Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-05-27

snail feel rebuied for un"U.'
or speech. 10 to lay a founda,io" ~ -,
living memorial which shall nov o'
commemorate but prolcng ana rce'
himrclf for generations yet 10 conn" e.,
The negative side Of the picture
not less striking In its graPno -
trayal. How differently we wc"'"
gard the sudden injustice whie" we :"
constantly administer by ill-consid-
cred rcbukcs and unweisheo u'' ,
because OF outside irritation or "e
ness born OF business fret, II We
lied that day would come whc" VIZ
child would judge us by our "s'.s
words. How startling II wou'd pc >"
realize that habitual moodiness. a'ooi-
ness. and lack Of sympathy ana copn-
partnership would day by day iea'e our
boys with no food for regret ""e" W
were gone. and that our meme III inc
temple OF their hearts be Tor ever va
cant In the future which for none OF US
Is far away.
Though "a man leave his millions 10
enrich his children. they VIII ohiy pc
his millions after all, and not himself.
His children will spend them Joyiuliy.
and rejoice In their power. but tEc
givcr will not have bought. with all ms
wealth. an Immortality OF loving re-
membranes. His boys may cmuiatc
his thrift or study his methods or
multiplication. but he may still he
dead. indeed. and the gold only be 10
them part Of a past. not INK with
him which shall stir their souls In that
vivifying sense which Is mans best
Immortality.
1t Is happiness TO believe that We
shall not be forgotten: to hope that
love will keep our names icnderly on
its lips is sweet: but to daily live 80
that our departure shall be like the
qucnching Of the sunlight. and that
our beliefs and acts and manners and
speech are. TO our best beloved. cx-
poncnts OF human natures best cx-
preston OF itself. is To leave the ma
aterial for the most noble OF monu-
mcnis ready for the building.
There is something startling in the
summing NJ OF what world-absorbed
mother would leave behind her II she
went suddenly out of her house. Yes
tcrday. and the day before that. and
the day before that. what material for
unfading love. for undying thoughts OF
gratitude. for unqucnchable longing.
has she laid in her childrcn's hearts,
The nurse Will soothc the little ones
hurt: the govcrness will rectify the
faulty lesson and the untutored man
ner: the walks viii be as long, the
playtime as jolly. as when she lived.
The brief evening visit 10 the drawing
room. IL she should chance 10 be at
home. Is not so much 10 lose; the dying
inspection OF the nursery in the morn
ing provides slight substance FOR an
everlasting love and life long remcm-
brancc. or her 1t shall not he ever
said: Her children rise up ana call
he. blessed"
Under a little sketch Of "A quaint old
English buriai-placc. II lonely woman
once wrote: j am grateful" II was
in the nature OF an enigma to mos; of
the visitors To her scantily furnished
room in Il second-rate boarding house
For the larger part they came TO
look up poor old Miss for the sake
Of doing Christian kindness.
They found exquisite delicacy OF or
der and refinement in her room and
person. and her greeting was as court
~ as that of duchess. Patronage
or pity were impossible toward NO
mon whose high-bred stateliness put
her visitors on their good behavior
and made them remember the de-
corums OF earlier years. II wrote
those words under my picture to re-
mind me to be thankful for what
learned from my parents she said,
and of what they had learned from
those who sleep in that place. try
TO show what they were. even IL I am
so poor. and never let myself fall below
their standard" she was To their
neither lettered epitaph nor eulogy.
Happy. indeed. are those Of us who
find balm TO grief In our swelling
pride and love. as we name the dead
for whom we yearn and long. when
they no more walk among us, To find
death n relief from selfish tyranny. or
4uef ulous temper. or ungenerous
speech. must be n thousa nd fold worse
for child to bear than to be bereaved
of the truest love that ever made home
blessed. To have a mans or woman's
descendants breathe more freely be-
cause they are dead is the failure Of
failures. the climax of human loss
Not to have been able to mourn for
those who gave us life Is IA sorrow s
crown of sorrow"
1t seems as IL we could quickly make
of such. peradventure. a mighty force
to rectify our lives and to set us TO
work with inviicib!e determination to
achieve such mastery over self and
imperfection as to attain that happiest
position. the place of him who is the
idol and hero of his own household.
Whatever else we may fail in for lack
OF opportunity, this is a victory for
which Heaven has given us a fair field.
and on which defeat is made unuues-
tionably dependent upon ourselves.
To the mother. such overwhelming
odds have been given-instinctivc af-
lection; the strongest natural impulse
to be devoted: the mate and almost
ineradicable tendency to admire and
lmitate-shc has it all in her own
hands. III. in time to come. her boys
and girls will say. az once heard
some young men and women sorrow
FULLY admit. beside their mothers
grave. Il never knew my mother very
well. she will have dethroncd herself.
and the radiant immortality she might
have won will have been wilfully
thrown away.
Even those OF us who have nearly
fought our battle. find kindling Joy
In rcmembrances of the noble exam
pies OF our ancestry and the desire ne