The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-05-15

Text: Her children arise up,
and call her blessed; her husband
also, and he pratseth her.
Prov. 81: rs.
The chapter from which my text Is
taken opens thus: The words of King
Lemue1, the prophecy that his mother
taught him" Here was woman fit
to be the mother of kings for she
was a faithful teacher of her child
in her home.
When God made man and put him
in the Garden of Eden. He said 1t was
not good for him TO live alone. and SO
He made him an helpmeet and gave
her unto him He did not give to
Adam an oriental harem. but a wo-
man--just one. And with that union
came the establishment of the home,
and then came motherhood, and ever
since then the sweetest names of
earth save one, have been mother,
home and heaven" And now in these
last days we have come to realize
more fully that mother Is truly one of
Gods greatest blessings to the race.
and in recognition of that fact new
red-letter day has been added to the
calendar. called Mothers Day" The
day fixed upon is the second Sunday
in May. and the badge is a white
flower. preferably a white carnatton.
This white flower stands for the true
mothers attributes. Its color stands
for purity; its form, beauty: its fra
GRANGE. love; its wide field of growth.
charity; Its lasting qualities faithful
ness
There is certainly a place for this
day, and its annual observance L. a
happy conceit. II affords an oppor-
tunitv TO all OF us to honor the un-
3 n
II la for this purpose that we are
gathered here this morning. Mother
and home awake in us tenderest mem
cries and stir the deepest and purest
emotions of the soul. Loveliest among
the fair kindest among the good.
busiest among the active, purest
among the holy, mother is Gods angel
OF love and life. the sanctifler OF the
home and the inspiration OF the world.
stand in doubt of any man or vo-
man who has not the highest regard
for marriage and motherhood; such
regard is the hope OF the country.
The home Is the safeguard Of the ma
ton, but the home is what the mother
makes II: SO II Ia next to impossible
IN separate one from the other After
all, II IS home where mother Is. Some
one has beautifully and truly said:
Home Is a golden setting. in which
the FTiKhINri JtWeI Is ftlttH~i EOui
am TO speak Of the mother, ] would
remind you OF three things in connec-
ton with our mothers,
Mothers Work.
The first IL their work. II had
time 7 would IKE TO speak az lenAth
OF her special charges. SO muitiform
and so manifold are her duties and
az tireiess her energies that II has
passed into a proverh--
Man works from sun to sun,
womans work is never done
The special charges 81 our mothers
may be said TO include:
! Their homes. 2 Their husbands
4 Their children. what task 10
perform Poor women, What bur
tiens. what responsibilities. are theirsl
Their homes and their husbands are
enough. but greater than these Is the
work OF training and caring for the
children. This is womans greatest
and grandest work would speak
Of two or three things about vhis
work
First, Il is the most delicate work
in the world. 1t has to do with the
bodies. minds and spirits There is
nothing else that requires such care
ful attention.
portant In the world. Everything in
the world. except the church. is
against the mother, She has to guard
protect. defend help and save her
children. Hers IL battle 10 tight
am reminded of these verses:
The bravest battle that ever was
fought,
Shall tell you where and when >
Aa &C.
Twas fought by the mothers Of
men.
Nay not with cannon or battle shot.
With sword or nohler pen:
Nay. not with words of elouuence
frauGht
From the mouths OF wonderful
men.
but deep in the walled-up mothers
heart.
mother that will not Yield,
But patiently, quietly. bears her
In them LIS the battlefield
No marshalled troops. nor hivouac
song.
No banners that CLEAN or wave.
but. on those nAINtRS last SO long
From habyhood to the grave"
Mothers Love
In the second place. | would speak
Of their love. Mothers How well
do you remember now the hour when
they laid your first born upon your
arm and YOU looked into the face of
your own darling child. and there
awoke in your soul that highest, hoi-
est and purest human passion--a
mothers love, In every age genius
has striven to discover to man the
length and breadth and heighth and
depth of mothers love. Poetry has
spoken In Hottest strains and music
has sung in sweetest notes: the painter
has used his deftest touch and the
sculptor his finest chisel on purest
marble. but the riches OF mothers
love has not yet been told
This love Is manifested in thou
sand different WAYS. but we see II first
Of all
!. In it's sympathetic tenderness.
How alphabetically she looks after
all the needs OF her little ones and
how sweet and tender are all her
ministrations. There is no other love
like hers In these regards,
3. And then we see 1t most heauti-
fully manifested In Its seif-sacrificipr