The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-03-30
THE MOTHER AND HER BOY.
An Incident Told by Rev. Mr.. Moody, the
Evangelist, in One of his Sermons.

l
An Incident Told by Rev. Mr.. Moody, tn
| Evangelist, in One of his Sermons.
In England 1 was told about an onl,
son-these only sons are hard to brinl
up properly they have every whim an,
caprice gratifed they have grown NJ
headstrong, self-willed, and obstinate
and make it miserable for any one tt
have anything to do with them. Well
this son had father something like him
self in disposition. And one day
| quarrel arose between them, and at last
as the son would not give in and own he
was wrong, the father in fit of anger
| said that he wished his son would leave
his house and never come back again.
"Well," rejoined the boy Gas angry as
his father), "I will leave, and 1 never
will enter your house again until you
ask me-" "Well, then, you won't come
back in hurry" replied his father.
The boy then left. The father then
gave up the boy, but the mother did not.
Perhaps these men here won't I'M
derstand that, but you women do. A
great many things will separate man
from his wife, father from his son,
but nothing i'll the wide, wide world will
ever separate mother from her child.
A jury can bring in a verdict against h I
son the hisses may go up against him
he is condemned to be hanged ; there is
not a friendly paper to write an article
in his favor. But if his mother be there,
the boy has at least one eye to rest upon
him, one heart to beat in sympathy with
him. He is taken to the cold. damp
cell and left to his fate. All forsake him
but his mother. She comes there she
puts her arms around his neck /; she
kisses him she would spend all the
time with him If the officers would allow
it. She cannot save him. The day be-
fore his execution she see him for the
last time she has not the courage to see
him in the shadow of the gallows. The
is led forth, and in few minutes he
bangles a corpse. Does the mother
then forget himi No; even now she
goes to his grave, strews flowers upon
it, and waters them with her tears. A
mothers love is next to Gods love.
Death is stronger than everything else
yes, but with the exception of one thing
a mothers love. Death and decay may
wreck city, buildings may cease to
exist, everything yields before him but
mothers love. To refer to the illus
tration again When the father had
given the boy up, he thought he would
never come back, the mother was taken
very sick. She had been trying by
every means in her power to effect a
reconciliation between the father and
son. When she found she could not re-
cover from her illness, she again re-
newed her efforts with all the power of
q mothers love. She wrote to her son,
imploring him to ask his fathers for
giveness. He sent word back that he
would not write to his father unless his
father first wrote to him. 81 will never
come home until he asks me-" he said.
The mother began to get lower and
lower. Her husband at this time came
to her bedside and asked if there was
anything he could do for her. eyes, yes, "
she cried, "there is one thing-you can
send for my boy. That is the only wish
I have on earth that is not gratiiied. If
you do not care for him while am alive,
who will care for him when am gone Z
I cannot bear to die and leave my child
among strangers. Just let me see him
and speak to him and will die in
peace" The father said he could not
send for him. He could, but he
wouldn't. He did not want to. The
mother has but few hours now to live.
She again beseeches her husband that
he will send for their son. The father
said he would send dispatch to him,
but in her name. "No, no; that would
not do" Well, he can stand it no long
er, and he signs his own at the foot o.
the telegram. 1t was sent, and the
moment the boy received it he took the
first train home. The father was stand
ing by the side of the bed when the son
arrived. But when he saw the door open
he turned his back upon him aid walked
away. The mother grasped the hand Of
her boy aud pressed it again ana again,
and kissed him fervently. "Oh just
speak to your father, won't you2 Just
speak the first word" "No, mother,
will not speak to him until he speaks to
me-" The excitement was too much
and she was rapidly sinking. She told
her husband she was dying. She now
took his hand in one of hers, and held
the hand of her boy in the other, and
sought and strove to bring about re-
Cancellation. But neither would speak,
With her last strength she then placed
the hand of the son into the hand of the
father and sunk down into The arms OF
death, and was borne by the angels into
the kingdom of God. The father looked
at the wife and then at the boy he
caught his eye; they fell upon each
others neck, and there stood weeping
by the bed of the departed. That is the
illustration l have given, but it is not a
fair illustration in this respect: God is
not angry with us. With that excep.
tion it is good illustration of reconcili
alton. Christ brought the hand of the
Father clear down to this world He
put the hand of the sinner into the hand
of His Father and died that they might
be reconciled. You have nothing to dc
then to bring about a reconciliation
God is already reconciled to us and i:
ready to save us.