Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-01-11
THE MOTHER OF LEE
BEAUTIFUL TYPE or WOMAN.
HOOD.
a Woman Of High Order Of InteIii-
gence--c3fted With craces Of
Mind and Soul.
Mind ard Soul.

The relation Of the state to the gem
eral government, ana the nature OF
the powers delegated and'resergedn
viii IN ali probability, be question
with the American people 80 long as
the constitution endures-but already
Americans regardless of geographical
lines and constitutional theories, have
come to the conclusion that among
the priceless treasures of the Nation
IS the memory of the man who led
the armies Of the Lost Cause, Rob
ert Edward Lee
Among the sons ard daughters Of
those who wore the gray and among
the sons and daughters Of those who
wore the blue" there Is this common
thought that history shows US no
manlier, purer kindlier character
than that possessed by the man who
surrendered at Appomattox
OF the mother of Ann Hill Car
ter, Of shirley-history speaks in
most favorable terms,
The weight Of the evidence goes to-
show that Mrs. Lee was woman of
high order Of intelligence, of pronounc-
ed religious convictions and gifted
with the graces Of mind and soul that
endeared her to all who were priyileg-
ed to know her
Though born and reared in the
midst of wealth and fashion, she was
wholly devoid Of the foolish pride that
too often goes along with such things,
and while in the hest sense of the
word a lady as the Term was under
stood inthose days. she detested all
prudishness and snobbery.
Her good sense kept her human.
and her humanity kept her in loving
touch with her fellow human beings.
whether educated or illiterate, rich or
poor.
Owing to the fact that her hus.
bands soldierly duties kept him afeld
most of the time, the training of the
family fell mainly upon Mrs. Lee, a
duty which she performed with ,loving
care and unabating fidelity
From all accounts there were three
things that this mother tried to in
still into her children's minds-first,
that they should practice constant self
denial second, that they should al
ways remember that untarnished hon
or is better than wealth or fame, and
third, that they should ever bear in
mind that faith in God is the only UNI
wavering and unfailing support and
comfort in the journey of life.
That Robert E. Lee took these teach
ings of his mother solidly to heart is
evidenced by his record. In that rec
ord there appears no faintest hint of
the grasping, the d.shonorable or the
irreligious.
General Lee believed in God as but
few of the sons of men have believed
in Him, and it was that belief that
held him steady in all the dark exper
fences of his life.
As regards honor, Lees soul was as
bright as the polished steel of his
sword; and as for selfdenial, he prac-
ticed it all his life, in every case
thinking of himself last of all
For once, at least, there was
mother to teach and a son to listen
and obey.
One who knew Les at his youthful
period of his life tells us that, dis
carding schoolboy frolcs, he would
hurry home from his studies to see
that his mother had her daily drives,
and might be seen carrying her to
her carriage, affectionally arranging
the cushion and robes, earnestly en-
deavoring to entertain her and gravely
telling her that unless she was cheer
full her ride would do her no good
Faithful to the end. in her last i'll
ness he mixed every dose of medicine
his mother took, and sat by her bed
side night and day. never leaving her,
except to snatch brief sleep, until
all was over.