But oh! these battles, they last so long—
From babyhood to the grave.”
“There is a mighty power in a mother’s kiss—inspiration, courage, hope, ambition. One kiss made Benjamin West a painter, and the memory of it clung to him through life. One kiss will drive away the fear in the dark and make the little one brave. It will give strength where there is weakness.”
ONE ACT, ONE WORD WILL BLIGHT CHILD.
“There is power enough in a word or act to blight a boy, and through him, curse a community. There is power enough in a word or act to tincture the life of that child so it will become a power to lift the world to Jesus Christ. The mothers will put in motion influences that will either touch heaven or hell. Talk about greatness! Oh, you wait until you reach the mountains of eternity, then read the mothers’ names in God’s hall of fame, and see who they have been in this world. I want to tell you women, fooling away your time hugging and kissing a poodle dog, caressing a Spitz, drinking a society bran mash and a cocktail, and playing cards, is mighty small business to moulding the life of a child.”
“When God gave the office of mother to women it was just like giving you his own right hand. Think of what importance is attached to it! Think of the mother’s power! There is more power in a mother’s hand than in a king’s scepter.”
TOUCHING TRIBUTE TO MOTHER’S LOVE.
“I once read the story of an angel who stole out of heaven and came to this world one bright sunshiny day; roamed through the field, forest, city and hamlet, and as the sun went down, plumed his wings for the return flight. The angel said: ‘Now that my visit is over, before I return I must gather some mementoes of my trip.’ He looked at the beautiful flowers in the garden and said, ‘How lovely and fragrant,’ and plucked the rarest roses, made a bouquet, and said, ‘I see nothing more beautiful and fragrant than these flowers.’ The angel looked further and saw a bright-eyed, rosy-cheeked child, and said, ‘That baby is prettier than the flowers; I will take that, too;’ and, looking beyond to the cradle, he saw a mother’s love pouring out over her babe like a gushing spring, and the angel said, ‘The mother’s love is the prettiest thing I have seen; I will take that too.’ And with these three treasures the heavenly messenger winged his flight to the pearly gates, saying: ‘Before I go in I must examine the mementoes of my trip to the earth.’ He looked at the flowers; they had withered. He looked at the baby’s smile; it had faded. He looked at the mother’s love; it shone in all its pristine beauty. Then he threw away the withered flowers, cast aside the faded smile, and with the mother’s love pressed to his breast, swept through the gates into the city, shouting that the only thing he had found that would retain its fragrance from earth to heaven is a mother’s love.”
EVERY CHILD IS A TRUST TO MOTHER.
“Every child is put in a mother’s arms as a trust from God, and she has to answer to God for the way she deals with that child. No mother on God’s earth has any right to raise her children for pleasure. She has no right to send them to dancing school and haunts of sin. You have no right to do those things that will curse your children. That babe is put in your arms to train for the Lord. No mother has any more right to raise her children for pleasure than I have to pick your pockets or throw red pepper in your eyes. She has no more right to do that than a bank cashier has to rifle the vaults and take the savings of the people. One of the worst sins you can commit is to be unfaithful to your trust.”