Year: 1867

at the gateway of one of our beautiful
rural cemeteries, large funeral was just
entering, as our attention was called TO re-
markable sight The bier was resting on
the shoulders of four tall, noble-looking men
In the prime of life One Of these bearers
was a judge on the bench of the Supreme
Court of the nation. A second was one OF
the most eminent and accomplished lawyers
whom this or any other country can boast.
A third was very distinguished divine,
whose pen is great power And the fourth
was the President of the Senate OF his State;
And these remarkable men were brothers
They stood strong in life, but were bowed
and silent and solemn, as if the bier was too
heavy for their strength. Very slowly and
carefully they trod, as if the sleeper should
not feel the motion. And who was on the
bier, so carefully and tenderly borne? 1T
aoas their Ouon Inoher! Never did | see
grief more reverent, or respect more pro-
found. 1t seemed to me that a mother
cold heart must also throb in the coffin. a
nobler sight, or a more beautiful tribute OF
love, L never saw They were all, doubtless,
going back in memory to their early child
hood, and to the loving care of this best OF
all earthly friends. They we'll knew they,
the sons of a poor village pastor, could never
have been trained and educated andhtted to
occupy their stations without a very extra
ordinary mother. They we'll knew that they
owed more to her than to all other human
agencies No shoulders but theirs must
bear the precious dust to the graveyard; no
hands out theirs must deposit it in its last
resting place That body had been inhab-
tied by one of the sweetest, most cheerful
and brilliant minds that ever inhabited an
earthly tabernacle. 1t had long, too, been
the temple OF the Holy Ghost. What that
lovely woman had done 70 make her hus-
band S ministry useful and profitable; what
she had done In training daughters hat are
ornaments to their sex; what she had done
to make these distinguished men what they
are-who can tell? What has not such a
mother accomplished who has given such an
influence to the world? | never see one Of
these sons, but my thoughts go back to the
home Of their childhood, and | can hardly
keep my eyes from filling with tears as L
think OF that mother.


How many men start upon the stage of
life, and feel they are great, and are filling
great spheres of usefulness, who are really
dwarfs In comparison with such a character.
When that mother went down to the very
brink of the grave, that she might bring up
life, as her children were born-as she toll
ed unseen and unpralSed through all their
tralnlng-what an influence was she prepa-
ring to leave upon the world after she should
be numbered with the dead We may de-
velop ourselves, and think we have done
well if we can achieve anything III life, when,
most likely, if anything valuable i'll us is de-
voloped, we owe it chiefly TO our patient,
meek, unnoticed mother She forms the
character which we develop. And it Is
much owing to ignorance of the laws of ln-
fuence that prevents the mother from re-
ceiving that love and respect she deserves.


Heaven will be just where we are not
and | can find no words in which to express
my appreciation OF sdch friend. Some
few who have early lost their mother through
death, or the loss of reason, come out use
full and respectable men; but they would
probably, have been much more SO, had
they enjoyed her love and care. They may
well mourn the loss all their days. The
names of the mothers of Moses, OF Samuel,
Timothy, and other eminent men, are re-
corded and so are the names of the wicked
kings generally recorded, as if to tie them
to the disgrace of their sons.


0 mother amid all your anxieties and
labors, be assured that the time is coming
when your name and image will fill the
chambers of the memories of your children
as no other can. You are garnering up love,
respect, and veneratiOn. which will gather
around your coffin, if not before. You will
grow in the hearts of your children as long
as they live.


o son of the good mother! remember
that she hath spared nothing that the hu
man heart could yield for thy good Let
thy love and gratitude and reverence flow
back upon her; and if her hair is becoming
silvered with age, remember that thy op-
portunltles to minister to her comfort are
every day becoming fewer and fewer. God
help thee to cheer her I-Reu John Todd,
ID. ID.