The Newtown bee., 1878-03-21
8&lSs5:@s Stories.
She Has outlived Her Useful
 ness


 middle life, came to our door asking for
 ''the minister" When informed that
 he was out of town, he seemed disap
 pointed and anxious. On being quest toned as to his business, he replied: II have lost my mother. and as this place used to he her home, and my father Elies here, we have come to lay her beside him"
 Our heart rose in sympathy, and we said:
 "You have met with a great loss"
 Well, yes,' replied the strong man, ! with hesitancy "a mother is a great loss in general; but our mother had outlyed her usefulness she was in her second childhood, and her mind was grown as her body, so that she was no comfort to herself, and was burden to everybody. i Fhere were seven Of ns, sons and daugh- ters, and as we couldn't find anybody who vas willing to board her, we agreed to keep her among us a year about. But I've had more than my share of her for she was too feeble to be moved when my time was out and that was more than three months before her death. But then she was a good mother and toiied very hard to bring us all up"
 Without looking at the face of the helrtless man, We directed him to the house of neighbo"ing pastor, and return ed to our nursery. We gazed on the merry little faces which smiled or grew sad in imitation of ours those little ones to whose ear no word in our language is half so sweet as ''MOther;" and we wondered if that day could ever come when they would Say of us, "She has outliyed her usefuldess she is no comfort 10 herself and burden to everybody P and we hoped that before such day would dawn we might be taken to our rest. God forbid that we should out live the love of our children Rather let us die while our hearts ara q part of our own, that our grave may be watered with their tears, and our love linked with their hopes of heaven.
 When the bell tolled for the mothers burial, we went to the sanctuary to pay our token of respect for the aged stranger for we felt that we could give her memory tear, even though her own children had none to shed.
 "She was good mother in her day, and toiled hard to bring us all up-she was no comfort to herself, and a burden to everybody else." These cruel, heart less words rang in our ears as we saw the coffin borne up the aisle. The bell tolled long and loud, until it's iron tongue had chronicled the years of the toll worn mother 0ne--two- three -four-five How clearly and almost meuily each stroke told of her once peaceful slumber in her mothers bosom. and of her seat at night-fall on Der weary fathers knees Six--seyen-- eight-nine-ten ran out the tale of her sports upon the green sward,i in the mea- dow and by the brook. EleveD--twelye --lhirteen-- fourteen - fifteen, spoke more gravely of school days, and little household joys and cares. Sixteen seventeen--eighteen, sounded out the en- inquired visions of madenhood and 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 sprung love which God had awakened in her bosom. And then stroke after stroke told of her early womanhood-of the love and cares, and hopes and fears and tolls through which she passed during these long years, till Bfiy rang out harsh | and loud. From that 10 sixty each stroke told of the warm-hearted mother and grandmother, living over again her own