Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-10-15
ONLY A W0mAM.

~
A few days ago woman died. She
was buried in Woodlandscemetery in the
city of Des Moines. She did not live in
a pretentious house nor in the aristo-
cratic part OF the city. On the contrary.
her home was on an obscure street. sur
rounded by unpretentious dwellings and
in close proximity to a plain little
church where she had worshipped for
many years. Now all this is common
place. and yet, in this particular life
there is q lasting lesson.
The funeral was conducted according
to modern methods. There was the I'M
dertaker with cat-like tread and his face
of woe. The preacher outdid himself In
a funeral Grafton. He said nothing
appropriate to the occasion. but mani
testify considered himself the star, and
lost no opportunity to make hit His
grief was greater apparently than that
IT the family.
After the literary" exercises were
over the coffin was opened. exposing the
tody. not even protected by glass, to
the vulgar. morbid gaze of the multi
itude, who filed past in line, wracking
The nerves and torturlng the sensibilities
%, the sons and daughters who had
loved their mother with a devotion sell
dom equalled. The senseless barbarous.
.h:deous customs of society had to be
recognized.
But before the body was carried to
the church the Oldest son stepped for
ward and laying his hand on his moth
er's face delivered most eloquent trib-
ute to her memory. To him she had been
not only a mother. but the most perfect
woman he had ever known. He wanted
to speak OF her life, her disposition, her
womanhood, her love for and devotion to
her children and their devotion to and
love for her. Had his short address been
followed by a hymn and a prayer it
would indeed have been most beautiful
funeral service.
This woman had lived sixty-seven
years. When very young girl she gave
Ter hard In marriage to young
preacher, and to them were born seven
hildren. The vow she then made no
Woman ever kept more faithfully. Thru
poverty, trial and adversely. she coun-
selled and encouraged her husband and
taught those children that conscience
must be the rule of life. The husband
was her senior in years. but he always
leaned on her. A good mar he was. but
like Goldsmith's vicar of Wakefield. he
was unable to understand or cope with
the wiles of men. It is unnecessary to
say that he never accumulated. The lux
uries of life they never knew, the bare
necessities were found, but it was after
struggle to get them: and yet thru 1t
all, she was directing her children along
the paths of rectitude. ana never for a
moment doubling. The spirit of the
christian was so strong that her faith
was simply sublime. She never COM
planned, never faltered. She knew that
her husband loved her and was faithful.
She knew that her children loved her
and were good. This was. u not enough.
q great deal more than others had, and
Why should she murmur? And it is true
that she has often divided what little
she had in the house with those whose
immediate needs seemed greater than
hers.
Is 1t to be wondered at that the son,
for his brothers and sisters, should wan:
to express his gratitude that he had
such a mother?
Her efforts and example We're not
wasted, Night after night and year
after year those children were gathered
around the family hearth. Poor as II
was, love ruled there, and there were
books and pure thoughts and pure