Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-05-13
MOTHER

it is possible to say something this old and
mothers citizens though no human legislation could endow
them with trer graees Of good citizenship than nave been
We are not tempted by this temporal change to dwell
here upon the mothers new estate long-overdue pay,
herself to equal say in the guidance Of the mass.
We choose rather to celebrate, on this eve Of the If
teenth Mothers Day, love which rises above all laws,
and which, through the years. has done most to conserve
and keep vital the master forces Of truth and faith And
nation that gladly pauses once year in its too-hurred
march of progress to pay tribute to this first Of ears bet
tering orcesths fondest most firm of human relationships
Thus to define motherhood to say the least Of what
might be said could words be found to sound IN just meas
Sods % its praise sd ~ % G Ssu Gs is tue m ssnea
transcends all thought OF mere knsp that even death
itself cannot rob those who have felt its tenderness been
soothed by its compassion and in its matchess uselshnes
beed reflection nearly divine finite mind can
prehend
From the patience with which it bears the pangs of
birth to the forttude with which meets the shapes sting
of circumstance it renews that necessary sense of the
Let all Others turn and fee let the prodiga face the
utter darkness Of rendessness let the wongdoer find none
to give even kind look-there still IS one refuge Some
where in tidy cottage apestred hail. is whose
love still Shines and however black the night this blessed
beacon streams its qenchess beam to guide the stomacked
wadere into harbor of health and usefulness or throw
one last of comfort across the waters soon to close upon
the wreck
In some measure, each man. each woman. knows the
meaning of this love- Yet its thousandth part has not been
told Let the full story of its courage daring. burden bearing
and willing suffering be unfoded and the annals Of heroism
would have to be rewritten. Like the true love 1t is, how
ever, 1T launteth not itself.
Silently as with the forces of growth in nature, its in
nuence ever is at work Now and then call Of need crash
of danger throws it bold relief against the white curtain
of action but whether seen or unseen by day and by night
here there and every of earth it functions the
great feeder and defender the sure force Whether its
deed service be noted hid in the depths OF the sea-
this is Of no moment to mother love,
So the setting aside OF day in which to remember and
honor it, with special reference to the personal tie IS duty
we'll privilege and from the first we have welcomed
fostn
sign of further awakening to full sense OF the priceless worth
of woman<ind.
much the powess Of warie the gener modng and
guiding influence of the mother She it was who gave the
first home touch to prehistoric cave dwellings, and later
on her care and houghfness made the tents Of the desert
something than shelters from sun and sandsorm
To who have built the foundations thus laid by the
mothers Of antiquitythe hus and reWaed shelters set
along the road that led to the beginnings Of present
cal orderthe crudeness of such gropng soened by the
fact that here also the dawn Of this mighty force the
daybreak Of mother love.
1t was the mother who first saw in the child all that
human eyes can see Of the future with ITS boundless pos
man Of the truth and meaning OF this, but at last she max
ing headway. To her. chiefly we owe what we call cvlza-
for her children The history of all that real and lasting in
human progress rests first that spiritual inspiration
gnded by her ceaeess desire to protect her child against
the forces Of evil.
She it is who always has been foremost in the fight for
character She it ~ho by hoping 1 on when even even hope Itself
able ambition which otherwise had fallen prey to adverse
winds of chance circumstance Just her physical func
ton is essential TO the continuity of the her influence
on heart mind and spirit ranks among the first Of uplifting and
ennobng forces. The debt to her be paid
and She Herself would be the last to think of presenting bill
Better than any other she knows because she has lived it
that what we give get that all we carry with us tc
our graves is what we have gwen away IN life.
And when bow tomorrow to give thanks for this bless
ing of motherhood say to or of mother such words
as shall refresh this flower of pures love- will be we'll tC
include more than passing thought for that smaller though
Il not less noble army of who have loved and tended
Il children not their own Through them aso the best trad
Il tions of motherhood have been gored and they merit
L full measure Of praise and loving remembrance.
H Yet is not much motherhood in general mother
in particular to be honored through this setting aside of TIN
Il second Sunday in May The true purpose of the day,
Il first suggested by Philadelphia woman is the paying of
H tribute Of devotion to ones mother Hence the need 70
Il keeping its observance personal possible and
have said before, making occasion for reunion rathe
Il than gifts
4 If such reunion be impossible, may turn from tn
Il tumut to say with Carlyle:
II Oh, pious mother kind, good, brave and truthful
II soul as have found, and more than have
III elsewhere found in this world your poor Iom long
III out of his school days now, has fallen very lonely very
H lame and broken in this pilgrimage of hs and you cannot
H help or cheer him by kind word any more From your
H grave in the krlyard yonder you bid him trust in
H God and that also he will try he can understand
II and do-Philadelphia North American.