The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1896-08-06

famed thr0ats, ana ulseaseu lungs a. thoio
are among children. II parents knew more
beautiful, there would not be so many chill.
dren coming out in the world with boorish
procliyities. II parents knew more OF Christ
and practiced more of His religion, there
would not be so many little feet already
starting on the wrong road, and all around
a. voices of riot and blasphemy would not
come up with such ecstasy OF Internal
triumph.
Again, Hannah stancs before you to-day as
n Christian mother. From her prayers and
ffom the way she consecrated her boy to
dod know abe was good. mother may
have the finest culture, the most brilliant
surroundings; but she is not Mt Tor ner
dnties Unless she be q Christian mother.
There may be well read libratles I'D the
hotise, and exquisite music In the .parior,
and the canvas Of the best drttst adofning
the walls, and the wardrobe be crowded
with tasteful apparel and the children be
wonderful for their attachments and make
the house ring with laughter and innocent
mirth. but there is something woeiuity
lacking in that house If 1t be not also
the residence of a Christian mother
bless God that there are not
many prayerless mothers. The weight
of responsibility is so great that they feel tue
feed OF divine hand to help ana a divine
voice to comfort and divine heart 10
svmpathize. Thousands OF mothers nave
been led into the kingdom of God by the
hands of their little children. There are
hundreds of mothers to-day who would not
have been Christians had it not been for the
prattle of their little ones. Standing some
aav in the nursey, they bethought them
selves, "This child God has given me to
raise for eternity. What is my influence
upon 1t? Not being Christian myself, now
A,,,a n thrl al
can ever expect him to become aohriS''an'
Lord. help mel!
sibilities. Aud whether that child shall come
frtth in life. its heart attuued TO the eternal
bArmohies; aid after life 6i tiseiul1ess on
earth. 20 TO life of joy In heaven, or
whether across it shall jar eternal dlscords,
and after d life Of wrongdoing on earth IL
shall 20 to home o. impenetraole darkness
and an abyss of Unreasonable piunge-fs pe-
ing decided by nursery song ana oa9n..n
lesson and evening prayer and walk ana rue
and look and frovn and smile! on, now
IiiAhy children In glory, ctowdiDg all the
battlements and lifting million voiced no.
sauna. brought to God through Christian
parentagel One hundred and twenty clergy
men were together, and they were telilhg
their experience and their ancestry, anu OF
the one hundred and twenty clergymen.
how many OF them, do you suppose, as
signed as the means OF their CONVEX
sion the influence of Christian motherI
One hundred out OF the hundred ana
twenty. Philip Doddridge was brought
ito God by the Scripture lesson on the
dutch tile Of the chimney fireplace. me
hnother thinks she is only rocking chlld.
but at the same time she may be rocking the
6estiny of empires. rocking the 1ate OF
Nations, rocking the glories Of heaven. me
same maternal power that may lift child
up may press child down. daughter
came to q worldly mother and said she was
anxious about her sins and she had Deeh
prayjng all night. The mother said ION,
stop PRAYING! 1 don't believe In praying.
Get over all those religious notions, and IN
give you dress that will cost five hundred
dollars, and you may wear it next week 10
that party"
The daughter took the dress. and she
moved in the gay circle, the gayest OF all
the gay that night, and, sure enough, al
religious impressions were gone, ana sue
stopped praying. A few months after. she
came to die and in her closing moments
said "Mother, wish you would bring me
that dress that cost $780," The mother
thought it was very strange request, but
she brought it to please the dying child.
"Now," said the daughter, "mother, hang
that dress on the foot of my bed And the
dress was hung there on the foot OF tbs bed.
Then the dying girl got up on one elbow and
looked at her mother and then pointed TO
the dress and said. "Mother, that dress is the
price of my soul" Oh. what momentous
thing it is to be mother.
Again, and lastly, Hannah stands before
you to-day, the rewarded mother. For all
the coats she has made for Samuel, for all
tho prayers she offered for him, for the dis
ciPline she exerted over him, she got album
dant compensation in tho piety and useful
ness 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 Christian 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 tremu-
lous 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.
Do you send them good news, always? Look
out for the young man who speaks OF his
father as the governor" the esquire" or
the sold chap Look out for the young
woman who calls her mother her "maternal
ancestor" or the cold woman" "The eye
that mocketh at his father and refuseth to
obey his mother the ravens of the valley
shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall
eat it," God grant that all these parents
may have the great satisfaction of seeing
tlfetr children grow up Christians.
But, oh, the pang of that mother who,
after life of street gadding and gossip re.
failing, hanging on her children the "trip
peries and follies of this world, sees those
children tossed out on the sea of life like
foam on the wave or nonentities in world
whore 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
claiming the lost, healing the sick, plying
the ignorant, earnest and useful in every
sphere. That throws a new light back on
the old family Bible whenever she reads it {;
and that will be ointment to soothe the ach-
ing limbs of decrepitude 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 through the gray
locks which are folded back over the wrin-
kled temples. She stoops very much now I'M