Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-11-22

and the pulse beats the last thrCb, and
the bosom trembles with the last breath,
and the question is asked in a whisper
by all the group, "Is she gomez" And
all is over.
The Disinterested Friend.
Now come the regrets. Now the
daughter reviews hor former criticism
Of maternal supervision. For the first
time she realizes what it is to have a
mother and what II Is to lose a mother
Tell me- men and women. young and
old, did any Of as appreciate how much
mother was to as until she was gone?
Young woman, You will probably never
have a more disinterested friend than
your mother. When she says anything
is unsafe or imprudent, you had better
believe 1t is unsafe or imprudent. When
she declares IL Is something you ought
to do, / think you had better DO IT. She
has seefi more Of the world than you
have. Do you think she could have any
msrrenary OF ecntsmptible motive in
what she advises youl She would give
her life fof you IL II were called for. Do
you knew Of any one else who would DO
more than that for your Do you know
Of any one who would do as much?
Again and again abe has already endan-
eered that life during SIX weeks Of
diphtheria or tcsrlet fever. and she
never once broughs up the question Of
whether she had better stay, breathing
day and night the eontagion. The grayo-
yards are full Of mothers who died ta-.
ing care Of their children. Better appre-
ciate your mother before your apprecia-
tion Of her will be no kindness to her,
and the post mortem regrets will he
more and more Of an agony as the years
pass On. Big headstones Of polished
Aberdeen, and the best epitaphs which
the family put together could compose,
and garland Of vhitest roses from the
conservatory are often the attempt to
atone for the thanks We ought to have
altered IA living ears, and the kind
words that would have done more good
than all the Gala lilies ever piled up On
the silent mounds Of the cemeteries.
The world makes applauditory ado
over the work Of mothers who have
raised boys TO be great men, and l could
turn to my bookshelyes and find tho
names Of so distinguished men who had
great mothers-Cuvier' mother, Walter
Scott's mother, st. Bernsrd's mother,
Benjamin Vests mother. But who
praises mothers for what they do for
daughters who make the homes CT Amer
ica! / DO not know Of an instance q
such recognition. declare to you that
believe l an uttering the first word that
has ever been altered IN appreciation ot
the self denial, Of the fatigues and good
sense and prayers which those mothers
90 through who navigate family Of
girls from the edge Of the cradle to the
schoelhouse door, and from the school
house door up to the marriage altar.
That is an achievement which the eter-
nal God celebrates high up in the heav-
ems, though for IL human hands so sell
dom clap the fsintest applause. Ny
My! What time that mother had with
those youngsters, and II she had relaxed
care and work ana &dvice and solicita-
tion Of heavenly help. that next genera
tioA would have landed in the poor
house, idiot asylum or psnitsntiary. ID
is while ths is hVise. bat never while
she is dead, that rome girls call their
mother maternal ancestor" or "the old
woman
Divine sympathy.
And Il you have grief already, and
some Of the Eeeasst EoTrovs Of q wonl-
ans hfs como early, roll it over ca
Christ and you will hnd him more SYM
pathetic th.n wss Queen Victoria. who,
when her children, the princes and prin-
cesses, came cut Of the schoolroom after
the morning Lesson had been given up
By their governsss end told how her
voice had trsmbled in the morning pray
er because IL was the anniversary Of her
mothers death, and that she had put
her head down on the desk and eobbed
Mother Mother" the queen went
in and said to the governess: my poor
child am sorry the children disturbed
you this morning. I will hear their
lessons today, ana 10 show you that l
have not forgcisen the sad anniversary,
bring you This gift, And the queen
clasred On the girls vrist mourning
bracelet with loek Ct her mothers
hair All yen yoHns women the world
around who mourR like BORROW, and
sometimes in your loneliness aud sorrow
and lose burst eat crying, Mother J
Mother - Pct On yoST wrist shis golden
clasp Of divine sympathy, AS one
whom his mother comforteth so will l
comfort ycu."
Advice the fourth: Allow no time to
psr without Frightening some ones
life. Within hvs minutes walk Of yen
there is some one In = tragedy compared
with which shakespeare's king Lear
or Victor Huso's jean Vatican" has
no power. Go out and brighten some-
body's life with cheering word or
smile or a flower. Take good book
and read chapter to that blind man.
Go up that dark alley and make that in
valid woman laugh with some good
story. Go to that house from which that
child has been taken by death and tell
the father and mother what an escape
the child has had from the winter OK
earth into the springtime Of heaven.
For Gods sake make some one happy
for ten minutes if for no longer time.
A young woman bound on such mis-
sion-what might she not accomplish!
Oh. there are thousands Of these manu-
facturers Of sunshine. They are Kings
Daughters" whether inside or outside
that delightful organization. They do
more good before they are 20 years OF
age than selfish women who live 90,
and thsy are so happy just because they
make others happy. Compare such
Young woman who feels she has such a
mission with one who lives a round Of
vanities, eardease IN hand, calling on
people for whom she does not care ex-
cept for some social advantage, and in
sufferably bored when the call is re-
turned, and trying to look young after