The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-26


 need mothers love as much as does
 the school boy who romps into the hall-
 way calling to the cook, Mary, where
 is mother2' And this simile Is true be-
 cause of all times when mother chiefly
 longs to be by the side of her child It is
 when that child is dying.
 The Transcendent Triumph.
 When the eldest son of Queen Alex
 andra was sick unto death, the then
 Princess of Wales had hundreds of
 trained and most skillful nurses who
 would gladly have answered to her call.
 But day and night, for three long weeks
 the mother of the Duke of Clarence never left his side. t was her royal hand that smoothed the sheets It was her arm that
 lifted the fevered head. It was her lips
 that gave the last kiss, as the immortal
 spirit sped from the pain raeked form
 Yes, the mother, the true earthly mother. | wants to be the last comforter by the side of her dying child. It was in order 1 to satisfy this maternal desire that Prin- cess Alice the daughter of Queen Vic toria, disobeyed the orders of the physi-
 clans, and, bending over the bed that was reeking with the diphtheritic germs kissed her baby girl farewell and at the same time pressed her own lips against 1 the hot lips of death Princess Alice laid l down her life on account of that mater 1 nal kiss So God, as a divine mother, is always by the deathbeds of his children.
 God like the divine mother, specially 1 loves to hover around the deathbed of 1 his children, because he can there prove to us that 'it is not all of death to die, nor all of life to live" and that death can 1 be swallowed up in victory. He can prove 1t to those who have accepted his l love and his sacrifice for their sins, as
 John Simeon proved it to his children when he himself was dying. Tn imagina- Il 1-4.- and. looking back, cried out Who are you?" "Sighngl' Then stretching hls
 hands upward the dying saint cried out again: And who are you?" 'tJoyi" And who are you?' "Gladnessi' Then with a seraphic smile, the dying Christ ian again cried out: Farewell, Sorrow, Farewell Signing. Farewell Mortal Life. Welcome Joy. Welcome G1adness. Wei come Eternal Heaven" If an earthly mother would long to be the comforter of her dying boy, surely Jesus longs to be beside his believing and trusting children at their departure, to tell them of the | hope and the joy and the transcendent | triumph which await their heavenly l translation. l But I may be talking about love which some of you have never known, and there may be some young men here | who never knew what it was to possess a | mothers love I remember, a short time after my own mothers funeral, l stood 1 for a long while with tear stained cheeks | studying a picture called The Mothers l Vacant Chair.' The scene was work | ingman's home. The great, broad chest | ed mechanic sat at the head of the sup per table, dejectedly holding a little baby In his arms, who was laughingly reaching out for his bowl of milk Four or five other little children were gathered about laughing and playing, and also reaching "a fahlp-LNOf these little ones realized in any way the awful loss to them of the form that once filled that mothers chair save, perhaps, the eldest girl about thirteen years of age. As I stood before that picture, with a sob checking my throat, l said: God help me to bear my trouble. But my be- reavement of dear. noble Christian mother is as nothing compared to the loss to those children, who when they grow up, will never know the joy of ex- periencing a mothers love-"
 Gods Love symboIzed.
 Yes. perhaps you are one or those un- fortunates who never knew a mothers love. Though her affections were in- tense that your coming was her meat and drink, her hope by day and her prayer by night, yet hardly had you come into the world when she passed away. She really gave up her fife for you. Once in awhile with a longing to find out something about the height and depth of a mothers love, you may go to some gray haired old lady and say. Tell me something about my mother. You knew her well and were her bridesmaid when she was
 married' Then that gray haired lady will go over the past She will tell you what a gentle, loving face your mother had She will tell you how her eyes lighted up when you were first placed in her arms and she looked at you and said: My baby, my baby, my little babyi God bless my babyr' Then that gray haired mother will tell you how your mothers strength never came back again after you were born. They took her south, hoping that the sunny skies would make her strong again, but only the warm sunshine of that eternal city to 1 which she went ever worked her cure. | | As the old lady talks you look at your | mothers picture again and try to imagine 1 her love for you. But, young man, you l cannot do that any more than a blind | bat or ground mole can fully appreciate | the colors of a butterf1ys wing or the re- | fection of a dewdrop. So in order to | symbolize Gods love to you, a sinful man who never knew what 1t was 10 have a | mothers love. I would tell you that 1t IS a greater love than the combined loves of
 a father, a wife, children, brothers
 children and friends It is d lcve so deep
 that no line can fathom It, so high that no birds wing can overfy it. so wide that no natl ematician can circumscribe 1t. And all this love of cur earthly mother is only an infinitesimal part of the love which today God like divine mother
 Is ready to pour out of his rorgtving heart for you.
 Joy of Repentance.
 But perhaps I can better illustrate what your dead mothers love was to you by