The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-05-10

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Thoss cAildrsn, grown up or Otherwise. who
hass nassht to reproacA themselves with IN
tie treatmsnt OF their mothers departed can
keep the day With good conscience Their
obssFvancs viii - tinged with . tender mel
aacholy. u course. bat the shadows WIN Dee
q 10y remember their deeds performed for
her sweet sake, and how they lightened the
burden Of her declining years until the never
10 b forgotten day when she was taken from
them.
Yes, for all such. Mothers day d . day Of
light, and precious happy memories, II mingled
with . sweet sorrow. They did what they
could for mother. and she went to her reward
enriched with many tokens Of their tender
solIcitude for her. But for others the day il
cloudy ana dark and very bitter. for mother
has gone and they have so many recollections
of their unkindness and neglect that they are
overwhelmed with the shame and the sorrow
OF 1t. The thoughts Of the late Eugene Field
few back over the years OF his manhood and
youth, and again he was a little child and
seemed to be kneeling by his deatr mothers
side. The infinite pathos OF this line:
"And mother holds my hand again."
His whole soul cries out for the presence
Of his departed mother.
"Oh, for an hour in that dear place.
Oh, for the peace Of that dear time,
Oh, for that childish trust sublime,
Oh. for a glimpse of mothers facet"
Ian MacLaren's Doctor of the Old School
was on his death bed. 1t was very near the
end. and his mind went back to his boyhood
days.
"Mither! a. kent We wudna forgit yir laddie
- git me the kiss mther, for ave been
waitin' for We, and all sumo be asleep.
1t is very hard to find the words with which
to comfort those who on Mothers day feel the
sting and lash Of unavailing regret for the
meannesses and unkindnesses showered upon
the woman who gave them birth. and who is
dead. One is tempted to breathe the charitable
wish that their sorrow will be accepted by way
of atonement, and that somehow, in a manner
which we cannot look into or understand, she
knows, and, like all mothers, forgives. 1t is
more than the living can do, for they can never
forgive themselves.
Motherhood is such sacred thing, its infu-
ence is So .far-reaching and affects SO many
l lives that one shudders at its proclamation and
prostitution. The grown-ups of these times,
whose mothers are longer with them, can
look back reverenty and remember what splen-
did characters those mothers had. Whatever
is good and pure and true in this world they
associate with mother. Is not this a thought
| to sober and influence the living mothers of a
new generation?
Modern women are doubtless exposed to
| many temptations which did not come to their
sisters of the long ago. We know that life
has changed and that the world will never
be as it once was. We wonder if some will
accuse us of being "prudish' and Victorian
| and hopelessly old-fashioned and out of date,
| if we venture the opinion that ultra short
| skirts, cigaret smoking. love for jazz music,
Righteousness and all that sort Of thing, seems
| to US to be incompatible with the title mother.
But if we are criticised for this opinion we
shall be Of the same opinion still We shall
| insist upon it that the title mother belongs
) right under the title Cod, and that it clus-
| ter such words as goodness, purity. truth"
love, faith, 'modestry', fidelity, self
sacrifice"
1t is not at all wonderful that the figures
of Mother and Child are found in thousands
of churches and enshrined in the hearts of
millions. Indeed, it could not be otherwise.