Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1885-08-27
MEXICO, MISSOURI THURSDAY,
The Good Word, ssMother." !"
Through Mall Magazine.

The Good Word, ssMother."
Through Mall Magazine.
The other day I was walking with
an old man when he took his watch
from his pocket and, scanning its
dial, said:
Excuse me, sir, but it is time I
was home with mother"
"Have you q living mother?' 1
asked, in great surprise, for he was
past seventy, and his white hair and
toothless mouth made the word sound
strange, but dearer, I thought, than
I had ever heard it before.
"No. Oh, mol" said the old man.
'tMy own mother died fifty years ago.
1 meant the mother of the boys"
"And who are the boys?" I asked.
"Why, of course you don't remem,
Der them-I expect you never knew
them-for I never met you until to-
day. There's John and William and
Thomas and Martin and Matthew.
Matthew is the baby, sir, though he
does not look like one now, for he is
nearly forty, and has large beard.
It is their mother / mean"
"Your good old wife?" I asked.
Eyes, he replied. eyes, she is
mother to all the boys, and I have
called her mother for more than
fifty years. Blu. you must excuse
me, sir, for it is time I should be
home with mother. Come along with
me and see her, for she is the sweet.
est, prettiest old woman you will eve,
have chance to see. She was 8
lovely girl, but she is now prettiel
than she was then. Come along and
see mother" and the old man led me
to the door of his comfortable home,
and when we were at the gate Mat
thew and bus wife came to meet us,
and Matthew said:
i 'Father, mother has had another
stroke and can't say a word. Martin
has gone foE the DOCTOR
"Yes, yes!" said the old man
pushing by Matthew. "Mother mus,
have the doctor-indeed she must
Ifor mother is not able to Withstand
another stroke of palsy. Come on
my son, and see mother" he said
beckoning to me, and I followed hin
as he entered the house where tn,
mother lay.
The good old woman was indeet
beautiful. Around her brow clus
tered heavy growth, of white hal
that made her look like an angel will
a halo of light radiating from he
noble brow. Her mouth was draw
out of its natural shape by the ner
= vous condition of her body, and he
eyelids twitched as she looked upo
= my strange features, but when tn
old man came before her poor oil
eyes and, bending softly above her
whispered: "Mother, 1 am here"
smile attempted to play upon th
half-paralyzed lips, and her eye
frightened and looked love at tn
. man who had been her companio
, since they were boy and girl, an
it seemed to me that there was som
endearing name for him which sh
struggled to speak, but her tongu
had lost its cunning and clave to til
roof of her mouth. The old ma
bent lower and imprinted a kiss upo
the twitching lips, and she made a
effort to speak again, but the motto
/. gave no sound. The sons gathere
o about the bedside, and the old ma
;. kneeled beside his dying wife an
q whispered:
d Mother, do you know us?''
s. She nodded just little, and th
e good old husband placed his hand
}. upon her brow, where the white ha
It lay In thick mat, and blessed he
e and the tears stole out from his eye
e and trickled along the burrows whie
e the SORROWS of years had worn in h
/. cheeks, and the sons wept; and
!, who had never seen any of them b
IT fore that day, stood apart from the
n and shed tears for mother-moth
,r to all good men who might stand |
It her side as she left the earth. A
ir we stood awaiting the end, the CO
e. breezes of summer day fioated
k and famed her brow, and she smile
TO- upon all who called her mother al
re closed her eyes. She breathed slo'
id ly and deeply for time, and tn,
her eyes opened again and the di
torted face lost its drawn and pain,
appearance, and the eyes of the got
IS woman rested on the faces of b
,f husband and children for nome
10 before they closed and she was st
,e forever.
10 Mother, mother, mother!" soft
a called the old man, but there was 1
t. answer to his cry, and turning to 4
[e men who stood around him, he sal
q. slowly and sadly:
10 "Boys, mother has gone on befo
us-mother is in heaven )" and lea
- ing them alone in the sacred presen
a OF her they loved, l stole away.
/: ---
7 Poor Mems Wives Love Them Be-
T No woman will love a man bett
- for being renowned or prominer
r. Though he be the FIRST among M
10 she will be prouder, not fonder;
~ IS often the case, she will not ev