Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-03-19

drink. I made resolution Of total alb
stnence. That resolution have never
broken. And now, whatever honor I
may have gained, I owe 1t all to my
mother" What says John Adams7
"All that am I owe to my mother"
What says James A. Gar1eld2 He says
nothing, but his actions speak louder
than words. We see that his first act
after having taken the oath of office as
president of the United States was to
lean over and with smiling lips, under
loving eyes. kiss the withered lips of
his old mother. When Carrot A. Ho-
bart was about to take the oath Of Of.
flee as president elect in the senate
chamber, saw President McKinley's
eyes wander up TO the gallery wherein
sat the one who gave him birth, and
he bowed his reverence and love to his
old mother.
The Mothers Heart.
Henry Ward Bcecher once said that
"thc mothers heart is the child's school
room" IT is more than that; it Is the
very heart of the child's mental. moral
and spiritual existence. All, woman,
called mother; ah, man, called father,
do not say that your humble life in
humble home amounts to naught.
When you rock the cradle. you are
rocking the centuries. Your boys. your
girls, may yet become mighty men and
women for God and for the betterment
of the world, because you nre now
starting them right They may be
preaching and living the love of Christ
among the earth's sinful men long aft
er your earthly work is done and you
have gone to your heavenly reward.
Again, Naassons life impresses me
with the fact that the greatest of earth
ly works are accomplished by ordinary
people. Here and there in the long list
of genealogical names which are re-
corded in the first chapter of Matthew
there is a prominent man. but four
fifths of thcm-ayp, ninc-tenths of them
Arc names ms humble as that of Mas
sons. Thus we find that everywhere
the vast bulk of the worlds work is
done by the ordinaries and not by the
cxtraordnarics Why? Because there
are but few cxtraordnaIies and thou
sands upon thousands and millions up
on millions ordinarics. When you stand
by the grave of Christopher Wren in
st. Pauls cathedral of London. you
read his epitaph thus: IF you wish to
see my monument, look about you"
But when look about St Paul's cathe-
dral see in the stones of every wall
and the dovetailing Of every crcvice
the work of hundreds and thousands Of
hands horny with toll as well as in the
complete building the white. soft fin
gers of the great architect who there
lies buried. | see the humble laborers
digging the foundations; see the hum
! bic masons rearing the walls; | see the
humble carpenters lifting the scaffold-
inCs: / see the crowd collect about the
| poor, bruised, manClcd body of the
workman whose foot misstepped and
whose brains We're dashed out upon the
ground beneath when he fell from that
high scaffolding. Aye, | see Naassons,
humble Naassons, everywhere in life.
They have builded the pyramids; they
have lifted the dome of st. Peters and
the Tai Mahal; they have worked OH
the farms and swept out the stores and
died in the soldiers trench. 1t is the
accumulation of the work of the OBJ
scure individuals in this world which
has made this old earth what it is;
therefore, my brother do not say that
your lifc's work is useless because it Is
inconspicuous.
The Humble workers.