Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1903-06-06

after her marriage young WlIe tOlu
me of n vision she had that was so
vivid il was difficult to believe that 1t
was not real. AS she lay in bed in the
early morning of the day when she
was to leave her fathers home her
thoughts were busy with her past life,
In which her mother, then six months
dead, occupied prominent place.
What, she thought would that dear
mother say to her If she were then liv-
ing? The beloved form, the tender
| tones of her voice, were well remem-
bered. AS she dwelt on the memory it
seemed 10 her that her mother stood
beside her. She had the same dear old
| face. the same look Of love. Dressed
in pure white. she came and stood at
the foot of the bed. 81 was not in the
least affrighted." said the young girl.
81 felt and knew that | was awake. l
raised myself upon my elbow and said,
is that you. motherY Yes, daughter,
the mother answered. 1T is /. | have
come back TO have few parting words
before you start out in your new life.
Then. after talking awhile, the mother
said: Daughter. be true to yourself; be
true to your new home; but daughter
also be true to your old home. Never
forget or neglect your old father. He
Is alone now. Never cease to love your
brothers and sister. You cannot be
true, my daughter, to your new home
unless you are true to your old Then
the strange vision slowly turned and
disappeared." SO today the sacred
memories of the past plead for noble
motherhood which will be true to the
old loves and which will therefore be
doubly true to the new.
The true mother should also be true
friend to the great suffering world at
large. The woman who would try to
train her children merely within the
four walls of home or In the family
relation to their father and grand
parents and unclcs and aunts and cous-
ms has a too circumscrbed territory.
The mother bird might just as well try
to teach her young how to fly without
their leaving the parental nest or the
horseman train the colt to draw load
without his taking ii from the stall or
child to learn how to sing by merely
studying music scroll without letting
her voice run the scales. a mother in
teaching her children what they ought
to be has her relation with the great
world at large as well as with the unit
of her own home.
sympathize With the Afflicted.
The true mother goes forth in life
and sees the miseries and the suffer
, ings and the troubles which are every
: where self evident. Her heart bleed
ing with sympathy, she returns home
and begins to plan how she can hell
the poor. When her children woulc
destroy their old clothes she turns
, and says: Daughter, that is a sinfu
waste. That dress may not be usetu
to you. but it may clothe some LITTLE
= girl and keep her warm all winter.
house. Her husband is out of work
: and | fear she is having hard tim
g TO get along. | was in to see her TO
day." When that little girl carrle
4 that dress to the home of destltuuol
q and there sees the poverty sticking ou
: through cracks Of the humble cottag
f and the grateful tears of the mothe
e who received the dress she learns
b lesson of heart love she could lear
e in no other way. She learns the'sam
I kind of self sacrifice which gentl
e Louise Alcott taught in one of the Des
e of all books, that called Little Won
Y en-" There are many beautiful lesson
r taught in that book, but not one swee'
r or than when the mother of Joe an
r Amy and Beth and Meg comes IN on
q morning from making a call upon
g moor family. She in substance says
"Girls, have just been visiting Mr
So-and-so. The family have not ma
- any food in thar house for two day
" There are a number of little chlldre
% there. Are you girls willing to CIV
- them your breakfasts and go VIII
- outY Yes" answer all four girl
- Under her direction they formed
" line. They walked through the VI
>, lage streets. carrying the hot muflll
~ and the coffee and the meat and wel
= over the hills and into the poor hon
), and fed the little half starved babe
u That book called Little Women" WI
re only n history of Louise Alcott in Il
~ DAYS of her youth. DO you wonu
IL that her mother raised fine girls, LOU
e Alcott Tor Joe) among the numDe
~ That mothers heart was not only Dei
a. ing with love for her own chlldre
Ill but also for every other Vomans ch
ry dren who were in trouble or distre
Ne DO YOU wonder that every moth
30 teaches her children the laws OF &c
OF tleness and sympathy and Christi
er- kindness when she herself Is ready
es anv hour of the night to go to the 81
all neighbors home or to place flowers
eli the white casket of a neighbors chill
he The true mother is also always I
life true church member. Nearly all
Us ready to grant that the church of Jes
Christ is the great purifying, the gr
* moral and spiritual teacher ana
II yeloper of every community IN wmci
to exists. 1t is the thrashing floor wh
be- the grain which has been raised IN
an nurseries of Christian homes IS Sc
ter rated from the chaff. 1t is the holy
old holies at whose sacred altars mu
ng tudes are convicted of sin and led
my humbly kneel and publicly COM
ire their faith in God. Many have D
'ou brought up in Christian homes
the would never have given their hearts
u.s. Jesus Christ except through
or church's influence. Where dld
,ers render my heart to Jesus! Durln
nth time of revival in the Brooklyn 1
90 ernacle, in the church. Where did
our O hearer, surrender your heart
be- Jesus? In the church. In nearly eV
out case your decision was made VII
our the four walls of a church.
- TacUd Christ