The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-01-18

tne heavens Orucrcu III feRuru 10 tne en-
broidered door OF the ancient tabernacle,
Thou shalt make hanging for the door OF
the tent OF blue and purple and scarlet and
fine twined linen wrought with needlework."
down to the womanly hands which this
winter in this tabernacle are presenting
for benevolent purposes their needle
work. But there wns nothing ex.
cept vanity and worldllness and social splash
In what Siseras mother said about the nee
dlework she expected her son would bring
home from the battle. And l am not sur
prised to find that Sisera fought on tho
wrong side when his mother at the window
OF my text In that awful exlgency had her
chief thought on dry goods achievement and
social display. God only knows how many
homes have made shipwreck on the ward
robe. And that mother who siis at the win
dow watching for vaingiorious triumph OF
millinery and fine colors and domestic pa.
geantry will, after while. hear as bad news
from her children out in the battle OF life as
Siseras mother heard from tho struggle at
Esdraeion. -
But II you still press the que stion. "where's
mother" will tell you where size is not,
though once she was there. Some OF you
started with her likeness In your face and
her principles In your soul. But you have
cast her out. That was an awful thing for
you to, but you have done IL. That hard,
grinding dissipated look you never got from
her. IL you had seen any one strike her you
would have struck him down without much
care whether the blow was just sufficient or
fatal but, my boy. you have struck her
down-struck her innocence from your face
and struck her principles from your soul.
You struck her down The tent pin that
Jael drove three times into the skull OF Siscra
was not so cruel as the stab you have male
more than three times through your mothers
heart. But she is waiting yet, for mothers
are slow TO give up their boys-wniting at
lpI 10. id
or at some window In heaven. And others
may cast you of. Your wifc may seek
divorce and have no patience with you.
Your father may disinhcrt you and say.
Let him never again darken the door OF our
house" But there are two persons who do
not give you up-God and mother.
How many disappointed mothers waiting
NJ the window Perhaps the panes Of tho
window are not great glass plate. bevel
edged and lowered over by exquisite lam
brequin. but the window is made OF small
panes, would say about six or eisht OF
them, In summer wreathed with trailing
vine and In winter pictured by the Raphacls
OF the forest. n roal country window. Tho
mother sits there knitting, or busy with her
needle on homely repairs, when She looks up
and sees coming across the bridge OF the
meadow brook n stranger, who dismounts In
front ofthe window. He lifts and drops tho
heavy knockcr oftho farmhouse door. Come
in " Is the response. He gives bis name and
says, II have come on n sad crrand.' There
is nothing the mattar with my son In the
city. is thereT' she asked. "les ~ he snys.
"Iour son got into an unfortunate encounter
with young man In n liquor saloon last
night and is badly hurt. The fact is he can
not get well. hate to tell you all. am
sorry TO say he Is dead" "Dead I" she cries
as she totters back. "oh. my son my son
my son! Would God | had died for thee !"
That Is the ending OF all her cares and ankle
ties and good ccunsols for that boy. That
is her pay for her self sacrifices in his behalf.
That Is the bad news from the battle. So tho
tidings OF derelict or Christian sons travel 20
the windows OF earth or tho windows ol
heaven at which mothers sit.
But" says some one. "are you not mis-
taken about my glorined mother hearing OF
my evildoings since she went away" Says
some one else, Are you not mistaken about
my glorned mother hearing of my self sacri-
fee and moral bravery and struggle 10 do
rightS" No! Heaven and earth are In con-
stant communication. There are trains run
ming every five minutes-trains OF immortals
ascending and descending-spirlts going
com earth to heaven to live there. SPIRITS
sse"nding from heavon 70 oari 10 min
'ster and help. They hear from us
many times every day. Do they hear
good news or bad news from the battle,
this Sedan, this Thermopyln, this Auster-
litz, In which every one OF us is fighting on
the right side or the wrong side. O God
whose | am, and whom | am trying 10
serve, rs q result OF this sermon. roll over
on vi mothers a new sense OF their responsi-
6ility, and upon all children, whether still
in tho nursery or out on the tremendous
Esdraelon OF middle life or old age, the fact
that their victories or defeats sound clear
out clear up to the windows Of sympathetic
maternity Oh is not this the minute when
the cloud OF blessing filed with the exhaled
in
showers OF mercy on this audience2
There Is one thought that Is almost too
tender for utterance. | almost fear TO start
1t lest have not enough control of my emo
tlon TO conclude II. As when we were chill
drcn we so often came In from play or from
hurt or from some childish injustice prac-
ticed upon us, and IA soon rs the door was
opened we cried, where's mother?" and
she said, Here | am, and we buried our
weeping faces in her lap, so after awhile,
when we get through with the pleasures and
hurts OF this life, We will, by the parioning
mercy OF Christ, enterthe heavenly home, and
among the first questions, not the first. hut
among the first, will be the old question that
we used TO ask, tho question that IL being
asked in thousands OF places at this very
moment-the question, where's mothorY"
And 1t will not take long for US 20 find her
or for her to find us. for she will have been
watching at the window for our coming
and with the other children of our household
OF earth We will again gather round her, and
she will say "well, how did you get through
the battle OF life? / have often heard from
Others about you, but now / want TO hear
II from your own souls. Tell mo all about
II, my children " And then we will tell
her OF all our earthly experiences,
the holidays, the marriages, the birth hours,
the burials, the heartbreaks, the losses, tho
gains, the victories, the defeats, and she will
say Never mind, it is all over now. see
each one OF you has q crown, which was
given you at the gate as you came through.
Now cast II at the feet of the Christ who
saved you and saved mo and saved us all.
Thank God, we are never TO part, and for all
the ages OF eternity you will never again
have to ask, Where's motherY"
A Coin Recovered After Thirty Years.