Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1899-07-14
MRs. STEPHEN MApnNHY

In this death our community loses a
woman whose life correspondent with a
large class in general way, but which
was the life of woman possessed of
many Distinguishing traits of character.
Mrs. johanna (McMahon Maroney was
born in the County of Glare, Ireland,
December %, 1887, and died at her home
in Island Pond, VT, July Z, 1899. She
was married A years since to Stephen
Maroney, and they have ever since lived
together in perfect harmony and f.
deity. Say what we will, and be-
lieve what we may concerning human
lives and individual destinies, when we
see in our minds the pictures of two
Irish emigrants and follow in imagina-
ton their voyage across the waters, real
ize the deep marital affection, the pa
ternal and maternal devotion which the
condition of their country at the time
we have in mind and the natural tender
ness and cheerfulness of the Irish natures
engender; when we see two such lives
growing into each other and into a COM
mon faith twhethef be=tfae=e or false3
and absorbing their whole being, admit
ting no thought into the inner temple of
their lives except what is born of them
selves, working with no envy or malice,
and with cheerfulness and goodwill to-
wards all around them, and thus growing
into feeling of security in their faith
and in the tender affection of themselves
and a growing infancy, and into the de-
fusion that if industry, frugality and de-
votion to God and each other continued
those conditions would forever last; to
see all this and the contentment with
which such conditions fill almost half
century, almost excites envy in the mind
of an observer. No fancy can picture a
condition of happiness preferable to the
simple grandeur of such real, hearty,
zestful lives. Of course this makes the
interruption the more grievous and sad,
but happiness and family unity and af-
lection, which often fourishes most lux
uriantly in the home of the emigrant,
and even in that of the exile, should not
cease to be sought and cultivated because
it is perishable like all things else in
this world. But there is always some
great cause for the continuance of
those happy family conditions. In large
families there is waywardness in the
children, a tendency toward disorder
mentally, and to improper discipline
and influences, and the woman who
possesses those womanly qualities with
patience, devotion, discretion and self
sacrifice sufficient to maintain happy
conditions through long term of years
has a task that never was excelled by the
greatest and most queenly woman on
earth. This was what this good, quiet,
industrious woman did in bringing up
family of eleven children, eight of whom
survive She was one of a class of
women who absolutely deny themselves
and devote their lives to others, and pass
years and years along their still and
patient way almost unobserved by the
common world. If it is quiet and al
most unknown satisfaction how happy
must her children be in the reflection
that all who knew her work praise it,
and condemn neither her nor her precious
memory in anything. A model, long con-
tinued, united and faithful specimen Of
family relations, the most sacred institu-
ton in the world, and the most perfect
and pure among the middle classes, has
been sadly broken by death. May the
distracted husband, father, and the chill
dren cherish the memory of a kind,
good wife and mother, hope for the best
in the future, and thank God for what
has been. G. NJ d.