Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-03-09

of them that hate me-" Parental inffu-
ence. right and wrong, may jump over 9
generation, but it will come down further
on as sure as you sit there and stand here
llmothy's ministry was projected by his
Grandmother Lois. There are men and
women here. tho sons and daughters of the
Christian Church, who are such as o result
OF the conservation of great-great- grand
mothers. Why, who do You think the
Lord is? You talk as though His memory is
weak. He can no easier remember praye,
i've minutes than He can five centuries.
Ibis explains what we often see-some
man or woman distinguished for benevo-
lence when the father and mother we're
distinguished for penuriousness, or you
see some young man or woman, with bad
rather and hard mother, CONS out glori-
ously for Christ and make the church
sob and shout and sing under their exhor-
tations. We stand in corners of the vestry
and whisper over the matter and say:
How is this. such great piety in sons and
daughters Of such parental worldliness
and SIM" I will explain it to you if you
will fetch me the old family Bible contain
ing the full record. Let some seDtuage-
marian look with me clear upon the page
OF births and marriages, and tell me who
that woman was with the old fashioned
name OF Jemima or Betsey or NTebitabel.
An, there she is, the old grandmother or
great grandmother, who had enough re
ligion to saturate a century.
i There she is, the dear old soul, Grand
mother Lois. In our beautiful Greenwood
may We oil sleep there when our work is
done, for when get up in the resurrection
morning want my congregation all about
me-in Greenwood there is the resting
place of George w. Bethune, once min
lister of Brooklyn Heights, his name never
/ spoken among intelligent Americans with
out suggesting two things-eloquence an
evangelism. In the same tomb sleeps his
| grandmother, Isabella Graham, who was
the chief inspiration of his ministry. You
are not surprised at the poetry and pathos
ana pulpit power of the grandson when you
read of the faith and devotion of his Won
derful ancestress. When you read this
letter. in which she poured out her
/ widowed soul in longings for sons saliva
ton, you will not wonder that succeeding
generations have been blessed:
NEW YORK. May 20, l7al-This day nv only
son left me in bitter wringings of heart; he is
again launched on the oc san, Gods ocean. The
Lord saved him from shipwreck brought him to
! my nome and allowed me once more to indulge
my affections over him. He has been with me
put q short time and ill have improved it he
tumultnous grief Lord have mercy on tho
Widows son. tho only son of his 1notnor.'
ask nothing in all this world for him; 1 re-
| pent my petition, save his soul alive give him
salvation from sin 1t is not the dnnser of the
seas hatdistresses me; it is not the hardships
he must undergo; it is not the dread of never
cannot discern the ful1illlnent OF the promise in
him. ] cannot discern the birth nor it's
fruit, but every symptom Of captivity to Satan.
the world ana self will. This, this is what dis
tresses me; and in connection with this his
being shut out from q" finances at q distance
from Christians; shut -, with those who forg t
no lNSan1 Snl.
men who often live and die like beasts, yet are
| accountable creatures. who must answer for
every moment of time and every word, thought,
anu action Oh Lord, many wonders hast thou
shown me, thy ways of dealing with me and
mine have not been common ones; add this
Wonder to the rest; Call. convert. regenerate,
! things are possible with thee; glorify thy son
and eAtend His kingdom by sea and land take
Il the prey from the strong. roll hun over upon
thee. Many friends try to comfort me- miser-
able comforters are they oil. Thou art the God of
consolation; only confirm to me thy precious
word, on which thou causedst me to hope in the
day when thou saidst to me, Leave thy father
less children will preserve them alive" Only
let this life be spiritual life and put blank
in thy hand as to oil temporal things.
wait for thy salvation. Amen.
With such grandmother would you not
have right to expect George w.
Bethune? and all the thousands convicted
through his ministry may date the saving
power back to Isabella Graham.
God fill the earth and the heavens with
such grahdmothers; We must some day go
up and thank these dear old souls. Surely
God will let US go up and tell them of the
results of their influence. Among our first
questions in Heaven will be- .Where is
grandmother" They will point her out,
for We would hardly know her even if we
had seen her on earth, so bent over with
years once and there so straight, SO dim of
eye through the binding of earthly tears
and now her eyes as clear as Heaven, SO
full of aches and pains once and now SO
agile with celestial health, the wrinkles
blooming into carnation roses, and her
step like the roe in the mountains. Yes, I
must see her, my grandmother on my
fathers side, Mary Mccoy, descendant Of
the Scotch. When I first spoke to an audi
ence in Glasgow. Scotland, and felt some-
what ditfident. being stranger, began
by telling them my grandmother was a
Scotchwoman, and then there went up q
shout of welcome which made me feel as
easy as I do here. must see her.
You must see those women of the early
Nineteenth century and Of the Eighteenth
century, the answer of whose prayers is in
your welfare to-day. God bless all the
aged women up and down the land and in
Atticus says when making the funeral
address of his mother: Though I have
resided with her sixty seven years was
never once reconciledto her, because there
never happened the least discord between
us, and consequently there was no need of
reconciliation" Make it as easy for the
old folks as you can. When they are sick
get for them the best doctors. Give them
your arm when the streets are slippery.
Stay with them all the time you can. Go
home and see the old folks. Find the place
for them IN the hymn book. Never be
ashamed if they prefer styles of apparel
little antiquated. Never say anything that
implies they are in the way. Make the
road for the last mile as smooth as you
can. Oh, my! how you will miss her when
she is gone. would give the house
from. over my head to sec mother.
1 have so many things would like to tell
her, things that have happened in the
twenty four years since she went away.
Morning, noon, and night let us thank
God for the good influences that have
come down from good mothers all the way
back. Timothy, don't forget your Mother
Eunice,. and don't forget your Grand-
mother Lois. And hand down to others
this patrimony of blessing. Pass along
the coronets. Make religion an heirloom
80