The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-02-01

ne Onct 1ol1 hls HlOtner Sne Diu wv
Hurt Him, When She Whipped him, She
Laid 1t on That He Did Feel-Early
hood.
East Mortified, Mass, Jan. 3l-A
world-known evangelist paying no.
table tribute 10 his mother as she lay
in her coffin, an audience of 1000 people
moved to alternate tears and laughter,
and yet through it all running a solemn
pathos. This tells the story Of dra-
matte scene at the funeral of Mrs. Bet
sy Holton Moody, mother of Dwight
l. Moody,i in the Congregational church
today.
No man in the world is less given TO
show than Moody. He is simplicity
itself, yet in the funeral of his mother
he not only paid to her memory respect
and reverence, but he allowed an unus-
ual number of hymns for funeral and
the display Of a great abundance of
flowers, coming from all over the coun-
try, tributes of love to her, who today
has been called that dear old lady"
Four hundred girls, ''maids of honor
Mr.. Moody called them, escorted the
body TO the church and 400 boys eScor-
ted the body to the grave.
No one could see Mr.. Moody with the
tears running down his cheeks, and
hear the broke tones of his voice as he
paid his last tribute 10 the worth of
his mother, without being profoundly
impressed with his great love for her
and realizing that the elaborate trib-
utes of respect were only an evidence
of that love.
The service was held at the home
stead at 9 o'clock in the morning. 1t
was private, and was conducted by
Mr.. Moody himself. When the body
was brought into the church by the
six grandsons, escorted by the 400 girls,
the altar and altar rails contained a
great mass of flowers. Before the ari-
val of the family both the girls and
boys filed silently by the casket, TAX
ing a last look at the old lady who low
ed them so well. Aside from many peo
pie from abroad, scores of old people
had driven miles TO be present at the
funeral.
AS the immediate friends came into
the church, every seat in the edifice
which holds more than 1000 persons,
DEAlASS Ad1hOAls Int CIiOlI VI NOuLS NOUlCll
and the congrega ton sang Blessed
Hope" This was followed by the doX-
OlOgy and the invocation by Rev. DR..
Scofeld. The choir then sang "Resur-
rection Morn" Miss Maud Phillips
and Mrs. W. r Moody, the latter the
daughter of Major Whittle, the evan
gelist, then rendered Thou Remain
est Dr. Scofield gave the scriptures
lesson, and the congregation sang
Some Sweet Day" DR.. Scofield then
gave an impressive address and Mrs.
W. r. Moody rendered Tennyson's 5
Crossing the Bar"
MR. AIOODY'S TRIBUTE.
In the midst of a profound silence
Mr.. Moody rose from a seat in the
body of the church and walked to the
altar, standing during a large portion
of his address directly at the foot of
his mothers coffin. He spoke in sub
stance as follows:
l know it is not customary for a son
to speak at his mothers funeral. If
it is possible for me to control my feel
ings, l want TO pay her memory mer-
tied tribute. i was great honor for
us to have such mother. l cannot
praise her enough. She was a wise
woman. She knew more than Solo
mon. She knew how to govern her
own sons. She was a noble mother
to all her nine children. She displayed
wonderful good judgment and an al
most marvellous tact. She was so
loving a mother that when we were
away from home we were always anX-
ious to get back to her. This was
true all through life.
My ia ather died utterly bankrupt. The
creditors took every thing. / can Wv
idly recall this fact by mother telling
us We must stay in bed until school
time, because there was no wood in or
near the house and no way of Great
ing warmth. I remember Just as WV
idly when ] heard the sound OF chips
flying, and knew some one was chop
ping wood in our woodshed. and that
then we should have warmth.
l shall never forget Uncle Silas com
ing with what seemed TO me the big
gest pile of wood 1 ever saw in my life.
Many other acts of kindness were
shown to US. and remember with deep
gratitude TO this day the kindness
that was shown by one of the ministers
of the Unitarian church Of this vii
lage many years ago. 1 recall when
l first earned any money. It was !
cent a week for tending cows. It
went into the common treasury. Ev-
cry penny was needed and put to the
best purpose.
BIBLE A HERITAGE.
Her words were the sweetest I heard
when returning here after long jour
neys. l have in my hands the old
family Bible. so thoroughly used by
her I suppose that when my father
died that was the only book we had in
our house.
Her love for her husband lasted all
through life. For fifty-four years. 10
my certain knowledge, Widow Moody's
light burned on yonder hill There
is one room in that old house that l
think she loved best. Il was the room
where she found God. Il was there
that He answered her prayers. How
she worked, Up in the attic is the
old wheel she used for US. And still
with all her poverty. she never turned
the poor away from her door.
As long as 1 live / shall never forget
her old-fashioned whippinEs. l be
lieve in them today. She would send
me OuT for y stick. ! thought I could
fool her. and would get a dead stick
She would snap the stick and then
cause me 70 get another. She was
never in a hurry. and she certainly
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