Milo

I DON’T LOVE YOU NOW, MOTHER

A great many years ago I knew a lady who had been sick for two years, as you have seen many a one, all the while slowly dying with consumption. She had one child, a little boy named Henry.

One afternoon I was sitting by her side, and it seemed as if, she would cough her life away. Her little boy stood by the post of the bed, his blue eyes filled with tears to see her suffer so. By and by the terrible cough ceased. Henry came and put his arms around his mother’s neck, nestled his head in his mother’s bosom, and said, “Mother I do love you, I wish you wasn’t sick.” An hour later, the same loving, blue-eyed boy came in all aglow, stamping the snow off his feet. “O mother may I go skating? It is so nice Ed and Charley are going.” “Henry” feebly said the mother the ice is not hard enough yet.” “But mother,” very pettishly said the boy, “you are sick, how do you know?” “My child, you must obey me,” said his mother.’ It is too bad angrily sobbed the boy, who so loved his mother. “I would not like to have my little boy go,” said his mother, looking sadly at the little boy all covered with frowns; “you said you loved me, be good.” “No, I don’t love you now, mother’,” said the boy, going out and slamming the door.

Again the dreadful coughing came upon her, and thought no more of the boy. After the coughing had commenced, I noticed tears falling thick upon her pillow, but sank from exhaustion into a light sleep. In a little while muffled steps of men’s feet were heard coming into the house, as though carrying something; and they were carrying the almost lifeless body of Henry. Angrily had he left his mother and gone to skate, \ disobeying her; and then broken through the ice, sunk under the water, and now saved by a great effort, was brought home barely alive to his sick mother. I closed the doors, feeling more danger for her life than the child’s, and coming softly in, drew back the curtains from the bed. She spoke, “I heard them-it is Henry; Oh I knew he went. Is he dead?” But she never seemed to hear the answer I gave her. She commenced coughing-she died in agony — strangled to death. The poor mother! The boy’s disobedience killed her.

After a couple of hours I sought the boy’s room. “Oh I wish I had not told mother I did not love her. Tomorrow I will tell her I do,” said the child sobbing painfully. My heart ached; tomorrow I knew we must tell him she was dead. We did not till the child came fully in the room, crying, “Mother I do love you.” Oh l may I never see agony like that as the lips he kissed gave back no kiss as the hands he fell lifeless from his hand instead of shaking his hand like it always had and the boy knew she was dead “Mother I do love you now” all the day he sobbed and cried “O mother mother forgive me” Then he would leave his mother “Speak to me, mother!” but she could never speak again, and he – he last words she had ever never speak again him say, were, “Mother, I don’t love you now.”

That boy’s whole life was changed; sober and sad he was ever after. He is now a gray haired old man, with one sorrow-over his one act of disobedience, one wrong word embittering all his life — with those words ever ringing in his ears, “Mother, I don’t love you now.”

Will the little ones who read this remember, if they disobey their mother, if they are cross and naughty, they say every single time they do so, to a tender mother’s heart, by their actions, if not in the words of Henry, the very same thing, “I don’t love you now, mother?”

HOW WILLIAM TENNENT DEFEATED THE POWERS OF DARKNESS

During the great revival of religion in America, which took place under Mr. Whitefield, and others distinguished for their piety and zeal at that period, Mr. Tennent was laboriously active, and much engaged to help forward the work; in the performance of which he met with strong and powerful temptations. The following is from his own lips: On the evening preceding public worship, he selected a subject for the discourse intended to be delivered, and made some progress in his preparations. In the morning he resumed the same subject, with an intention to extend his thoughts further on it; but was presently assaulted with a temptation that the Bible was not of Divine authority, but the invention of man. He instantly endeavored to repel the temptation by prayer, but his endeavors proved unavailing. The temptation continued, and fastened upon him with greater strength as the time advanced for public service. He lost all the thoughts which he had prepared on the preceding evening. He tried other subjects, but could get nothing for the people. The whole book of God, under that distressing state of mind, was a sealed book to him; and, to add to his affliction, he was “shut up in prayer;” a cloud, dark as that of Egypt, oppressed his mind.

Thus agonized in spirit, he proceeded to the church, where he found a large congregation assembled, and waiting to hear the word; and then he was more deeply distressed than ever; and especially for the dishonor which he feared would fall upon religion through him that day. He resolved, however, to attempt the service. He introduced it by singing a psalm, during which time his agitation increased to the highest degree. When the moment for prayer commenced, he arose, as one in the most painful and perilous situation, and, with arms extended to heaven, began with this exclamation: “Lord, have mercy upon me!” On the utterance this petition he was heard; the thick cloud instantly broke, away, and light shone upon his soul. The result was a deep solemnity throughout the congregation; and the house, at the end of the prayer, was a place of weeping. He delivered the subject of his evening meditations, which was brought to his full remembrance, with an overflowing abundance of other weighty and solemn matter. The Lord blessed this discourse, so that it proved the happy means of the conversion of about thirty persons. This day he ever afterwards spoke of as his harvest day.” — Anecdotes of the Ministry.

HOW THE PRAYER OF FAITH REACHED A FAMILY

A day or two after our conversion, we called at a neighbor’s, and while there heard the lady of the house say some very hard things against the work of God, which was shaking that whole section of country like an earthquake. We were deeply grieved, but went away without saying much. But scarcely had we reached home before the Holy Spirit spoke to our heart, and told us to go back to that neighbor’s and pray.

We hesitated a little, but the burden upon our heart became so heavy that we could no longer keep still, and were so strongly drawn to go back to neighbor B—- ‘s that we decided to go, and asked our stepmother to go with us. She wanted to wait to get ready, but our burden was too heavy for delay, and she yielded, and started with us at once. It seemed as we went that we could hardly keep from running; and as soon as we entered the house we fell upon our knees, exclaiming, that God had sent us there to pray.

We scarcely realized our surroundings, and do not know how long or loud we prayed; but when we arose from our knees we could see that all in the house were wonderfully affected, and the one who, so short a time before was saying bitter things against the Lord and His work, was wringing her hands, and weeping, and saying “‘What have I done? I did not know that I was so wicked that anybody needed to pray like that for me.” We shook hands with all present, and left the house.

Soon a Christian young lady, who was at Mr.B—-‘s when we were there, came over, and in a kind way said that she did not wish to discourage us, but she feared our prayer was too abrupt to do any good. But as she spoke, the Lord gave us the positive assurance of that family’s salvation, and we began to praise the Lord. And so it was; for in a very short time the entire family were converted. Thus did God so early in our Christian experience, literally verify his own word.

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” — Editor.

HOW CARVOSSO PREVAILED WITH GOD FOR HIS CHILDREN

Carvosso, noted for the earnestness and faith of his prayers, tells as follows of the conversion of his children:

“I had always prayed for my children, but now I grasped the promise, with the hand of faith, and retired daily at special seasons to put the Lord to His word. I said nothing of what I felt or did, to any one but the Searcher of hearts, with whom I wrestled in an agony of prayer.”

About two weeks after he was called from his work, to pray with his daughter, who became a seeker of Christ. His oldest son was converted at the same time.

Regarding his younger son he says: “I laid hold, by faith, on the promise which I had while pleading for my other children. One day while I was wrestling with God, in mighty prayer for him, these words were applied with power to my mind: “There shall not a hoof be left behind.” Soon after he yielded, and obtained the knowledge of salvation by the remission of sins.

“A dull and careless way of praying for our friends will avail nothing. It may conceal hypocrisy, or strengthen deception concerning our own piety, but it will not move God nor convert a single soul. Our friends know that we are not in earnest, and care little for it. But, let us take hold of the matter in a spirit corresponding to the magnitude of the object to be secured, and there will be a movement!” — Prevailing Prayer, by Wigle.

HOW A LITTLE GIRL UTILIZED THE TELEPHONE

A mother, living not very far from the post-office in this city, tired with watching over a sick baby, came down stairs for a moment the other day for a few second’s rest. She heard the voice of her little four-year old girl in the hall by herself, and, curious to know to whom she was talking, stopped a moment at the half-open door.

She saw that the little thing had pulled a chair in front of the telephone, and stood upon it, with the piece against the side of her head. The earnestness of the child showed that she was in no playful mood, and this was the conversation the mother heard, while the tears stood thick in her eyes; the little one carrying on both sides, as if she were repeating the answers

“Hello.”
“Well, who’s there?”
“Is God there?
“Is Jesus there?”
“Yes.”
“Tell Jesus I want to speak to him.”
“Well?”
“Is that you, Jesus?”
“Yes. What is it?
“Our baby is sick, and want you to let it get well.”
“Won’t you now?”
No answer, and statement and question again repeated, finally answered by a “Yes.”The little one put the ear-piece back on its hook, clambered down from the chair, and with a radiant face went for mother, who caught her in bet arms.The baby, whose life had been despaired of, began to mend that day, and got well. –Elmira Free Press.