The Iola register., 1901-12-27

angels on their wings might have |
brought an infant Saviour to Bethle-
hem without Mary's being there at all. |
When the villagers on the morning of |
December &c awoke, by Divine arrange |
ment and in some unexplained way the |
child Jesus might have been found in |
some comfortable cradle of the village. |
But no, mol Motherhood for all time
was to be consecrated, and one of the
tenderest relations was to be the ma
ternal relation and one of the sweet
est words mother" In all ages God
has honored good motherhood. st.
Bernard had a good mother. Samuel
Budget a good mother. Doddridge a
good mother. Walter Scott a good
mother. Benjamin West good
mother. In great audience, most of
whom were Christians, l asked that all
those who had been blessed of Chris
tian mothers arise, and almost the en-
tire assembly stood up. Do you not see
how important it is that all mother
hood be consecrated? Why did Titan,
the italian artist, when he sketched the
Madonna. make 1t an Italian face?
Why did Rubens, the German artist, in
his Madonna, make it German face?
Why did Joshua Reynolds, the English
artist in his Madonna, make II an Eng
lish face? Why did Mugillo, the Span
ish artist, in his Madonna, make IL
Spanish face? I never heard, but
think they took their own mothers as
the type Of Mary, the mother of Christ.
When you hear some one in sermon or
oration speak in the abstract Of good,
faithful, honest mother, your eyes fill
up with tears, while you say to your
self: "That was my mother"
The first word n child utters is apt
TO be "Mother!" and the old man in his
| dying dream, calls: Mother,
mother!" 1t matters not whether she
was brought up in the surroundings Of
a city and in affluent home and was
dressed appropriately with reference
to the demands of modern life or
whether she wore the old time cap and
great round spectacles and apron Of
her own make, and knit your socks
with her own needles seated by the
broad fireplace, with great backlog
ablaze on a winters night; it matters
. 0
crossed her face or how much her
shoulders stopped with the burdens OF
a long life, If you painted a Madonna
hers would be the face. What a gentle
hand she had when we were sick and
what a voice to soothe pain, and was
there anyone who could so fill up a
room with peace and purity and light
And what a sad day that was when
we came home and she could greet us
not. for her lips were forever still
Come back. mother, in these Christian
times and take your old place, and as
ten or 90 or so years ago come and oper
the old Bible as you used to, read ant
kneel in the same place where yor
used to pray and look upon us as o
old when you wished MS a merry
Christmas or a happy New Year. Blu
no! That would not be fair 70 call yol
back. You had troubles enough anC
aches enough and hereavementi
enough while You were here. Tarry 10y
the throne, mother, till we join yol
there, your prayers all answered, anC
in the eternal homestead Of our Got
we shall again keep Christmas jubile,
together, But speak from you
thrones, all you elorified mothers, ant
say to all these, your sons and daugh
ters. words Of love. words OF warning
words Of cheer. They need your voice
/ for they have travelled far and will
: many a heartbreak since you left them
, and You do well to call from the height
of Heaven to the valleys of cart
p Hail, enthroned ancestry! We ar
, coming. Keep a place right beside yor
p at the banquet.
J Slow footed years. More swiftly run
l Into the gold Of that unsetting sun,
: Homesick We are for thee,
Calm land beyond the sea