Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1884-06-26
Miscellaneous.
Moral Education.


Mr.. Grimke (coloredi delivered the fol-
lowing address before the Moral Education
ASSOCIATION, al Its Annual Meeting in the
Meionaon. Boston. on Thursday, the Goth
of May.
! knew a mother who had two BOYS
The children were fatherless. and she was
yer, poor and llliHrata. She had no friends
70 help her none but two strong hands ma
much stronger hear. She was woman
pi great native ability aad noble tenderness.
ma @itcd with an in1.rcihlc sense of u ty
ana J. nor rs s1lG. she was very 3r.
pooIef than man! her would believe. Her
lif4 I !cii her 10 choice ef ghbaFhc1d
inlit which - rear her ia,nil, In 4 fur away
ny "u our Atlantic ouast WHh her TWO
lule bols she took thee rooms in part
nf tie city where there wAs great dea. of
coarNcness and degraIa,ion. The moral
atmosphere was to the last degree unfr.cnl-
= 70 me maintenance 81 The purity Of her
domestic life aud the steady growth of VIII
Tue in the bosrmS of her little ones. But Ill
The very midst Of such inimical force, she
planted her humble home and flung herself
upon the divine goodness for protection
Hers was not only life uf PRAYER. IL was
l.so one Of inccssaut work and vigilance
Conscious of the terrible dangers which
were without. She s;Toye IN render her
home strong to resist the deadly pressure.
She was 10 the boys minds and hearts the
incarnation 81 truth snd justice She
created an air about her hearth which multi
fed instantly the evil which the, had en-
countered without. Profanity obsceuity,
lntemperance. the use Of tobacco. we're re-
PEELED 10y this woman's influence from the
blood OF the two youths. They we're taught,
not BY precept alone, but by example that
profanity and obscenity were not only de-
grading TO him who was guilty Of them. but
that he was scarcely less guilt, who under
any circumstances repeated What he had
heard. The use Of intoxicating liquors and
tobacco she met by a moral repugnance so
reasonable and healthy that the bows re-
coiled from both as they would from some
unclesn thing. She surrounded them with
the sanctities and swee,nesses of religion.
She developed in their souls reverence
reverence to God, TO age, TO Law. She
tsught them the sacredness and the end Of
liying-not for ones self, but for Others.
She was laundress. These little fellow.
were early taught BY some subtle power 10
help her-,o help her. not because she re-
quired it-hut because they wanted 10. In
the evening, well do remember seeing her
in her little sitting room with boy o.
either knee. talking 10 him in her simple
and earnes, way. Of heaven and hell-al-
ways using the home Of the good ID make
virtue more beautiful, and describing the
horrors Of the other to make sin more hid.
eous How she did il, surely il i, not for
me 10 put into words. II was not what she
said, it was rather wha, she looked and
lived And those boys-Ah. how wei do
recall their faces, so rapt. so full of trust.
so eloquent of Youthful aspirations, obeli-
ence and enthusiasm. And. then Win the
wicked world without. the embers glowing
on the hearth and the tallow candle elim-
m.ring in the stick. she would embrace
these boys and one by one they would Slip
from her lap to their knee. and their youth.
ful lips would repea. Our Father Who art
in heaven" This was no lip service. nv
friends. This Father in heaven was the
onl, father they had eve. known Str,n,e
love and reverence the. felt 10 ths eyrr-
.sstirg parent of then chi,dL,od. The
mother toiled early anu ate. oftentime. Me
did not throw her tired head uaon her Jill