ev
L have strength to toll, until she had reared
u large family Of sons and daughters--that 81
) left her home here, clad in the weeds
'e widowhood. to dwell among her children
- and that till health and strength left he
Is God forbid that conscience should accuse al
u Of you of ingratituds or murmuring on a
IT count of the care she has been to you Of lat
= When you go back to your homes, be carer
v of your example before your own children
y for the fruit Of your own doing youw
70 surely reap from them when you yourself
- totter on the brink of the grave. entire
le you as a friend. as one who has himself e
Is tered the evening of life, that you may new
d. say in the presence of your families nor
j. heaven Our mother had out-ived her Us
y fullness--she was burden to us Neve
~ never a mother cannot live so long as tina
J. Mo- when she can no longer labor for h
:, children, nor yet care for herself, she can Fl
ID like precious weight on their bosoms, al
10 call forth by her helplessness all the nobl
generous feelings Of their natures"
O. Adieu, then, poor, tOil.wOrn mother
20 there are no more days of pain for the
y Undying vigor aud everlasting usefulness a
Ut part Of the inheritance of the redeemed.