Year: 1871




II was "a rainy day, the children were all
at home from school, and around their moth.
er. The three boys kept the room in per-
feet uproar Now they wrestlcl together till
She was in mortal terror lest bones should be
broken or dislocated, now William had got
Jack knife, aud was holding it aloit in the
air. enjoying his brothers vexaton and the
oft-rcpeated, I'll tell mother g! euphoni.
Gus, familiar words 10 vogue in perhaps all
nurseries.


Mother, VIII, got my knife, aud wont
let me have it !'


Mother can't Maggie let Inc alone


" Mother, can have this string ?"


Mother my head aches.


Mother, wont you tell mo story Wont
you mend my mitton, go


And Mother must pacify Jack and
take down viii She must pour oil on the
leud between Mary and Maggie she must
give up that identical string with which she
was trying to get time to tie up parcel +;
she must coax the aching head to stop ach.
ing, and if it won't stop must give up every.
thing else 10 order to become doctor aud nurse;
and out Of her bewildered brain she must
bring forth treasures both new aud old Of
story and verse


But she was doing each aud all these things
in new spirit.


For thee, Lord for thee " she whispered
as she went from task to task and he accept.
ed each tiry offering Of herself to him, in q
way that awoke a responsive glow Of Joy il
her heart The links that kept binding hei
to her unseen Lord were very small and in
significant They were almost invisible tC
her own eye. But they were real. And the
serene spirit that came, as their natural re.
suit soon began to be felt all through the
house. The children were under wondrou.
training, though they knew it not. 1t was a.
I if there trooped a humble yet beautiful sere
of angelic yisitants through all the details 0
home-liie And though Mr. Morris had frs
suggested to his wife this doing eyerythin,
" Is unto God, he was almost startled at th
results. The new genteuess and patience
with which she guided his house had in j
something so not of this world, that h,
caught himself anxiously guessing,


Are not my dear ones heavenly wing
growing apace Will she not Ay off ant
leave Us unawares ?"


But il they were growing they were no
to bear her away from the home where sh
was so needed. They were only to lift he
just high enough to enable her to soar over
not to be entangled with, earthly cares An,
this is not, after all, so very uncommon
sight on this earth. Who cannot call up tn,
image of woman, who is spirit, too
who scorns none of the homely ministrie
that form the patches Of worn and torn every
day life, but is equally skilled in tracing tn
delicate embroidery that adorus it2 Yes, t
many Of us the word mother" means nc
only she who bore us, nursed US, kept bod
aud soul together through incessant care, bu
she who gave Us our best conception Of a noble
ideal character, who made us hate and shu
evil, who led the way, by her own example
to the heavenward path, and whose saintl
prayers are even now the guardian angel
that keep US in that way.


And now let every oyer.burdened mothe
try Cor herself, the experiment, that in tn
case Of Mrs. Morris had such happy results


Let her speak to each of her children i
the gentle, loving tone with which she woul
! address her Lord and Master, were lie one {
her household in youthful, human guise. L(
her minister to the wants Of each as 81
; would minister to his. Let her give all he
time to simple, everyday, homely tasks wh
not ? Let her find scope for all her affection
in this narrow circle which makes home VIII
not? For what else was she made ? Wher,
unto was she born? While other women al
struggling for their rights, let her feel tha
the only right she wants, is the right to |
the best mother the sun shines on. And viii
their brows will be clouded with care, her
will be becoming every day more serene.


lnasmuch as ye have done it unto OIL
p of the least of these my brethren, ye hay
5 done it unto Ma Christian Weekly