The Globe-republican., 1892-12-23

up and saved. Humane societies TEN
dered their thanks. Wealth poured into
the lap of the poor girl. Visitors from
all lands came to look on her sweet face.
and when soon after she launched forth
on a dark sea, and Death was the oars
man, dukes and ducheSses and mighty
men sat down in tears in Alnwick castle
to think that they never again might see
the face of Grace Darling.
No such deeds Of daring will probably
be asked of you, but hear yoI not the
how! of that awful storm OF trouble and
sin that hath tossed ten thousand shiv-
cred hulks into the breakers? Know
you not that the whole earth is strew n
with the shipwrecked-that there are
wounds to be healed, and broken hearts
to be bound. and drowning souls to be
rescued? Some have gone down, and
you come too late, but others are cling
ing to the wreck. are shlvering with the
cold, are strangling in the waves, are cry
ing to you for deliverance. Will you
not, oar in hand, put out to-day from
the lighthouse.
When the last ships timber shall have
been rent, and the last Longstone beacon
shall have been Numbered down In the
hurricane, and the last tempest shall
have folded its wings. and the sea itself
shall have been licked up by the tongue
of all consuming fire, the crows OF
eternal reward shall be kindling into
brighter glory On the brow Of the faith
full. And Christ, pointing to the in
ebriate that you reformed, and the dy.
ing sinner whom You taught to pray, and
the outcast whom you pointed to God
for shelter. will say: "You did it to
them. You did 1t to metz
Again. the scene of the text impresses
upon US the strength Of maternal attach
ment. Not many men would have had
courage or endurance for the awful
mission of Rizpah. To dare the rage OF
wild beasts, and sit from May to October
unsheltered, and to watch the corpses
of unburied children. was a work that
nothing but the maternal heart could
have accomplished. 1t needed more
strength than to stand before opened bat
teries or to walk in calmness the deck OF
laundering steamer.
There is no emotion so completely I'M
selfish as maternal affection. COnjugal
love expects the return Of many kind
nesses and attentions. Filial love OK
poets parental care or is helped by the
memory of past watchfulness. But the
strength of q mothers love is entirely
independent of the past and the future.
and is. of all emotions, the purest. The
child has done nothinglin thepast to earn
kindness, and in the future it may grow
up to maltreat its parent; but still from
the mothers heart there goes forth in
consumable affection.
Abuse cannot offend it; neglect cannot
chill it: time cannot efface it: death can
not destroy it. For harsh words it has
gentle Gliding; for the blow it has bene-
ficent ministry; for neglect it has in
creasing watchfulness. 1t weeps at the
prison door over the incarcerated pro-
digal. and pleads for pardon at the gov
ernor's feet, and is forced away by COM
passionate friends from witnessing the
struggles of the gallows. Other lights
90 out, but this burns on without ex-
tinguishment, as in a gloom struck night
you may see single star-one Of Gods
plckets-with cleaning bayonet of light
guarding the outposts of Heaven.
The marchioness of Spadara. when the
earthquake at Messina occurred. was
carried out insensible from the falling
houses. On coming to her senses She
found that her infant had not been res
cued. She went back and perished in
the ruins. Illustration Of ten thousand
mothers who in as many different ways
nave sacrificed themselves tor their chill
dren.
Oh, despise not q mothers love! II
heretofore you have been negligent Of
such an one and you still have Oppor-
tunity for reparation, make haste. II
you could only just look in for an hours
visit to her, you would rouse up in the
aged one a whole world of blissful
memories. What If she does sit without
talking much? She watched you for
many months when you knew not how to
talk at all. What if she has many all
ments to tell about? During fifteen
years you ran to her with every little
scratch and bruise, and she doctored
your little finger as carefully as surgeon
would bind the worst fracture.
You say she is childish now. l won
der if she ever saw you when you were
childish. You have no patience to walk
with her on the street, she moves so
slowly. wonder il she remembers tho
time when you were glad enough to go
slowly. You complain at the expense of
providing for her now. l wonder what
your financial income was from one year
what you do for the old folks. care
not how much you did for them; they
have done more for you.
But from this weird text of the morn
ing comes rushing in upon my soul q
thought that overpowers me. This
watching by RIzpah was an after death
watching. / wonder il now there is an
after death watching. l think there is.
There are Rizpahs who have passed
death, and who are still watching. They
look down from their supernal and glori-
fed state upon us, and is not that
an after death watching? l cannot be-
lieve that those who before their death
were interested in us have since their
death became Indifferent as to what
happens to US
Oh, this tremendous thought of my text
this after death watching! What an
uplifting consideration. And what a COM
forting thought! Young mother. you
who have Just lost your babe, and who
feels the need of a nearer solace than
that which comes from ordinary sympa-
thy, your mother knows all about it.
You cannot run in and talk it all over
IL l.. I.x Sfi