Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1921-10-14
TRIBUTE TO MOTHER LOVE.

l
! Below is given part of tribute te
Mother Love delivered recently b,
Senator james A. Reed, of Missouri,
addressing himselw to the matcrnit,
bill. 1t Is so noble it will likely BIZ.
come classic. Every school should
have it read TO assembled pupils anJ
every scrap book should garner it
The tribute, in part, follows:
Mother love! the golden cord thai
stretches from the throne of God
uniting all animate creation to d,.
vinity. Its light CLEANS down the
path of time from barbarous ages
when savage women held their babes
to almost furnished beasts and died
that they might live. Its holy flame
I glows rs brightly in novels, whci ,
poverty breaks mcagcr crust, as M
palaces, where wealth holds Lucullan
passion Of sacrifice, Incompatible M
its sublimity.
The wild beasts hear its voice an
answer to its call. A tigress, indin-
her cubs slaughtered, pauses to lick
their wounds, and then with raging,
heart seeks out their murderer. a
she-wolf, standing ut the mouth of
her den, with cleaning fangs and
blood-red tongue. dies in defense Of
her whclps.
once saw timOrous mother quail
with marvellous intelligence, and still
more marvellous courage. protect her
: brood by exposing herself to the hum
tcr's deadly aim. then realized that
nothing could tate the place Of moth.
or love.
If The divine fire so warns and
thrills the heart Of beast and bird.
with what intensity does it consun.s
the bosom, with what ecstasy inspire
the soul of woman for the child os
her body. Although she knows SIN,
must risk her own to bring forth
new life, she does not draw back.
Her lovelit eyes behold only visions
OF happiness, of glory, and of power
to be realized by her unborn child.
With smiling lips and cager heart,
she enters the vale of shadows. Tho
first cry of the newborn falls on
her ear, sweet as the music of para
disc. Her trembling hands carcss the
tender skin; her soul cries out tho
anxious question: evil my baby
live?" The torturing days Of con-
valcsccnce fly swiftly upon wings Of
horc. She ncstlcs the tiny, helpless
thing to her bosom, sustuins it with
the milk of her body, ever drop
drawn from fountain of infinite
love.
With Understandable solicitude she
watches over her offspring. Even
VIXEN her body slumbors her sou.
keeps vigil, and her hands, in unison
with her spirit, will stretch forth To
so0thc the baby back to sleep. With
I;'owing pride she watches the
growing child, shields il from harn,.
r,'idcs it along the path of recti
'.ale, inspires its soul with lofty
sentiments of honor and of faith IN
the Eternal God.
When Time has piled the snow
upon her head and turned her brown
Or raven locks to white, her love stiil
abides, ripper and swcetcr, with the
passing years. Though she may lht
until her children themselves hay :
crown old and fray, she yet will SEE
the silllcn locks of youth; their
roughcncd hands yet have the carcss
ing touch of baby fingers; their
voices bear to Der the tender AMI
mclodious notes Of industry. And
when ut asst she approaches the por-
tails of Death, there is no solnce 81
sweet MS the presence of those she
bore ITO people and rcplcnish tht
earth"
For mother love there is no subsl
tute. If there be truth in religion,
then this holy sentiment was planted
in woman's heart by the hand of
God. IL has made life possible. 1t Is
in truth the very source of life It.
self. When all other passions arc
dead it survives. 1t will pass through
the fiery furnaces of disgrace and
yet live. II will endure the scorching
breath OF contumcly with unwaver-
ing fidelity.
A mother will enter prisons oil
| shame and kiss fclon hand thrust
through the bars. She will sit bcsid,
the accused in courts of law, when
the mob jeers and the heartlcss ma
chincry of justice grinds its grist of
agony. and with unwavering faith
maintain her child is innocent. She
will stand at the foot of the scalrol,I
and, when the trap has fallen, cover
the condemned body with kisses end
with flowers. 1t il still to her tn,
innocent sucking she once huggcl
to her breast.
But if the path of life has led her
sons to fields of honor, her heart
will glow with pride, inenablc, I'M
spcakablc. If he is called to wa.
she will bid him goodbye with dry
eyes, although her heart be dillcl
with tears. She will maintain firm
and hopeful mlcn, that he may gain
sublimcr courage from her sublin,
example. When he sleeps upon tllt
tented field her spirit will keen
watch. Whilst he is slumbering, sh,
will pray. In the agony of waiting
she will die n thousand deaths, but
will choke back her sobs and HID,
her torture. She will search for hin,
amongst tie slain, and try wtr
kisses to warm the dead and u,..
responsive lips to life. She will cofT IL
hcr heart with the beloved body an,
hcr soul will keep the eternal vig,
Of y deathess love.
Mother level II has produced
fondled. reared. inspired and glorn.
cd all the shadowy hosts who have
passed across the "bank of time