The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-25
Singing While at Work.
BY SUSAN TEALL PERRY.

Tt does not seem as II the mOthers
sing about their work as much as they
used to. The grandmothers and the
mothers used to sing sweet hymns
while they they were doing their
house work. Many grown-up chill
dren of the present generation. carry
the beautiful words of the old hymns
fresh and precious in their hearts be-
cause the mother sang them.
Crock of ages, cleft for me, >" Jesus,
lover of my SOUL" and Ibis loving
kindness, o how great !" in sweetest
tones come to us in the weary hours OF
the day and in the sleepless watches OF
the night, and they bring us comfort
and cheer. The voices OF the loved ones
who sang them in the old home have
gone to Join the choir in the city OF
God. How many children have been
brought back from sinful wanderings
by hearing some hymn or tune the
mother sang in their childhood days.
Some one who appreciated the power
of such song has written
"Old tunes are precious to me as old paths
In which wandered as happy boy;
| In truth they are the old paths OF the soul,
Oft-trod, weil-worn, familiar, up to God"
A Scottish mother, who sang "Jeru-
salem, my happy home" SO often that
her bow learned the words by heart
when he was very young, uncosclous-
ly made all impression upon his young
soul which in after years was the
means of bringing him back from sim
full wanderings to ask forgiveness for
an ill-spent life and to receive a par
don. The mother died when her boy
was quite young, and he became q
wanderer. He came to this country,
fell in with bad companions, and after
wears of "feeding on husks" he was
carried into hospital to die. He was
q stranger, and wonld give no account
of himself, until one day, when the
good nurse was doing something for
his comfort in the way of rearranging
his pillow, he heard her humming,
yery low, Jerusalem" my happy
happy home" Instantly his eyes
filled with tears, and he said, "Please
sing the whole hmm to me; it was the
one my mother sang so often when l
was a child" All the mothers teach
ings and prayers came back to him:
He sent for q clergyman, and asked
for prayer. His heart was melted, and
even at the eleventh hour he found
pardon and peace. A young man,
who left his home in the country to
take position in the city, found him
self getting in with bad company and
yielding to temptations, that his good,
pious mother had so often warned him
to flee from. One night he was on his
way to saloon to meet some young
men by appointment. As he passed
along thestreet he heard woman sing
ing her child to sleep. He stopped
a moment, and the words of his moth
er's hymn. "Abide with me-" fell
upon his ear. Instantly her sweet
face came before him as he. saw it
when she stood in the doorway looking
after him as his father was driving him
down the road to the station. "God
help me, for Christ's sake!" he cried
out from the depths of his soul. He
turned back, went into the young
mems meeting, where he had been
urged by his mother to 60, and then
and there resolved with Gods help to
follow her teachings, and be what she
was praying to have him be.
So, mothers, sing the good hymns
about your daily rounds. When you
are fretted and weary with the work
and care, and feel as if you could not
take another step, burst out in sing.
ing. You will be surprised to find
how soon the heaviness will be taken
away. No.one can be out of humor
very long if some helpful, soothing
hymn is sung. Prayer and praise go
together.
Whatever else the children may for
get of their childhood days, they will
never lose the sweet tones and prec-
ious words of the hymn you sing, asyou
move about the house doing the daily
duties so necessary to the comfort and
well-being of your family.