The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1901-10-16


of Bible study that she might be better qualified to
instruct her sons in Scripture truths, and day by
day she labored with unfailing patience and perse
verance to instill into their minds the principles of
religion. She bore them her heart day and night
in earnest prayer, and as her grew to manhood
these prayers became agonzing i'll the intensity of
their supplication, until one by one her
gathered into the fold, she rejoiced with JOY
speakabe the answer to her prayers and her
labors.
She did not relax her sense of religious respon-
sibility when childhood passed into youth Even
after her had entered the ministry she continued
TO watch and guard them for fear that they might be
led astray by false doctrine.
While in the Brooks household the spiritual train
ing was given the first place the intellectual and ply
steal not neglected. The boys were sent to the
best schools, and by one they graduated from
Harvard with high honors but in order to accom-
pish this the parents forced to deny themselves
many luXuries. The mother made careful study
of domestic economy, and labored with her
hands that money might be saved for this, which
to her the supreme purpose in life The physical
we-being of her children was also most carefully
looked after We would need no further proof of
this than is given in the beautiful letters so full of
tender maternal solicitude, which she to her
son Phillips, dearest Philly,' as she always adj
his theological studies in Alexandria. How sweet
is the picture that her son gives us of the family
party gathered in the evening around the common
table in the back parlor The father busy with
literary work the boys their studies the mother
occupied with her sewing, but ready at any moment
to drop her work and give her aid and sympathy to
any of the young students who appealed for help
Guests rarely invited for the evening, as they
felt to the perfect completeness of the
happy home circle
Nor do find as is so often the case that this
mother ceased to share the lives of her sons they
grew to manhood. She gave them intensest sympathy
and passionate love through all the changing phases
of life. There is something very touching in the
anxious showed in her letters her Phillips
lest his head should be turned by his marvellous
popularity that he should be led astray into de
vious paths of theology The old habit of guild
ing and restraining her boys remained after they had
grown from boyhood into manhood. On one occa-
sion, when Phillips and Frederick were on a visit
home, the rector of the Church of the Holy Trim
y, Philadelphia, the other of St Paul's, in Ceve-
land, she is recalled putting her head into the
doorway from which the sounds of merriment came
and saying, Boys, remember it is Sunday
Hers was the spirit of the reformer who longs tc
right the wrongs of the world-a spirit strongly
inherited by her ilustrious son. 1t was source
of intense pleasure to her in her later years to sit
under the ministry of her idolized A spectator
tells us how she would sit with rapt countenance
leaning slightly forward while her son was preach
ing, if she feared to lose a word and how she
would often up to him at the close of the ser
vice and say in her gentle shy way, Phillips thai
was beautiful sermon"
Phillips Brooks wrote to his friend, Dr.. Wei
Mitchell after his mothers death: my mother ha.
been the center of all the happiness of my life
Thank God she is not less my pride and treasur,
now"
The words of Scripture that he chose as mos
expressive of her life to be engraved upon her tomb
stone were these: 20 woman, great is thy faith, be
it thee even as thou wilt She had desired anc