Year: 1871

| walked in Che vanishing footprints oil my
departed sister When her husband invited
me TO fiji the vacant place at his side il was
no bar to my accepting it that he was already
father For the childs sake, even more
than my own, | was glad to be offered the
position, for had not my sister, dying, be-
quelthcd him to me, and had not an unutter
able love sprung up in my own heart, in
response TO this precious bequest went
therefore, into the pleasant house of my ex.
collent husband, disposed and determined TO
be a mother iu truth, as well as in name.


Most Of my natural duties were easy and |
agreeable My child was healthy, whole |
some, buoyant and bright To keep him clean
and tidy, TO teach him how to behave at table
and before folks, to hear him read and spell


were pleasant occupations To frolic with
him. to caress him, to praise him when he
was good, cost neither effort nor courage. But
my boy did not always do right, Young as he
was, he betrayed the crookedness Of the race.
| His body carried it over his soul His appc-
tite was too strong for his conscience. He
had learned before he came into my hands
the use Of sweets, and he could pilter FROM
the small moneys in my work-box for the
sake Of stick Of candy, and then fb to con-
zeal the petty theft. He did not do this
every day, nor even once a week, but he did


it often enough to awaken my serious fears.


My Imagination pictured, in the distance, the
sot, the deiaulter, toe iorger TO eradicate
these evils in the germ, to be steady and true
to my work, was neither easy nor agreeable


l bless God | did not ialtcr in the path in


which he had called me to walk. lie gave


me strength to look the difficulty in the face,


and to 90 forward. | spared the frown no


more than the smile, the rod no more than the


kiss. | instructed and corrected The


pain of chastising was nothing to The agony


Of fear that he might turn out a wicked, dis


honest man kept my own counsel; | had
no heart to speak Of his follies My hus-


bands relations, and some Of my own, might


count me a hard mother but | was answer


able for what | should make Of the mixed


material put into my hands, not to a doting


grandmother OF frivolous cousins, but to my


God, my sainted sister, and my honored hus-


band, II was little to me what the rest Of


the world thought so long as ! was favored


with the confidence of the father, Absorbed


in large business, he could not render me


much visible aid, but he silently upheld me
in all the measures | adopted for the cure Of


our boy lie made every indulgence and


pastime to depend on my favor, and this


alone wonderfully strengthened my hands


Twelve of the best years of my life were given


to the training of that dear boy. My time


my thoughts and my interest centered in his


welfare. lie did not love me much how


could he when | so watched and thwarted
, him? But he came, ! think, to know that


had his good at heart, to understand that


when | hurt him, hurt myself more, and he
was never wanting in outward respect and
Difference towards me-


| sometimes desponded; never despaired.
had faith in Solomon and faith in blood
knew that the promise was good Train up
child in the way he should 90, and when he
is old he will not depart from it. On that
road my sister, during her short pilgrimage,
, had carefully walked. On that road his IA


ther, with unialtering foot, was still daily
, travelling Why should | despair The in.
tegrity and uprightness of his parents, and
the good word of the Lord were my strength
and confidence.


The time came, years ago, when | was paid
: thousand fold for all my care and pains
) His father had been removed to a better
} world. The son had received his portion Of
the estate and had spent it, not wisely alto.
gether, not altogether foolishly. His business
relations had not been Fortunate and he was
' thrown out of employment. The young and
D pretty wife whom he had married for love- and
=. not for economy, had been unaccnstomed to
{ toll and privation Nobody liked better than
he to dress respectfully himself or to see his
e wife in graceful attire, yet his own clothes
t grew shabby and hers looked very different
q from her sisters. They were poor enough.
= This state Of things lasted for years. | could


not help them much People again looked
askance at me, and had no honored husband
4 now to cover and shield me. My dividends
] had been cut off or diminished, but | was not
3 at liberty to proclaim the facts. In such
, small ways as remained open to me, | soaced
/ and helped, yet still my dear boy himself and


his darling wife were ready to say, "Oh if


mother would only help us" not dreaming


but could.


At length came turn in my affairs.


had once more, money beyond my own press
ing wants. | was very happy to send check


for six hundred dollars to my poor boy, and
when the acknowledgment and reply came
back was happier yet, for what use do you


think he had made of the money Let him
tell his own story


"When received your letter yesterday,


and found what you sent me, | was almost


thunderstruck, When came into the house
Alice wanted TO know what the matter was,
A" Matter !" | said, look here, Just read
thia lettar aud Won Uiit spo what the mo ttar


is !" She read it, and we cried together. o


mother! lneyer will have bard though of you


again; am ashamed that | ever had any.
Well, after We had had our cry and come to
ourselves little, A lice and agreed that the
first thing to be done was to pay our debts.
} So got first the nurses and the doctors