Year: 1879

beams fall upon Der silver hair, they
light il mp with a radiant glory.
Her hands are clasped upon her lap,
her face is placid and kindly, her
manners gentle and serene. No
stormy passions sgitate her heart,
no words of rancor fall from her
lips, no unholy ambition sways her
life. She dwells in the courts OF
peace, and the heaven TO which The
angels are waiting to welcome her
has thrown around her even here,
an atmosphere both of beauty and
of love.


She has in her long journey
through life, gathered up many
beautiful blossoms TO weave in her
chaplet. One BY one the roses have
faded, and few are now left in her
garland Of life. He 10 whom she
gave her heart and hand i'm the
sunny days of her girlhood fell long
ago by the way side,


"wearied with the march of life"
She shared his prosperity and his
adverslty, and either way she was
satisfied, because I'm the sunlight
and the shadow she knew he was
near. She looks back now, far, far
down into the dark cave of time,
and she sees no gloomy shadow
cast by her upon the love which was
her joy and her strength. She can
not recall one unkind word she
uttered, or remember u frown that
she ever wore. Glad 10 the old
mother to think of this, aud to know
that whatever sorrow came TO the
husbands heart none ever came
through her.


The children, too, have dropped
away from her side; only few re-
main to comfort and to cheer her.
Death, the reaper, has moved down
some of the brightest blossoms in
her living wreath, aud the young,
the strong, and the brave have pre-
ceded her to the "silent land" Well,
this was Code will, and it must be
hers; so she bows her head in resig-
nation. Absence has carried others
far away; oceans roll between and
mountains intervene, and The places
that knew them in the home know
them no more. Thus it is that one
by one, they dropped of, leaving the
household wreath almost bare.


She utters no complaint, the old
mother; she knows that these things
come not by chance, bnt are decreed
by One who"doeth all things WELL"
She knows that they who have
length of days many SORROWS see
and countless changes. She does
not cloud the present by regrets for
the past; she accepts whatever sun
shine is voucnsafsd her, and sends
not her heart out yesrningly after
what has left her path.


She is cheerful, serene, and con-
tented and her heart glows with
love and melts with pity towards all
humanity. She is as full OF sympathy
as a rose is full of perfume, her
words are replete with the wisdom
gathered from the experience and
observation Of many years, and in
learning humanity her knowleds e
has taught her pity and charity, not
barshness and condemnation. For
her children there burns before the
shrine of her heart perpetual lamp
of love which never loses one drop
of oil. Brighter and purer grows
the flame, lighting up the darkest
nook of home. No cold winds from
the shores of indifference can make
the fame even flicker; absence cam
not dim the glory crime itself has
no power TO lessen the undying
light of the old-mother's love. Thk
Joys Of her children are her joysS
she sorrows when they sorrow and
she thrills with pleasurable pride
when the world crowns them with
success. She. has no ambition tor
herself, she would not bend her head
for the brightest OF earthly crowns
but she would gladly see the chill
dren of her love crowned and hap
py.


Loving, unselfish, serene, gentle,
devoted aud cheerful, thus lives the
old mother-s blessing to the home
that holds her, joy to the hearts
that love her, an inspiration of good
TO those that look up TO her. God
bless the old mother!-ES.