Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-07-23

Again and lastly, Hannah stands before
you today the rewarded mother. For all
the coats she made for Samuel, for oil the
prayers she offered for him, for the discl-
pline she exerted over him, she got abun-
dant compensation in the piety and the
usefulness and the popularity of her son
Samuel, and that is true in all ages
Every mother gets full pay for all the
prayers and tears in behalf of her children.
That man useful In commercial life, that
man prominent in the profession, that
master mechanically, every step he takes
IN life has an echo of gladness in the old
heart that long ago taught him to be Chris
tian and heroic and earnest. The story of
what you have done or what you have
written, of the influence you have exerted,
has gone back to the old homestead, for
there is some one always ready to carry
good tidings, and that story makes the
needle in the old mothers tremulous hand
fly quicker and the fail in the fathers
hand come down upon the barn floor with
q more vigorous thump. Parents love to
hear good news from their children. Do
you send them good news always? Look
out for the young man who speaks of his
father as the governor, the squire" or
the "old chap" Look out for the young
woman who calls her mother her mater
nal ancestor" or the "old woman" 1.-THE
eye that mocketh at his father and refuseth
to obey his mother the ravens of the val
ley shall pick it out, and the young eagles
shall eat it.' God grant that all these
parents may have the great satisfaction of
seeing their children grow up Christians.
But oh, the pang of that mother who, after
life of street gadding and gossip retail
ing, hanging on her children the fripperies
and follies of this world sees those chill
dren tossed out on the sea of life like foam
on the wave or nonentities in q world
where only brawny and stalwart character
can stand the shockl But blessed be the
mother who looks upon her children as
sons and daughters Of the Lord Almighty.
Oh, the satisfaction of Hannah in seeing
Samuel serving at the altar, of Mother
Eunice in seeing her Timothy learned in
the Scripturesl That Is the mothers rec
ompense-to see children coming up useful
in the world, reclaiming the lost, healing
the sick, pitying the ignorant, earnest and
useful in every sphere. That throws a new
light back on the old family Bible when
ever she reads 1t, and that will be oint-
ment to soothe the aching limbs of decrepi-
tude and light up the closing hours Of
life's day with the glories of an autumnal
sunset
There she sits, the old Christian mother,
ripe for heaven. Her eyesight Is almost
gone, but the splendors Of the celestial city
kindle up her vision. The gray light Of
heavens morn has struck throughsthe gray
locks which are folded back over the wrin-
kled temples. She stoops very much now
under the burden of care she used to carry
for her children. She sits at home today
too old to find her way to the house of God,
but while she sits there all the past comes
back, and the children that 40 years ago
trooped around her armchair with their
little griefs and joys and sorrows, those
children are all gone now-some caught
up into better realm, where they shall
never die, and others out in the broad
world attesting the excellency of Chris
tian mothers discipline. Her last days
are full of peace, and calmer and sweeter
will her spirit become until the gates of
life shall lift and let the worn out pilgrim
into eternal springtide and youth, where
the limbs never ache, and the eyes never
grow dim, and the staff Of the exhausted
and decrepit pilgrim shall become the palm
of the immortal athlete