Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-03-14
A TRIBUTE TO MOTHERS.

1t has been beautifully said of
mother that "she is the morning and
evening star of life. The life in her
eye is always the first to rise, and
generally the last to set upon the
checquered life of man." She wields
a power more decisive far than syl-
logism in argument or courts of last
appeal in authority. Next to ON
impotence hers is the strongest NOR
al influence known upon earth. She
has been called "the Divinity of In
fancy" She can shower around her
the most genial of all influences 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 inspiring
force. A sentence of encouragement
or praise from her is joy for day.
A mothers look, a mothers smile,
OF a mothers word may seem to be
a small and insignificant thing. But
more mature reflection will bring it
to a very different conclusion. We
might ask the one who may be
tempted to attach but little impor-
tance to the influence of the mother,
is it little thing to fashion an i'm
mortal spirit after heavenly mod
ell? Is it little thing to develop in
FAINT powers and bring to light all
that seems hidden in the soul-to
train the ear by sweet sounds and
the eye by lovely colors? Is it a
little thing to teach the use of Ian
guage and form what is emphatical-
ly called our mother tongue? Is it
q little thing to notice she first ar
ticulate utterance, or rather create
and call them forth? Is it little
thing to receive from God an immor-
tai 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
influence the mother may WELD, if
recognizing her dependence on God,
the fountain of all holy influences,
she takes his will to guide her and
lCduS upou AAo SAoS1oOo Po"SA ~
strengthen and sustain 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 comprehend,
and can seize upon the happy mo-
ment for implanting truth. She,
and she only, can time all and rule
all by that scepter of genuine, heart
felt love. A little boy when asked
what made home pleasant and beau
tiful, and why one house was not as
much home as another, remarked,
pointing to his mother, because she
is herew
"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 hearthstone 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 chief
ly to their mothers the best inspira-
ton of their lives. "I 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, "It is due to gratitude and
nature that l should acknowledge
and avow that, such as 1 have been,
whatever it was, and such as l am,
whatever it is, and such as I hope to
be in all futurity, must be ascribed,
under Providence, to the precepts
and example of my mother"
Sweetly and truly has the poet
sung:
"The sounds that fall on mortal ear,
AS dew-drops pure at even,
That soothe the breast or start the tear,
Are Mother, Home and Heaven ~