The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-12-08
OntlIred her CseruIness.

"the minister" When Informed that he
was out of town, he seemed disappointed
| and anxious. On being questioned as TO
his business, he replied, II have lost my
mother, and my father lies here and we
have come 10 lay her beside him.
"My heart rose in sympathy and said,
"You have met with great loss"
"Wcll, yes" replied the strong man,
with hesi,ancy "a mother is great
loss in general; but our mother had out
lived her usefulness she was in her sec
and childhood, and her mind had grown
as weak a. her body 80 that she was no
comfort to herself and burden to every
body. There were seven OF us, sons and
daughters, and "a we could not find any
body who was willing to board her, we
agreed to keep her among Us n year
about But I've had more than my share
Of her; for she was too feeble to be
was three months before her death But
then she was good mother in her day
ami toiled hard to bring us all up"
Without looking at the face Of the
heartlc-s man, / directed him to the
house Of neighborng pastor. and re-
turned 10 my nursery. | gazed on the
merry little faces which smiled or grew
sad in imitation Of minc-thosc little
ones to whose ear no word in our Ian
guagc j. halt 40 sweet rs "mOther"
1 wondered if that day could ever come
when they could say Of me, She has
ou,livcd her usefulness she is no comfort
to herself, and burden to everybody "
and hoped that before such o day would
dawn might be taken to my rest. God
forbid that we should outliyc the love Of
our children!
When the bell .ollcd for the mothers
burial we went to the sanctuary to pay
our token Of respect for the aged stranger,
for SIC felt that we could give her memory
Il tear, even though her own children had
none TO shed.
"!Shc was good mother in her day,
and toiled hard to bring us all up; she
was no comfort to herself, and burden
to everybody else"
These cruel, hcnrtlcss words rang in
our ears as we saw the coffin borne up
the aisle. The bell tolled long and loud
until its iron tongue had chronicled the
year. Of the toilworn mother. One two
three five How clearly and
almost merrily, each stroke told Of her
once peaceful slumber i'm her mothers
bosom, and Of her seat at niyhtfall on
her weary fathers knee. Six seven
eight ten, rang out the tale Of her
sports upon the grcensward in the mea
dow and the brook. Eleven twelve =
thirteen fourteen fifteen spoke more
gravely Of schooldays and little house
hold joys and cares. Sixteen-seventecn
eighteen, sounded out the cnraptured
| visions Of maidcnhood and the dream Of
early love. Nineteen brought 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 carly
womanhood-o the love and cares and
hopes and fears and tolls through which
| she passed during these long years, till
fifty rang out harsh and loud. From
that to sixty each stroke told Of the
warm hearted mother and grandmother
living over again her own joys and sor.
rows in those Of her children and chill
drcns children. Every family Of all
the group wanted grandmother then, and
the only strife was who should secure
the prize. But hark the bells toll on !!
Seventy -two-three -four. She
begins to grow feeble, requires some care,
is not always perfectly patient or salts
fed; she goes from one child's house to
another, so that no one place seems Ike
home. She mnrmurs in plaintive tones,
and :.lter all her toi! and wearinc,. it is
hard she cannot be allowed home to
die in; that she must be sent rather than
invited from house to house Eighty
eighty y-onc-two- -threc-four-
ul oh - rnrAnI oIill
"shc has outlvcd her usefulness, she has
body; that is, she has ceased to be prof.
grasping children.
When the bell ceased toling, the
strange minister rose in the pulpit. His
form was very erect, and his voice strong,
but his hair silvery white. He read sev
eral passages of Scripture expressive of
Gods compassion to feeble man, and
especially of his tenderness when gray
hairs are on him and hsstrength faileth
He then made some remarks on human
frailty aud on dependence OH God, urg
ing all present to make their peace
with their Master while in health, that
they might claim His promise when the
heart and flesh should fnil them. Then,
he said, "Thc eternal God shall be thy
refuge, and beneath thee shall be the
everlasting arms" Leaning over the
desk and gazing intontly on the coifined
! form before him, he then said rcvcrent.
ly:
From child l honored the aged, but
never till gray hairs covered my own
head did | know truly how much love
and sympathy this class has n right to
demand of their fellow creatures. Now
| feel it. Our mother who now lies in
death before us was stranger to me, as
are nil her descendants. All know of
her is what her son has told me to day
that she was brought to this town from
atar, sixty-nine years ago, a happy bride F;
that she has passed most OF her life toll
ing, as only mothers have strengh to toll
until she had reared a large family of sons
and daughters; that she left her home
here, clad in weeds Of widnwhood, to
dwell among her childrcn, and that, till
health and vigor left her, she lived for
you her descendants. You who together
have shared her love and care, know how
we'll you have requited her. God for
| forbid that conscience should accuse any
of you OF ingratitude or murmurng on
| account Of the care she has been to YOU
of late. When you go back to your
homes be careful of your words and yonr
example before your own children. for
the fruit of your own doing you will
surely reap from them when you your
selves totter on the brink Of the grave.
| entreat you rs n friend, rs one who has
himself entered the evening of life,' that
you may never say in the presence of
your families nor heaven, Orr mother
has. outlived her usefulness; she was a
burden TO U.s.. Never, never, never; n
mother cannot live 50 long as that! No,
when she can no longer labor for her