The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1921-10-21
MOTHER LOVE"

1t is not often that the Ocala Ban
ner has clasped hands with Senator
James A. Reed of Missouri, but all
who worship at the shrine OF wo-
man and adore that unquenchabIe love
that seems to be part of her very
being, which, throughout the ages,
has shone like star of the first mag
nitude, can clasp hands with the Mis-
souri, senator in his superb tribute to
the love of mother for her child, a
love so sublime as surely to be a part
of the infinitude of God.
We make the following quotations
from the senator's eloquent grafton:
Mother Lover
THE golden cord that stretches from
the throne of God. uniting all animate
creation to divinity.
Its light CLEANS down the path
OF time from barbari0us ages, when
savage women held their babes to al
most famished breasts and died that
they might live Its holy flame CLOVIS
as bright in novels where poverty
breaks meager crust as in palaces
where wealth holds Lucullian feasts.
Ii is the one great universal passion
the sinlesS passion of sacrifice. In
comparable in it sublimity, interfer-
@ence is sacrilege, regulation is mock
cry.
The wild beasts hear its voice and
answer to its call A tigress finding
her cubs slaughtered. pauses to lick.
their wounds, and then with raging
heart seeks out their murderer. A
she wolf standing at the mouth of her
den, with cleaning fangs and blood
red tongue, dies in defense OF her
whelps. Tigers cub or VOLTS whelp.
| would rather feel the rough caresses
Of the hairy paws of my savage moth
er, | would rather have her care and
protection than that of an official ami.
NAL trainer.
4 once saw little timorous mother
quail. with marvellous intelligence and
still more marvellous courage, protect
her brood by exposing herself to the
hunters deadly aim then realized
that nothing could take the place of
mother love.
II its divine fire so warns and thrills
the heart of beast and bird, with what
intensity does it consume the bosom.
with what ecstacy inspire the soul Of
a woman, for the child of her BODY.
Although she knows that she must
risk her own to bring forth a new
life, she does not draw back Her
love-IIt eyes behold only visions OF
happiness, of glory, and of power to
be realized by her unborn child. witt
smiling lips and eager heart she en-
tiers the vale of shadows. The first
cry of the newborn falls on her Ar
sweet as music of paradise. Har
trembling hands caress the tender
skin; her soul cries out the anxious
question viii my baby live? The
torturing days of conyalescence fy
swiftly upon wings of hope. she
nestles the tiny, helpless thing to her
bosom. sustains it with the milk Of
her body, every drop drawn from j
fountain of infinite love.
With Understandable solicitude she
watches over her offspring Even when
her body slumbers her soul keeps vigil
and her hands in unison with her
spirit will stretch forth to soothe the
baby back to sleep. With glowing
pride she watches the growing child |
shields it from harm, guides it along
the paths OF rectitnde, inspires its
soul with lofty sentiments Of honor
and of faith in the eternal God
When time has piled the SHOWS |
upon her head and turned her brown
or raven locks to white, her love win !
still abide, ripper and sweeter with tha
passing years. Though she NAV live /
until her children are themselves
grow old and gray, she yet will see |
the siIken locks of youth: their rough-
ened hands yet have the caressine |
touch Of baby fingers: their voices /
bear to her the tender and melodions
notes Of industry. And when at last /
she approaches the portals Of death
there i no solace so sweet as the
presence Of those she bore ito people /
and replanish the earth.
For mother love there Is no subsfi-
tute, even though il bear an oficial
stamp. II there be truth III religion
then this holy sentiment was planted