The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-11
A Tribute to Mothers.

1t has been beautifully said of a
mother that " she is both the morning
and evening star of life. The light of
her eye is always the first to rise and
generally the last to set upon the
checkered life of man." She yields
power more decisive far than syllogism
in argument or courts OF last appeal in
authority. Next to OmnipOtence, hers
is the strongest moral influence known
upon earth. She has been called {" the
Divinity of Infancy" She can shower
around her the most genial of all in
fuences, and from the time when she
first laps her little one in elysium by
clasping it to her bosom, " its first
paradise" to the moment when that
child is independent of her aid, her
smile, her word, her wish is an inspir-
ing force. A sentence of encourage
ment or praise from her is Joy for a
smile or mothers word may seem to
be small and insignificant thing. But
more mature reflection will bring us to
a very different conclusion. We might
ask the one who may be tempted to at
tach but little importance to the in
tluence of the mother, Is it little thing
to fashion an immortal spirit after
heavenly model? Is it little thing to
develop infant powers and bring tolight
all that seems hidden in the soul-to
train the ear by sweet sounds and the
eye by lovely colors? Is it little
thing to teach the use of language and
form what is emphatically called our
mother tongue? Is it little thing to
notice the first articulate utterances, or
rather to create and call them forth? Is
it little thing to receive from God an
immortal being in state of homage
and helplessness and stamp on its
young spirit the love of the noble, the
heavenly, the pure? All this power
belongs to the mother and all this intlu-
ence the mother.may WELD if, recog-
nizing her dependence on God, the
fountain of all holy influences, she takes
his will to guide her and leans upon his
gracious power to strengthen and sus-
tain her. 1t is the godly mother-the
mother whose heart is illuminated with
heavenly light and quickened and
sanctified by the Holy Spirit-that can
offer the simple, tender, touching
prayer which the youngest can compre-
bend and can seize upon the happy
moment for implanting truth. She,
and she only, can time all and rule all
by that sceptre which is wreathed with
silk, the sceptre of genuine, heartfelt
love. A little boy, when asked what
made home pleasant and beautiful, and
why one house was not as much home
as another, remarked, pointing to his
mother, Because she is here!" True,
living, consistent piety is the mothers
brightest ornament, her truest glory,
her noblest support and her richest
treasure. Her life should be calm,
holy, beautiful walk from the hearth
stone to the altar fire, from the bosom
of her family to the throne of God. 1t
has been the testimony of good men in
all ages that they owe chiefly to their
mothers the best inspirations of their
lives. CT had rather possess my
mothers picture" once wrote the poet
Cowper, than the richest jewel in the
British crown" The venerable John
Quincy Adams once said, " 1t is due to
gratitude and nature that l should
acknowledge and avow that, such as |
have been, whatever it was, and such
as l am, whatever it is, and such as
hope to be in all futurity, must be
ascribed, under Providence, to the pre-,
cepts and example of my mother
Sweetly and truly has poet sung,
1.-THE sounds that fall on mortal ear,
As dew-lrops pure at even,
That soothe the breast or start the tear,
Are Mother, Home and Heaven"
E. II. Merlin. ID. d.