The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1905-03-09

NY husband Oe1ng OUT OF Town, Oh
rected him to a neighboring pastor aud
returned to my nursery. gazed on the
merry faces Of ny own little ones, to
whose ear no word in our language is
half so sweet as mother" and Won
dered il the day could ever come when
they would say Of me, "She has outlived
her usefulness; she is no comfort to her.
self, and 2 burden to everybody" and
hoped before such day dawned might
be taken to my rest.
AS we went to the sactuAry to pay
our token Of respect to the aged
stranger, the church bell tolled long
and loud, chronicling the years she had
lived one two three - four = five.
How clearly and almost merrily, each
stroke told of her peaceful slumber in
her mothers bosom, and OF her rest at
nightfall on her weary fathers knee.
Six-seven- eight - nine - ten, ring
out the tale Of her sports upon the
greenward in the meadow, and by the
brook.
Eleven-twelve = thirteen = fourteen
fifteen, speak more gravely Of school
days and little household cares and
Joys.
Observation-Disclosures, revive
the dreams Of early love. Nineteen
brought us the happy bride. Twenty
spoke Of the young mother, whose heart
was full to bursting with the new-
sprung love which God has awakened in
her bosom. And then stroke after
stroke told of her early womanhood-
the love and cares, and hopes, and fears
and tolls, through which she passed dur
ing those long years, till fifty rang out
harsh and loud. From that to sixty each
stroke told Of the warm-hearted mother
and grandmother, living over again her
own joys and sorrows in those OF her
children and childrcn's children.
Every family of all the group wanted
grandmother then, and the only strife
was who should secure the prize. But
hark the bells toll on? Seventy-one-
two hree-four. She begins to grow
feeble, requires some care, is not always
patient Or satisfied she goes from one
child's house to another, SO that no one
place seems like home. She murmurs
in plaintive tones; and after all her toll
and WEAKNESS it is hard she cannot be
allowed home to die in, that she must
be sent, rather than invited, from house
to house. Eighty-one - two three
four-ah! now she is second child.
Now "she has outlived her usefulness;
she has ceased to be comfort to her
self or anybody; that is, she has ceased
to be profitable to her earth-craving-
and money-grasping children.
Finally the bell tolls eighty-nine.
There she now lies in the coffin, cold
and still. She makes no trouble now
demands no love, no soft words, nc
tender little Offices. A look Of patient
endurance, we fancied also an express
sion of grief for unrequitted love sat on
her marble features. When the bell
ceased tolling, the strange minister rose
in the pulpit. His form was very erect
and his voice strong but his hair silvery
white. He read several passages
of Scripture, expressive of Gods com
passion to the feeble man, and especial
ly Of his tenderness when gray hairs are
on him and his strength faileth.
He then made some touching remarks
on human frailty and dependence or
God, urging all present to make their
peace with their Master while in health
that they might claim His promise when
heart and flesh should fail them-''The
eternal God shall be thy refuge, and
underneath are the everlasting arms.
Leaning over the desk, and gazing in
tently on the confined form before him
he then said reverently; "From "A little
child honored the aged, but never till
gray hairs covered my own head did
know truly how much love and sym.
pathy this class has right to demand
of their fellow-creatures. Now | fee
it,"
sour mother" he added most tenderly
"who now lies in death before us, was &
stranger to me, as are all her decend
ants. AL know of her is what her so1
told me today; that she was brought tt
this town from afar, sixty-nine years
ago, happy bride; that she had passed
most of her life toiling, as only mothers
ever have strength to toll, until she ha,t
reared large family of sons and daugh
tiers; that she left her home clad ii
weeds Of widowhood, to dwell among
her children, and that, till health anee
vigor left her, she lived for you, her de
cendants.
i You who together have shared he
love and care, know how we'll you re
quilted her. God forbid that con
science should accuse any Of you of in
1 gratitude or murmuring on account 8
the care she has been to you of late
4 When you go back to your homes, b,
careful Of your words and example be
fore your own children, for the fruit 8
your own doing you will surely real
from them when you yourselves totte
on the brink of the grave. 4entrea
you as friend, as one himself entere,
| upon the .evening Of life that you ma,
never say in The presence of your fami
lies nor of God, Our mother has out
lived her usefulness: she was a hurCe
to u.s. Never, never, never; a mothe
cannot live SO long as that! i No, whel
she can no longer labor for her children
nor yet care for herself, She can fall lik
a precious weight on their bosoms, an
call forth by her helplessness all tn
noble, christian feelings Of thei
nature
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