The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-07-29

children. That man useful in COM
mercial life. that man prominent in
the profession, that master mechanic,
why every step he takes in life has an
echo Of ladness in the old heart that
long ago taught him to be Christian
and heroic and earnest. The story OF
what you have done or what you have
written, of the influence you have ex
erted, has gone back to the old home
stead, 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 more
vigorous thump. Parents love to hear
good news from their children. ID
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 maternal ancestor"
Or the "old woman" The eye that
mocketh at his father and refuseth to
obey his mother the ravens OF the val
ley shall pick il out, and the young
eagles shall eat it." God grant that
all these parents may have the great
satisfaction of seeing their childre
grow up Christians Bat, oh, the
pang of that mother who, after life
of street gadding and gossip retailing
hanging on her children the frippe-
ries and follies of this world, sees
those children tossed out on the sea Of
life like foam on the wave or nonen-
titles in a world where only brawny
and stalwart character can stand the
shock. 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 Scriptures. That is the mothers
recompense-to see children coming
up useful in the world, reclaiming the
lost, healing the sick, plying the ig-
norant, earnest and useful in every
sphere. That throws new light back
on the old family Bible whenever she
reads it, and that will be ointment to
soothe The aching limbs of decrepitude
light up the closing hours of iife's day
with the glories of an autumnal sun
set!
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 through the gray locks which
are folded back over the wrinkled
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 20 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 a better realm, where
they shall never die, and others out in
the broad world attesting the excel
lency of a Christian mothers dlsclp-
line. 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 eter-
nal springtide and youth, where the
limbs never ache, and the eyes never
grow dim, and the staff of the exhaus
ted and decrepit pilgrim shall become
the palm of the immortal athlete.