Year: 1876

| uoly tltit, duu even TIE rector or st.
James, man who froze all the fun stiff
wherever he appeared, called her not
only "Mother Bray" but declared that
she was ''a Mother in Israeli


Far away in the neighboring towns
she was known as a skillfuI nurse, a
trusted friend, and 'sa good Christian if
there is one on EARTH


Quite as handsome, but little more
feeble, was her husband, who pointed
out his age in the old Bible as seventy
two, and told his friends he chad reach
ed his three score and ten, and was now
walking on borrowed ground" Moth
ing except his Bible pleased the old man
so well as good listener while be preach
ed from his favorite text s'Mother. "
Hand in hand, heart answering to heart,
they had journeyed on since the long
ago, when she, blushing bride, had
taken him for 'better or worse The
years with their joys and sorrows had
seventytwo far surpassed as lover the
bridegroom of twenty-four. All his
essays on "Mother" ended with this
sentence, uttered in the most emphatic
matter. ST tell you, no one on earth
knows half her goodness but there, we
are a foolish pair of old lovers, Mother
and l."


Tonight, while the stranger rested,
the old man pointed out the homes of
his children, and in reply to question
of his guest as to the means he used to
induce them to remain near them, he
said 4:


81 owned all the land about here, sir,
and it always seemed pity to me to see
families breaking up and wandering
awGy from each other so Mother and I,
we talked it all over and agreed to treat
all the Lord sent US precisely alike and
as men mostly want good homes for
their wives and children to start out
with, why, we thought We might help
them so when Sam wanted to settle
down, we gave him the land and money
enough to build comfortable house.
Mother kept an account of it, and put it
down in what she calls the sschildren's
| book - and three years after we did the
same with our first girl, and so on, all
but one-his share is waiting for him, if
he wants it !; if not, the Maker knows
| best"


Chow many children in all, sir p


"Five about here, Sir, one wanderer
and three with God"


The maple leaves futtered a short in
opvko.


Would you mind telling a stranger
something of your ife2 Peace and
prosperity are SO clearly yours, I would
like to find your pathway


There is not much to tell, SIR" the
old man said. s'I was married to the
best girl in the next town. and settled
down here to work. We made our way
slowly but surely, adding to our house
as the Lord added to our flock. If we
have been more prosperous than some,
| IL . fhil 4uOCilC1 olIltl W DSdCc,
she is the best kind of peacemaker.
Now and then, when the boys were small
and things went contrary, why, L used
| to get a grain cross, and nervous-like,
| for L had a temper of my own; ; but,
bless you, Mother she'd just look up at
me, with those sorrowful looking eyes,
and it always made me feel mean and
hate myself. She brought her children
up SO, sir, her pitiful looks and her pray
els did more for them than sharp words
or rod. As to money, the credit is hers
for it all the little man earns don't
amount to much, but the little woman
saves seems to count up. What with
her teaching the boys to saye school
bills, and patching and making to cheat
the tailor, and turning this and twisting
that, she always made things come out
right. Wy, sir, when I was mourning
Decaure could not see my way clear to
| send VIII to college, when found he
was set about going, she told me not to
worry, she and the girls would manage
it somehow-and they did, sir they
sold butter, eggs, milk, poultry, and
| took summer boarders, working early
and late and VIII can hold up his head
with any of your learned men now. He's
| got about all the practice he can attend
| to, and is called the best doctor about
here. He owes it all to his mother ard
| IL, III
| themselves, and that made things easy.
By the time our youngest boy was ready
| for school, I made something handsome
by selling a mill site to city company;
and since then, one way and another, it
has been pretty plain sailing. I wasn't
for letting them have it, but mother said
yes, and have always been glad. Our
town has grown wonderfully since then,
and these grand children of mine won't
be obliged to run away to find work. I
have always said men don't give their
wives half credit enough for their work.
1t seems mean way of looking at things
for man to expect a wife to live on less
money than one of these servants our
city friends are bringing here every sum-
mer-but there, there's Mother calling
me to tea; she always taps on the win
dow that way for me. Walk right in,
sir, and take cup of tea and home
made bread it's a lorg way yet to the
tavern, and Mother never feels put out
with unexpected company"


Tho StronOar heSifatod n ,nopoaDf aDd