The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-01-07
made the country, as man made the

made the country, as man made the
town. s5 s
Behold, also, that on that Christ
mas night God honored motherhood.
Two angels on their wings might have
brought an infant Saviour to Bethle-
hem without Mary's being there at all.
When the villagers on the morning OF
Dec. 26, awoke, by divine arrange
ment, and in some unexplained way,
the Child Jesus might have been. found
in some comfortable cradle Of tho vii
Iage. But no, no! Motherhood for
all time was to be consecrated, and
one OF the tenderest relations was to
be the maternal relation, and one OF
the sweetest words, mother." In all
ages God
HAS HONoRED GOOD MOTHERHOOD.
John Wesley had good mother; st.
Bernard had a good mother; Samuel
Bugett, a good mother; Doddridge, q
good mother; Walter Scott, a good
mother: Benjamin West, good mo-
ther. In a great audience, most OF
whom were Christians, 1 asked that
all those who had been blessed of
Christian mothers arise, and almost
the entire assembly stood up. Don't
you see how important it is that all
motherhood be consecrated? Why
did Titan, the Italian artist, when he
sketched the Madonna, make it an
Italian face? Why did Rubens, the
German artist, in his Madonna, make
it a German face? Why did Joshua
Reynolds, the English artist, in his
Madonna, make it an English face?
Why did Murillo, the Spanish artist,
in his Madonna, make it a Spanish
face? l never heard, but think they
took their own mother as the type of
Mary, the mother of Christ. When
you hear some one, in sermon or ora
ton, speak in the abstract Of a good,
faithful. honest mother, your eyes fill
up with tears, while you say to your
self, "that was nay mother.''
The first word a. child utters is apt
to be Mother" and the old man, in
his dying dream, calls "Mother moth
err" 1t matters not whether she was
brought up in the surroundings OF a
city, and in affluent home, and was
dressed appropriately, with reference
to the demands Of modern life, or
whether she wore the old-time cap,
and great round spectacles, and apron
OF her own make, and knit your sock
with her own needles, seated by the
broad fireplace, with great black log
ablaze, on winter night. 1t matters
not how many wrinkles crossed and
re-crossed her face, or how much her
shoulders stopped with the burdens
OF long life, If you painted a. Madonna
HERS WOULD BE THE FACE.
What a gentle hand she had when we
were sick, and what q voice to soothe
pain, and was there any onewho could
so ill up a room with peace, and pur
ity, and light? And what o sad day
that was when we came home and she
could greet us not: for her lips were
forever still. Come back dear mother,
this Christmas day and take yourplace
and as TO-. Or 20, or SO years ago,
come and open the old Bible as you
used to; read and kneel in the same
place where you used to pray, and
look upon us as of old when you wish
ed us a. merry Christmas or happy
New Year. But, no! That would not
be fair to call you back. You had
troubles enough, and aches enough,
and bereavement enough while you
were here. larry by the throne,
mother, till we join you there, your
prayers all answered, and in the
eternal homestead of our God we
shall again keep Christmas jubilee to-
gether. But speak from your thrones,
all you glorified mothers, and say to
all these. your sons and daughters,
words Of love, words OF warning,
words OF cheer. They need your voice
for they have Travelled far and with
many a. heart-break since you left
them, and you do we'll to call from the
heights of heaven to the valleys of
earth. Hail, enthroned ancestry! We
are coming. Keep place right beside
you at the banquet.
Slowfooted years! More swiftly run
Into the gold of that unsetting sun,
Homesick we are for thee,
Calm land beyond the sea.