Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 December 1884 — HIDDEN STRENGTH. [ARTICLE]

HIDDEN STRENGTH.

In one of the prairie town, of North•ern Ohio, where the Illinois Central Kailroad now passes from Dubuque to Sioux City, lived a woman whose experience repeats the truth that inherent forces, ready to be developed, are waiting for the emergencies that life may bring. She was born and “brought up" in New England. With the advantages of a country school, and a few terms in a neighboring city, she became a fair scholar, not at all remarkable. She was married . t twentv--one to a young 1 aimer, poor, but intelligent and ambitious. In ten years, after the death of their parents, they -emigrated to lowa, and invested their money in land that bade fair to increase in value, but far away from neighbors. Here they lived, a happy family, for five years, when he died, leaving her at the age of thirty-five, with four boys, the eldest nearly fourteen and the youngest nine. The blow came suddenly, and at first was overwhelming. Alone, in what seemed almost a wilderness, she had no thought of giving up the farm. It was home. They must stay and do the best they could. The prospect of a railroad passing near them, in time, was good; then some of the land might be sold. A little money ad been laid by—nothing that she ought to touch for the present. Daniel, the hired man, who had come out with them, and who was a devoted friend and servant, she determined to keep—his judgment was excellent in farm matters. Hitherto the boys had gone regularly to school, a mile or two away; for a settlement in lowa was never witnout a school-house. They were bright and quick to learn. Their father bad been eager and willing to encourage them. Newspapers, magazines, and now *nd then a good book, had found their way into this household. Though very fond of reading herself, with the care of the house she had drifted along, as so many do, until the discipline of study or any special application had been almost forgotten. It was the ambition of both parents that their sous should be well educated. Now Jerry and Thede, the two eldest,. must be kept at home during the summer to work. Nate and Johnny •could help at night and morning. The boys had always been trained to habits -of obedience. They were affectionate, and she knew < hat she could depend upon their love. One evening, alone in her bed-room, she overheard some part of a conversation. as the children were sitting together around the fireplace. “I don’t mind the work,” said Theodore, “if I could only be learning too. Father used to’say he wanted me to be a civil engineer." “If father was here,” said elevenyear old Nate, “you could , study evenings and recite to him. I wish mother could help; bat, then, I guess that’s mother’s—" “Help how?” she heard Jerry ask, sharply, before Nate could finish the sentence, and she knew at once that the boy was jealons for her. “Isn’t she the best mother in the world ?” “Yes, she is, and she likes stories, too; bnt I was thinking, now that you -ean’t go to school, if she only knew a lot about everything, why she could tell you.” “Well,” replied Jerry, with all the ■gravity of a man, “we must just take hold and help all we can; it’s going to be hard enough for mother. I just hate to give up school and pitch into work. Thede, yon shall go next winter. anyway." “Shan’t we be lonesome ‘next winter?” cried Uttie Johnny, who had taken no part in the conversation until bow; “won’tmother be afraid? I want my father back,” and withont a word of warning he burst into tears. Head silence for a few minutes. The eutfmrst was so sudden; she knew they were all weeping. It was Jerry again who spoke first : “Don’t let mother see us crying. Come, Johnny, let’s take Hone and all go down to the trap and she heard them pass out of the Deesolation fell upon (he poor woman lor the next hour. Like a knife Hate’s remark had passed through her heart. “Father could have helped!” Couldn’t she help her boys, for whom •he was ready to die? Was she dnly “mother," who prepared their meals and took care of their clothes? She wanted a part of the very best part of their lives. She thought it all over

sitting up far into the night If she could create an interest in some study should bifid them all together, and in which she could lead I Was she too old to begin? Never had the . desire’to become the vary center of interest to them taken suoh a hold upon her. A few weeks after, she said one morning at the breakfast table: “Boys, I’ve been thinking that we might begin geology this Bummer and study it, all of us together. I have found a text-book; by and by Thede can draw a chart, perhaps. Jerry will take hold, I know, and Nate and Johnny'can hunt for specimens. We have an hour or two every night.” The children's interest awoke in a flash, and that very evening the question discussed was one brought by Nate:

“What is the difference between limestone and granite?” A simple one, but it opened the way for her, and the first meeting proved a success. She had to study each day to be ready and wide awake for her class. They lived in a limestone region. Different forms of coral abounded, and other fossils were plenty. An old cupboard in the Bhed was turned into a cabinet. One day. Nate, who had wandered two or three miles, brought home a piece of rock, where curious fingershaped creatures were embedded. Great was the delight of all to find them described as orthocoratites, and an excursion to the place was planned for the next holiday. Question after question led them back to the origin of the earth. She found the nebular hipothesis, and hardly slept one night trying to comprehend it clearly enough to put before others in a simple fashion. Her book was always on hand. By and by they classified each specimen, and the best of their kind was taken to shelves in the sitting-room. Her own enthusiasm in study aroused, and far from hardship, it now became a delight. Her spirit Was contageons. The boys, always fond of “mother” wondered what new life possessed her, but they accepted the change all the same. She found that she could teach and also inspire her pupils. They heard of a gully five or six miles away where crystals had been found. Making a holiday, for which the boys worked like Trojons, they took their lunch in farm wagons and rode to the spot; and, if the search was not altogether successful, it left them the memory of a very happy time. In the meanwhile the farm prospered. She did all the work in the house, and all the sewing; going out, too, in the garden, where she raised a few flowers and helped to gather a few vegetables. DaDiel and the boys were bitterly opposed to her helping them. “Mother,” said Jerry, “if you won’t ever think you must go out, I’ll do anything to make up. I don’t want you to look like these women we see sometimes in the fields.!! .....

She generally yielded; her work was enough for one pair of hands. Through it all ran the thought that her children were all growing up; they would become educated men; she would not let them go ahead, not so as to pass her entirely. Winter came. Now Daniel could see to the work; but these habits of study were not to be broken. “Boys, let us form a history club,” was the proposition; “it shan’t interfere with your lessons at school." They took the history of the United States, which the young children were studying. Beginning with the New England settlements, and being six in number, they called each other for the time after the six States, persuading old Daniel to take his native Rhode Island. “That woman beats all creation,” he was heard to exclaim, “the way she works all day and goes on at night over her books." The mother said she hardly knew if she were any older than her boys when they were trying to trip each other with questions. The teacher of the district school came over one Saturday afternoon. _

“I never had such pupils,” said he, “as your sons in history; and indeed, they want te look into everything.” Afterward he heard with delight the story of her evening’s work. The deep snows often shut them in, bnt the red light shone clearly and bright from that sitting-room window, and a merry group was gathered around th > table. Every two weeks an evening was given to some journey. It was laid out in advance and faithfully studied. Once, Theodore remembers, a shout of laughter was raised when 9 o’clock came, by Jerry’s exclaimation: ,p Oh, mother, don’t go home; we are all having such a good time!" Five years they lived iff this way. and almost entirely by themselves. They studied botany. She knew the name of every tree and shrub for miles around. The boys made a collection of birds’ eggs, and then began to watch closely the habits of the birds. It was a pure simple life. It would have been too wild and lonely but for the charms of this devoted mother. Her hours of loneliness were hidden from them, but she learned in an unusn&l degree to throw every energy into the day’s work of study, and create, as it were, a fresh enthusiasm for the present hour. Her loving sacrifice was rewarded. Each child made her his peculiar confidant. She became the inspiration of his life. English history opened a wide field to this family. One afternoon she brought in Shakespeare to prove some historical question. It was a rainy day and the boys were all at home. Jerry began to read "Hamlet” aloud; it proved a treasure that brought them into a new world of delight. Sometimes they took different characters for representation, and the evening ended in a frolic, for good-natured mirth was never repressed. First of all preparation had been made for the Sabbath. There was a church in this town, bnt at a distanoe several miles, and during many day* roads were not passable. She had leaned upon Infinite strength, gathering wisdom through all their experiences. The secret of many a promise had been revealed to‘her understanding, and above everything she desired -that the Scriptures might become pre-

K*..'.l- ■ . - 1 cious to her children. Sho took up the Bible characters, bringing to bear the same vivid interest, the seine power of making them < realities. These lesaains were varied by little sketches, or reports of one Sunday to be read aloud the next. Of this Nate took hold with special tost None of this family ocjuld sing, bnt she thought of a substitute. They learned the Psalms, much of Isaiah, and many hymns, repeating them in 'concert, learning to count upon this hour around the fire as others do upon the music. How many of those times came to her in after .life —a vision of the bright faces of her boys as they clustered affectionately around her. Time tolled bv. A railroad passed through. A village sprang up and the land was ready to sell. She could keep enough for her own use and the boys could prepare for college. Thede and Nate went away to school. The old home was kept bright and plead&nt; friends, new settlerß came in, and now there was visiting and social life. Jerry stayed on the farm; Thedore became an engineer; Nate a minister; Johnny went ihto business. Thedore used to say: “Mother, as I travel about, ail the stones and flowers make me think of you. I catch sight of some rock and stop to laugh over those blessed times.” 7

Nate said: “Mother, when I am reading f psalm in the pulpit, there always come to me a picture of those evenings, with you in the rocking-chair by the firelight, and I hear all your voices again.” - ' Johnny wrote: “Mother, I think everything I have has come to me through you.” When Jerry, who had remained faithful as always, had listened to his brothers, he put his arm around her, saying tenderly, “There will never be any one like mother to me.” She died at sixty-five, very suddenly. Only a few hours before, she had exclaimed, as her children all came home together: “There were never such good boys as mine. You have repaid me a thousandfold. God grant you all happy homes.” They bore her coffin to the grave themselves. They would not let any other person touch it. In the evening they gathered around the old hearthstone in the sitting-room, and drew their chairs together. No one spoke until Nate said: “Boys, let us pray.” And then, all kneeling around her vacant chair, he prayed that the mantle of their mother might fall on them. They could ask nothing more than .that _.7: , .