The Indianapolis journal., 1895-12-08
THE GOING FORTH OF MOTHER. .

She started on the journey In the sunset
Of winter evening. She looked out at the
red west before she opened the door toward
the new country. She thought of her lifes
cares and troubles and happiness, and won>
dered at the strength that had come to her
small shoulders in the burden-bearing. Her
youth, which in these later years had been
a thing quite apart from her wrinkled face
and bowed form and silvered hair, seemed
so near that the freshness and buoyancy
Of 1t danced along her veins in throbbing
suggestions of love and hope and all the
bright accomplishments Of young living.
And then she was a little older with ma
turity, dignifying duty and maternity un-
folding the graces Of her soul as no other
condition ever had done.
AS the door closed behind her. just for
one moment she felt a tremor Of fear at
the journey. She was old, she told herself
and she had not gone alone these many
years. But while there were tender minis
trations TO Tighten the last moments of her
setting forth. there were no offers to ac-
company her. And as she stood thinking
OF the life shut behind the door--and the
friends there, weeping at her going-and the
duties laid aside. hoping none was unful-
filed, she suddenly saw before her another
door. wide open; and beyond the gate there
sounded music and the singing Of birds
and the soughing of summer winds. And
she entered in. She felt no fear, no strange>
ness in thus entering unbidden, for she
knew she had come into the new country,
even while she wondered at the starting.
She knew that none who passed through
this gate of life was ever unwelcome.
She put her hands to her head in bewilder-
ment and marveled to find her hair soft
and abundant as in youth; and. stretched
out her little hands and the wrinkles had
given place to satin smoothness; and the
lightness of her feet brought her quickly
into the green fields of the country. The
grass was cool and inviting, and she sat
down to rest. Her heart was full of the
beauty about her and she said little prayer
OF thankfulness that green fields had been
given her instead of golden streets, still,
In her sweet humility, never doubling but
that others more worthy than she would
press those glittering paths. But her feet
had always walked in secluded ways and
she doubted not the wisdom which environs
a soul for its eternal good. She thought
this like a place she had once known long
ago, with green-topped hills in the distance
and great stretches of meadow and fields
and sunny slopes nearer and nearer, the
purling Of hidden stream behind the trees
and over all an indescribible peace, as
though life itself were the essence or all
She saw a figure coming across the field.
And because she knew now that this was
herself: .sIt is the Christ And she arose
and started to meet Him, but as she drew
she uttered @ ,;rSiS gnd ery and bs s
her head in moment and scanned the
face of the man.
Not He." She said, wonderingly; mot
He."
Nay; His messenger" he answered. smil-
ing. "He always sends to the soul newly
come into this country the blessing which
passed over"
yes. / longed most most all my life for or the
would cradle him. and sing TO him, and
make up to him for all the years lived apart,
and though have dreamed all this
And though you have so dreamed" He
said. smiling.
Il am full satisfied, though finding him
longed for. man. Tell me. dearest, how
He put his arm about her and drew her
on. over toward the heart of the city
whence the music sounded. Little moth
err" he said; progression and growth Is the
law OF the soul. Age is Of the body-an i'll
fitting garment, with .creases and folds.
But growth All, here that means not stat
ure aIone-though we attain the altitude Of
aspiration and measure the time pass
age thereto by our endeavors. Nay; growth
you could not understand. You adapted
said; Thus it win be- Judging by the ds,d Il%i;
who died you said: I shall see my babe
again. thinking only of the little form be-
meath the sod. Dearest. what could eternity
yield a babe, who knows only physical
wants-did ii remain forever a babe?'
"And by what law knew I your? the
mother asked: my babe become man, yet
still my child?"
by the eternal sacrednes of motherlove," I"
he answered gravely. by that intuition Of
the soul which says: This is mine, once OF
my body, always OF my soul, component
part OF mortal and spiritual life This is
mine" And he kissed her.
She looked behind toward the gate. An
other soul, newly entered. waved a greet
ing. And in the room whence she had
started the glow of the red west was faded
TO twilight and the winter winds blew cold
without. And they that watched her going
forth wept and sale foolishly She is
dead" OLLAH TOPH.
JnCianapolis