The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-08-23

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feeble to be moved when my time was out
and that was more than three months be-.
fore her. death. But then abe was q good !
mother herin day, and toiled yery;hard to-
bring us up s;ss s..t.5
Without looking at the face Of the
;heartless man, i directed him to the house
ofaneighboring pastor; and returned to
my nursery. gazed on the merry little.
$facesmhich smiled :or grew sad in imita-
tion-those little ones to whose ear no
word in cur Language is so sweet as
ssmothe and ISwondered if that day
could ever com esWhenA they would say Of.
me Shsshas outliyed her usefulness ;sshe
Sis no comfort to herself; and.a burden to-
every body else Y And 81 hoped that
before such a day should dawn l might
sbestaken tony y.rest. God forbid that j
should outliye the love of my children !.
Rather let me dieWhile my heart is part
;of theirs, that my grave may be watered
by their tears, and my love linked with
their: hopes of heaven. When the bell
stolled for the mothers burial, I went to
the uctusry to pay my only token Of
3respectto the: aged stranger; 70. / felt
that Iscould give her memory tear,
even thoughsher own children had none
to shed.
She was q: good mother in her day,
and .toiled hard to bring US all up-she
was no comfort 10 herself, and a burden
to everybody: :elae.o These cruel, heart:
less: words rang in my ears as ] saw the
coffin borne,npsthe aisle. The bell tollcd
long and loud, until its iron tongue had
schronicled s the years of the toll worn
mother: One, two, three four, Eve. How
clearly and almost msrrily each stroke
told her once peaceful slumber insher
mothers bosom, ard her seat at nightfall
:on her weary fathers knee. Six, seven,
eight, nine, ter, rang out the tale Of her
sports upon the green sward, S in the
mead doW: and beside the brook. Eleven,
twelve, thirteen, fourte cen, spoke more
sgraYely of school days and little house
hold JOYS and cares. Sixteen, enteen,
eighteen, sounded out the enraptured
hopes Of maid nhood and the dream Of
early love. Twenty, spoke Of the young
mother, whose heart was full tosthei
bursting; with the new strong love which
sGod b: awakened in her bosom. And.
:then,5s seiafter stoke, told other early
,;Wiomanhood- --of the. loves; and cares, and
hopes; and fears, aud tolls through which
She passed during these long years till fifty
rang out; harsh and loud. From that to;
sixty each stroke; told ofthe warmhearted
mother and grandmother, living over
again her own joys and sorrows iu those
Of children and children's children.
Every. family of1all the group wanted
grandmother then, and. the only strife
was MAS who should secure the prize. But
Ehark, the bell tolls on I Seventy one,
seventy two, three, four, Eve. She begins
to grow feeble, requires SOME care, is not
always perfectly patient or Satisfied.
She goes from one child stos another, so
that no place seems like home. She
murmers, in plaintive tones. that after
all her toll and weariness, it is hard she
can notsbe allowed ahomesto die; that
she must be sent, rather7than invited,
from house 10 house. Eighty, eighty:
two, three, four. Ah! she is a second
child now; ;''she has outlived her use.
:fulness, she has now ceased to be q
comfort to- hersel for .anybod y''that is,
she has ceased to5be profitable to her
earth craving and money grasping chill.
:dren.
Nov sounds out, everberating through
;onr5lovely forest, and ecboing back from
our Chill Of the dead," eighty. nine I
Thers she now lies in her coffin, coldland
still !; she makes no trouble now, demands
no4loye, no soft words, no tender little
offices. a look Of patient endurance
ne fancied, also, an xpression of grief
for unrequited love-sat on her marble
features. Her children were there, clad
in weeds Of woe, and in irony we remem.
Der the strong mans word, "she was a
good.motber in her day"
When the bell ceased tolling, the
strange ministerrose in the pulpit. His
form was. very erect, and his voice strong,
but his hair was silvery white. He read
several passages ofScripture expressive Of
Gods compassion for feeble man, and
especially Of his tenderness when gray
hairs are OF, him and his strength faileth.
He then made some touching remarks on
human frailty, and dependence on God,
urging all present to make their peace
with their Master while in health, that
they might claim His promises when
heart and flesh failed them. 'Then," he
said, "thee eternal God shall be thy refuge
and beneath thee shall be the everlasting
arms"
Leaning over the desk, and gazing in-
tently on the cofined form before him,
he then said; reveren.ly, "From little
child I have honored the aged but
never till gray hairs covered my own
head, did I know truly how much love
and sympathy this class have right to
demand of their fellow creatures. Now,
I feelit. Our mother,n he added, most
tendegly, awho now lies in death before
all US was stranger to me, as are
of these, her descendants. All I know
of her is what her son has told me to day
-thatshe was. brought to this town from
afar, sixty.nine years ago, a happy bride;
that here she passed the most of her life
toiling, as only mothers have strength to
toll, until she had reared a large family