Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-07-10

as MANY months In the year aS when their
father WAS living; the only Deficiencies
were in the luxuries of the table, in dress,
and in personal ease.
James and Sarah developed great taste
for study, and felt great desire for IN ed
ucItion; and the molher and the other
children put themselves TO work with fresh
zeal 10 crafty them, as far as in their
power.
One day. about two years after his faith
er's death, James came home from the
village store looking very sad.
lhe doctors son, who was just setting
off for co lege, had said to him in irony:
How soon shall you be really to follow
meP You can't he going TO school and
studying so much just to make IL farmer of
YOURSELF"
The boy told this, and then after hesila-
ting a moment, said: "Oh. mother, do
wish could 70 to college!"
Thomas and Sarah laughed. Just as they
would have done if he had said: II wish
could 90 to the moon" But the brave
little mother looked at him tenderly. and
replied: My boy, with God S help you
shall 90 to college"
new ambition and stronger trust in
God were theirs from that hour. They all
ielt thai, with such Father in Heaven
and such mother on earth. they could do
anything.
Thomas was of a more progressive ma
ture than his father, and developed into
fine farmer. He grew up tall, stalwart
fellow, free from the awkwardness of young
men, who are only firm laborers and
nothing else. He read and kept pace with
the world; he went TO other towns, and
sometimes to the great city, to see what
men were doing; und he came back as
proud of the smooth swath he could cut,
and the straight lines he could plow, and
of the Improvements he had made, AS
ever merchant or professional man was
of his money or of his fame. lie grew to
be a gentleman; and rs such took his place
like IL father ut the he I'd of the tatherless
family. His mother had inspired HIM
with her ambition for James and Sarah ;
ana they alone ever knew or ever VIII
know in this life, what sacrifices he made
before the first went forth AS herald OF
the gospel, and the second took her place
among our noblest teachers OF women.
Nor did he sacrifice his own mental cul
ture to theirs. He was man of purity,
Intelligence and judgment; one on whom
his pas or leaned for support, and to whom
he looked up for counsel-and are not
such men sorely needed in the church Of
God to day, to uphold the hands of His
ministry, while they labor and pray?
The dear, self forgetful mother, so un-
conscious of the mighty work she was
doing in her humble home, often lamented
10 her friends that she never did any
thing for Christ " Even the thoughlless
neighbors had often said, in the early days
of her widowhood: " Mrs. - does not
come to the evening meetings rs she used
when her husband WAS alive 10 urge
her up" They forgot that when she and
her TWO young boys had done hard day $
work in the home and in the field, they
were too weary to harness the horse and
ride three miles to the village. They did
not remember that labor is prayer and
that
"wherer they seek Him, He is found;
And every place is haoweI ground"
The ONLY GOOD thing this woman ever
did in her own ewes, and in the Judgment
of the lbouuhllrss. was to watch with the
sick. and his she did whenever IN occa.
sion presented itself. But she made no
record of that, nor of the PRAYERS she had
offered in faith for the suferino. nor of the
tears she had wept; and least of all, oi
| sixteen hours of ,,aily toll on the farm. in
The kitchen, in the dairy or at the needle
for the childrcn-and through them ful
Christ.
The time came when these children were
all useful and honored in the world; and
then her hands were loosed from the rudel
tolls of life; and she was the one lady o
leisure, and the center of all hearts il
Thomas home. Then, as ever, she Ia
mented that her life h,d SO nearly passed
AWAY. and vet she haa done nothing!
Her dav, like all ,lays, had its close
There was not IL cloud 10 be seen; bu
only a glorious, warm and beautiful sun
) set. Her last words were: " have don,
nothing for Christ as others have; but ii,
, knows that love HIM, and that | woul,
, have gone out into the world and worked
for Him if | could have done it with all
had to do ut home. hope there will h
work enough for all my powers in Heaven
lor have done nothing here"
Had she "done nuthing?" Ask tina
noble farmer who still swings his scyth
> over the waving grass on Tie renovaLe,
: homestead lands, who led him to God, an,
, nut music IN his soul, and made labor glo
, rious, and taught him TO bear the buruen
of others, and 50 fulfill the law of Christ
q Ask the poor prodigals brought back t
/ their Fathers house through the labors {
, her second SON, who inspired their spirilua
4 guide ith II holy zeal and hungerin
h for souls. Ask tile scores of noble We
I men who are to-day training up othe