The Washington herald., 1913-11-22
The Real Spirit of Mother
,L0pe Is a Gift from Abope
ny FRANCES SNAPPER.

His father, a very busy man. go en-.
crossed with public AFFAIRS that he had
little time TO devote 10 his family
His mother, a fascinating woman. quite
brilliant in social life and not at all fond
of the duties of her fireside-
What could a boy do but fall back upon
serving-woman and thank fortune that
she was more than kind?-
But, reading OF the boyhood days OF
Lord Shaftesbury. of the mother who
figured very lightly In his life. and OF
the servant who sympathetically stepped
into the breach and played the mother
part, one Is very sure that the real spirit
OF mother-love is a gift from above, q
royal gift bestowed regardless Of name
or Of station.
Because while the mother herself was
slipping out Of duties that called very
loudly and was giving her. time and her.
self to the gay life Of London, faithful
old servant In the home looked on and
was discerning enough to see that IL the
child was TO be mothered at all, that duty
and pleasure must be hers. And 80.
Maria Mills Is known to all who have
read Of the boyhood days of Lord Shaftes-
bury. or ever of his life and his work
later on. as the devoted woman who un-
consciously helped shape the career OF
man Of whom London has a right to
feel proud.
Not the mother. but the maid, TO whom
the child went to bid good night, and
be KISSED" not the mother. but the serv-
ant, who taught the little prayer with
which the day ended, and taught him 80
lovingly as well that in manhood's stern
er years he confessed that he often found
himself repeating IL with more than Q
little satisfaction.
Nor was IL the mother who patiently.
earnestly talked to him about kindness
to others, talked in her own simple way.
yet SO eloquentIy and tellingly that In
effect II lived down the years. When
the obscure servant, just out of love for
the boy, slipped a little money into his
hand one day, with a fresh admonition
upon the beauty Of kindness, she did not
guess that nearly all OF II would go in a
practical showing OF kindness. And she
did not dream that many years after
ward he would recall the incident as hav-
ing exerted a lifelong influence upon him.
She did not know what the years had
in store for the little lad under her moth
ering eyes. but she knew that the world 3
great need was for kindness. and In her
simple. true-hearted way she brought out
the best that was in him, and helped
a
personification Of kindness. She had lit
tie enough knowledge that came from
books, but she must have been one Of ma
ture's bIg-minded, great-hearted women
who learn many things not found In
books: and while she was guiding the
boy. whom the father and mother were
too, busy. too self-centered to guide, It
seems rather a pity that she could not
have looked throughthe mist OF the years
and have seen how royalty he interpreted
kindness. She died without knowing OF
his widespread work for humanity. how
his greater labors in behalf OF the inEane
were not so great as to overshadow his
interest in the ragged boys Of Landon,
the bootblacks. the child-workers, the
men. women. and little folk in factories,
mines, and coIlieries-in anybody. and
everybody who had crying need for kind
ness.