Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-06-05

waste. That dress may not be useful
20 you, but II may clotbe some little
girl and keep her warm all winter.
wish that you would wrap IL up I'm a
bundle and take Il TO Mrs. So-and- SOS
house. Her husband Is out OF work.
and i fear she Is having a hard time
to get along. was In to see her to-
day" When that little girl carries
that dress to the home of destitution
and there sees the poverty sticking out
through cracks Of the humble cottage
and the grateful tears OF the mother
who received the dress she learns q
lesson OF heart love she could learn
In no other way. She learns the same
kind OF self sacrifice which gentle
Louise Alcott taught In one OF the best
OF all books, that called Little wom-
en-" There are many beautiful lessons
taught i'm that book. but not one sweet
er than when the mother OF Joe and
Amy and Beth and Meg comes I'm one
morning from making a cali upon a
poor family. She in substance says:
Girls, 1 have just been visiting Mrs.
So-and-so. The family have not had
any food in that house for two days.
There are a number OF little children
there. Are you girls willing to give
them your breakfasts and 20 with
outT' yes" answer all four girls
Under her direction they formed a
line. They walked through the vii.
lage streets. carrying the hot mullins
and the coffee and the meat, and went
over the hills and into the poor home
and fed the little half starved babies
That book called Little Women" was
only history OF Louise Alcott In the
days OF her youth. Do you wonder
that her mother raised fine girls, Louise
Alcott Tor joel among the numberl
That mothers heart was not only beat.
ing with love for her own children
but also for every other woman's chill.
dren who were in trouble or distress
Do you wonder that every mother
teaches her children the laws of gen.
tleness and sympathy and Christian
kindness when she herself Is ready al
any hour Of the night to go to the sick
neighbor's home or to place flowers or
the white easket Of neighbours child
The true mother Is also always the
.rue church member. Nearly all are
ready to grant that the church of Jesus
Christ Is the great purifying. the great
moral and spiritual teacher and de-
veloper OF every community in which II
exists. 1t Is the thrashing floor where
the grain which has been raised in the
nurseries OF Christian homes is sepa-
rated from the chan. Ii Is the holy of
HOLES at whose sacred affairs multi
tudes are convicted OF sin and led to
humbly kneel and publicly confess
their faith in God. Many have been
would never have given their hearts to
Jesus Christ except through the
church's influence. Where did I sur
render my heart TO Jesus? During a
time OF n revival I'm the Brooklyn Tab
ernacle, in the church. Where did you.
o nearer, surrender your heart TO
Jesus? In the church. In nearly ever
case your decision was made within
the four walls OF church.
IL the church OF Jesus Christ had
such an infinite influence upon the
lives OF your children ought you not,
o wives and mothers, to cast your In
fiuence there? Ought you not Sunday
after Sunday TO be seen within the four
walls Of the sacred sanctuary? 1t IS
useless for you TO say that you have
no time to go to church. A mother can
always arrange her time to admit any
duty that she knows TO be essential 10
her children's welfare. Who can tell
whether the destiny OF your children
may not be affected fox all eternity by
your bringing them to church? Some
mothers find time every week TO take
their children 70 dancing schools. Il
not the temple where the people learn
about Jesus Christ more important
than the floor where the heels are edu-
Gated instead OF the heart?
Do not make the plea have so often
heard-that you have little children too
young to 60 to church and therefore
you must stay with them at home.
Take your babies along. The minister
OF the Lord Jesus Christ who would be-
come irritated because n young mother
brings her baby TO church is not spIr.
itually fitted TO stand In any pulpit
or to preach from any sacred desk.
The greatest honor today which a con-
gregation can have Ii TO see the pews
filed up with the young mothers who
are fianked by little children on both
sides. i once heard Of variety show
giving performance In mining
camp In the days OF the California gold
excitement. The rude theater for the
most part was filled with rough men.
While the show was going on n little
baby began to cry. That child's cry
nightly affected the miners. They
made the players stop so that they
could hear the voice which recalled the
holy memories OF their eastern homes.
III q child's cry can soften the hea RI
In theater II can teach a gospel les
son In a church service Oh, mothers
with little children, when you come to
the church bring your babies. When
! used to be taken to church as a little
child the sweet influence OF the gospel
penetrated my being. though often be-
fore the service closed. In chlldhood's
WEAKNESS. I went to sleep with my
head pillowed on my mothers lap.
No mother can be q true example to
her children unless ut the same time
she Is a true church member.
The Greatest OF An Examples.
But" some one may say. '.you have
not spoken yet Of the greatest of all
examples which q true mother ought
to set before her children. She should
and must be'a Christian woman. She
cannot be true wife, daughter, mem
Der OF society and OF the church un-
less In the first place she fully realizes
her responsibility to her Maker and
Redeemer and Saviour" Well, my
friend. perhaps have done wrong In
not making this thought the first and
chief heading Of my sermon. But, to tell
the truth, l have gone upon the sup
position that all the wives and moth
ers assembled In this congregation are
Christian women. / believe that deep
down In your hearts you feel your re-
sponsibility to Christ. I preach with
another purpose than TO bring you ss
new converts to Christ. / have tried
to show the different directions in
which the river Of your spiritual love
should dow. have tried TO show YOU
this because ! want to prove that
your daughters eDirftral love xvilI Gov,