Casco Bay breeze. [volume] (South Harpswell, Me.) 1901-1917, 1906-07-05
MINIATURE ALMANAC
WEEK OF. JULY 8 TO JULY %
PLANT OF THE LITTLE MOTHER.
Lived Her Gospel and Was Not a
Preacher by Word.

The world is so prone to judge
from appearances. We so seldom
look under the surface of things. We
have DO little time We form our opin-
ions by what catches our eye and
pass judgment on that basis. II We
see man or woman going to church,
IL We hear prayers uttered in loud
tones. If one cries out from the house
tops his good deeds We give him all
credit and say to ourselves:
So-and-So is a good Christian; he
sets us an example which it would
be we'll for us to follow"
And We humbly cry "Mea Culpa"
and resolve to mend our ways.
A little story told by DR.. Dawson a
famous London Evangelist, rather
puts TO shame Pharisaic criticisms,
and in its beauty and simplicity
teaches a lesson which it would be
we'll to take to heart, says the New
York Herald.
In the course of my ministrations."
said the Doctor, through the slums
OF London / came upon a sad case.
that Of woman. the mother of FIVE
children. the eldest of whom was a
girl OF nine or ten.
The mother at the time the family
first came under my notice was dying
of consumption. The father, a hard
working man, was barely able to
earn sufficient to supply the meagre
wants of the family, and they were
often in dire straits.
The bulk of the work devolved on
the Oldest girl, Mary by name. New.
er have / seen the title of Little
Mother more appropriately earned.
She not only had the invalid to care
for. but the younger children as well.
and Mary was often very tired little
girl.
"Mary's duties were soon lightened
TO certain extent by her mothers
death, but made heavier in another
by the added responsibility OF the
little family. The burden of the chill
dren and. the house was very heavy
after the mother had gone. While
she lived Mary had always felt there
was some one to direct and guide
her, but now she was forced to- rely
upon herself entirely.
"Mary's health none too strong at
any time soon began TO fail under
the great responsibility which had
fallen on her shoulders. The care OF
the children, the cooking. the wash
Ing and ironing, the sweeping and
bedmaking were too much for the
little woman's strength. Day by day
she failed, fewer and fewer became
the outings which the lusty baby en-
joyed. The little fellow soon became
too heavy for the thin. weak arms OF
the little mother and IL was but sell
dom she could muster courage and
energy enough to carry him down the
steep stairs and out into the unpre-
possessing streets, which were his
only breathinggroun
The day came when even the slight
est exertion was impossible for poor
Mary and she was forced to depend
upon the kind services OF neighbors
as poor as she was herself. Mary
failed rapidly. She was soon confined
TO her bed, and then I procured the
services OF one Of my helpers who
took up Mary's work where the little
mother In sheer helplessness. had laid
81 down.
"on one Of my daily visits. as
stood in the doorway. unannounced. I
heard the murmur OF childish voices.
A little friend OF Mary's was sitting
with her and had been sslaboriously
spelling out some verses Of The Bible.
"'oh. Maggie! I heard Mary say,
What ever will say TO Jesus when Z