The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-01-30

great buiidang.p pointing to the pa<Eia~
sslked, "Was his name Mr.. Gladstons3,
"Oh- yes." said the hey, s'thst il
his name; Mr.. Gladstone. Do you
tell me a man can see religion like that
and not like it? There is an old
fashioned mother in q farm house.
Perhaps she is somewhere In the
seventies; perhaps rs or 70. It is the
early evening hour. Through spec
tacles No. 8 she is reading a news
paper until toward bedtime, when she
takes up well worn book, called the
Bible. I know from the illumination
in her face she is reading one OF the
thanksgiving Psalms. or in Revelation
the story of the twelve pearly gates
After awhile she closes the book, and
folds her hands, and thinks over the
past, and seems whispering the names
of her children, some of them on
earth and some of them in heaven.
Now smile is on her face, and now a
tear, and sometimes the smile catches
the tear. The scenes of long life
come back to her. One minute she
sees all the children smiling around
her, with their toys, and sports, and
strange questionings. Then she remem-
bers several of them down sick with
infantile disorders. Then she sees a
short grave, but over it cut in marble:
s'Suffer them to come to Ne" Then
there is the wedding hour, and the
neighbors in, and the promise of 81
will. - and the departure from the old
homestead. Then scene of hard times,
and scant bread, and struggle. Then
she thinks of few years with gush of
sunshine, and fittings of dark shadows,
and vicissitudes. Then she kneels
down slowly, for many years have
stiffened the joints, and The illnesses of
lifetime have made her less supple.
Her prayer is mixture of thanks for
sustaining grace during all those years:
and thanks for children good, and
Christian, and kind; and a prayer for
the wandering boy, whom she hopes
to see come home before her departure.
And then trembling lips speak
of the land of reunion where
she expects to meet her loved
ones already translated; and after
telling the Lord in very simple
language how much she loves him, and
trusts him, and hopes to see him soon,
hear her pronounce the quiet s'Amen,'
and she rises up-a little more difficult
effort than kneeling down. And then
she puts her head on the pillow for the
| night, and the angels of safety and
peace stand sentinel about that couch
in the farm house; and her face ever
and anon shows signs of dreams about
| the heaven she read of before retiring.
In the morning the days work has
begun downstairs, and seated at the
| table the remark is made, Mother
must have oversight herself" And the
| grandchildren also notice that grand.
| mother is absent from her usual place
at the table. One of the grandchildren
! goes to the foot of the stairs and
cries, "Grandmother!" But there is nc
answer. Fearing something is the
matter, they go up to see, and all
seems right The spectacles and Bible
on the stand, and the covers of the bed
] are smooth, and the face is calm, hel
white hair on the white pillow case
like snow on snow already fallen. But
her soul has gone up to look upon
the things that the night before she
What transporting look on her dear
old wrinxled face! She has seen the
liking in his beauty" She has beer
welcomed by the Lamb who was
slain" And her two eldest sons hav
ing hurried up stairs, look and whisper
Henry to George, ''That is religion!'
and George to Henry, Eyes. that is re
| liOion1"