The Globe-republican., 1894-08-03

ton. He blesses everybody he eomee
in contact with. God for-ives his mis-
takes, and makes everlast;n, recora IT
his holy endesvors. and at the close Of
! it God says to him: We'll done, good
and faithful servant: enter into the
joys of thy Lord.- Ny brother. ray
sister, do not care whether that man
dies at 80. 40, 50. CO. 20 or SO years of
age: you can chisel right under his
name on the tombstone these words:
His life was worth living"
Amid the hills of New Hampshire, in
olden times. there sits a mother. There
are six children in the hOusehOld-four
boys and two girls. Small farm. Very
! rough, hard work to coax living out
of it. Mighty tug to make the two
ends of the year meet. The boys go to
school in winter and work the farm in
summer. Mother is the chief presiding
spirit. With her hands she kni.s all
the stockings for the little feet, and
she is the mantuamaiser for the tOys,
and she is the milliner for the girls.
/ There is only one musical instrument
in the hOuse-the spinning wheel
The food is very plain. but is always
well provided. The winters are very
cold. but are kept out by the blankets
she quilted. On sunday. when she APP
pears in the village church. her chi;-
dren around her. the minister looks
down, and is reminded of the Bible de-
scription of a good housewife: ''Her
children arise up and call her blessed:
her husband also. and he praiseth her."
/ Some years go by. and the two
eldest boys want a collegiate educa-
| ton and the household economies are
sevcrer. and the calculations are closer,
and until those two boys get their ed
/ ucation there is hard battle for
bread. One Of these boys enters the
university, stands in pulpit widely
influential. and breaches righteous
ness judgment and temperance, and
thousands during his ministry are
blessed. The other lad who got the
collegiate education goes into the law.
and thence into legislative halls. and
after awhile he commands listening
senates as he makes plea for the
down-trodden and the Outcast. One of
the Younger boys becomes merchant,
starting at the foot of the ladder, but
Ginning on up until his success and
his philanthropies are recognized all
over the land. TIE other son stays at
home because he prefers farming life,
and then he thinks he will be able to
take care of father and mother when
they get old.
Of the two daughters. when the war
broke out one went through the hos
pitfalls of Pittsburg Landing and
Fortress Monroe. cheering up the dy-
ing and homeSick. and taking the last
message to kindred far away. So that
every time Christ thought of her he
said. as of old: The same is my sister
and mother" The other daughter has
bright home of her own. and in the
afternoon of the forenoon when she
has been devoted to her household, she
goes forth to hunt up the sick and to
encourage the discouraged. leaving
smiles and bcnediction all along the
way.
But one day there start five tele-
grams from the village for these five
absent ones, saying: Come. mother is
dangerously ILL.," But before they can
be ready to start they receive another
telegram. saying: Come. mother is
dead" The old neighbors gather in
the old farm house to do the last offices
of respect. But as that farming son,
and the clergyman, and the senator,
and the merchant. and the two daugh-
tiers stand by the casket of the dead
mother. taking the last look, or lifting
their children to see once more the
face of dear old grandma, I want to
ask that group around the casket one
question: do You really think her life
was worth liv;ng?' A life for God, a
life for others. d life of unselfishness. a
useful life, Christian life, is always
worth living.
would not find it hard to persuade
you that the poor lad. Peter Cooper,
making glue for living, and then
amassing a great fortune until he could
build philanthropy which has had its
echo in 10000 philanthropies all over
the country would not find it hard
to persuade you that his life was worth
living. Neither would l find it hard
to persuade you that the life of
Susannah Wesley was worth liv-
ing. She sent out one son to
organize Methodisn and the other
son to ring his anthems all through
the ages. would not find it hard to
persuade you that the life OF Frances
Leere was worth living. as. she estab-
lished in England a school for the
scientific nursing of the sick. and when
the war broke ont between France and
Germany. went to the front. and with
her own hands scraped the mud off the
bodies of the soldiers dying in the
trenches. Neither would have hard
work to persuade you that Grace
Darling lived life worth living-the |
heOrine of the lifeboat.
But know the thoughts in the minds |
of hundreds who read this. You say: |
while l know ali these lived lives |
worth living. 1 don't think my life !
~ 70 $r;orIc