The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-11-08

dreds of helpers to your side from the re- cesses as dark as the caverns of Attorney Edge. Every true and faithful widow al- ways gathers around her true and faith ful friends.
 The consecrated widow is rich in the heights and depths and intensties of the love she bears toward those who are de- pendent upon her. It is one of the inev- itable laws of this world that we gener- ally value an article just in proportion to what it is worth to lis. If it costs nothing we care for 1t but little. If it costs much, we value it much. I enter your home. You show me the results of your travels. You say This Is a rug I bought in Damascus. Here is a beautiful piece of ivory l found in India Here is a boom erang of Australia. Wonder Is a trinket l picked up in Pompeii. But this picture is my treasure. It was painted by a Span ish master and was placed upon the walls of a Mexican cathedral. One night that picture was cut out of its frame and car red away, as Dolly Madison ordered George Washingtons picture to be cut out of its frame when the English in- vaded the national capital In 1872 That picture must be worth at least $20,O0O | myself paid $l0000 for it. Yes I value that picture above all my other posses sions. It cost me so much money"
 Self Sacrifice.
 But though the value of some articles may he judged by the criterion of silver and gold others are sometimes judged by the higher standard of flesh and blood. If in order to save your country you had to sacrifice upon the field of battle an arm or leg or an eye. would you not on ac- count of that sacrifice love your country more than if like John Jacob Astor, you merely made to 1t the gift of an artillery battery or, like old Cornelius Vanderbilt. you fitted out for it a man of war? If in order to save your child who had been gripped with the posonous bite of a dan gerous serpent, you had placed your mouth against the bleeding lips of the wound and sucked that poison into your own system, would you not love that child more for whom you were willing to inn peril your life than if you had given to her mere offering of silver or gold Yes, yes! Of course you would The law is universal. The greater the sacrifice we make for our loved ones the greater be- comes our love for them
 This premise is granted Where then, can you find richer deeper truer sacri- fees and therefore richer love than that exhibited by a widowed mother toward her helples children? Tenderly as you and l love our children. does our love glow with such fervent heat as does that of the widowed mother who has toiled and eontrived and denied herself for their vel fare? In order to raise them she has to pay Tor their education and food with the price of blood Does not that young pirJ a graduation day address mean more to her mother, who perhaps had to scrub for 1t as well as sew together the white dress in which 1t was delivered? During the civil war soldier boys arm was ann putated After the lad came out from uhuef the influence of the anaesthetic ho asked the surgeon if he might see his arm. The nurse handed it to him. The boy looked the arm over very carefully as he said; "Good-by, old arm. You nave been good friend to me. Those nngers have worked for me very hard Then turning he said to the surgeon.
 Doctor, do not think I am a coward or that l regret the sacrifice If necessary would cut off my other arm to save my country l never knew what if truIv meant to love my flag until bespatterad IL With my own blood" So widow hv your very sacrifices l see with what in tehslty you love your children because or the self denial and the toll vou have given them. By the very sacrifices which you nave made for their physical. intel- lectual and spiritual development con- gratulate you upon the heights and oepths and intensities of your maternal anections It is one joy to plant gar den within stone wall inclosure for your own eyes to see. It Is greater