The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1901-10-16
Mothers Place.
The Mother of Phillips Brooks.

The biography of Phillips Brooks, recently given
to the world by Alexander O. Allen is valuable ad-
dition to American literature 1t gives true and
beautiful picture of the life of this great and cool
man, who filled such unique position in the religious
world of his day Phillips Brooks truly belonged to
the Church universal and to the nation at large and
yet Virginia may we'll feel a special pride in his
derful career for he received his theological train
ing at the Alexandria Seminary, and preached his
first sermon in old St. Georges Church. in Fred
ericksburg. The story of such life is TRULY in
spiration. Let hope that it will be enjoyed by a
wide circle of readers.
There is feature of the book, however, to which
l should like to call special attention-that is the
great debt owed by Phillips Brooks to his mother
and the beautiful relation that existed unbroken be-
tween the mother and until the earthly tie was
dissolved by death.
1t has been often said that every really great man
was made so by his mother This was emnently true
of Phillips Brooks. His early pastor and lifelong
friend, DIR. Vinton, said in speaking of the great
preacher that he made by his mother" An
other intimate friend said, Il had a question
that what made Phillips prophet leader, power
among men, from the Phillips side of the family.
The big heart, the changefu counenance the voice
that easily grew tremuous with feeling the eager
look and gesture, the magnetism the genius seemed
to me, and believe seemed to him. his Mothers.
Phillips. The Phillips family had been famous for
many generations for high culture and strong rei-
gous feeling. One of Mary Phillips ancestors, Sam
uel Phillips founded the institutions at Andover, and
here for long years the family home
Mary Ann Phillips of great strength
of character, inheriting from her cultured Puritan
ancestors intellectual powers of a high order and
intensely religious temperament 1t from her
that Phillips Brooks derived his deeply emotional
,,I1
of others "She had" says her sons biographer, "a
vast capacity for feeling, pouring it forth inexhaust
bly, and untirngly. She lavshed upon her fam
lily untold wealth of Devotion
From the time of her marriage to William Gray
Brooks and the establishment of their little home in
Boston, she devoted every thought and energy to
the task of making a happy home for her husband
and children The education of the children was the
supreme motive of her life, to which everything else
subordnated. The wisest and best method for
training the six sons who had been entrusted to her
care religously intellectually and physically was the
study to which she devoted her time and talents
The home a sacred enclosure where the children
shut in from the temptations of the world, and
were given every opportunity for the development of
what was highest and best. The mother accepted no
social invitations until the youngest of her flock had
grown beyond the need of her constant, watchfu
care, though her friends tell us that she possessed
rare social gifts, and might have become leader in
the most cultured circles of Boston society il she had
cared to do So She chose instead to consecrate her
life to the training of her boys, with the result that
She lived to see four Of her doing noble work
in the ministry, and of the number swaying the
religious thought of his day with the power of seer
and prophet The religious training Of her children
the foremost thought always in this mothers
mind. The chldren's earliest remembrance Of her
at their bedside repeating to them Bible stories
as they going to sleep The family was gath
cred night and morning for prayers, and on Sunday