THE BEAUTIFUL SECRET.
The mother’s talks about her own Christian experience
enabled Bessie to understand the beautiful secret
of salvation—an influence that was to beautify
her character and to mold her whole subsequent career.
Bessie’s developing mind was able to grasp firmly
the golden thread of religious truth, which, unraveling
from the tangle of sectism, had guided her faithful
mother into the fulness of divine truth.
Thus it was—
In the gentle hush of evening,
When the sun sank
in the west;
When the little bird was nestling
In its quiet,
sheltered nest;
When the stars were brightly
shining
From the lofty
sky above,
Bessie learned the lovely
secret
Of her Savior’s
perfect love.
In the twilight’s
deep’ning shadows,
At her loving
mother’s feet,
Sat she often on a hassock,
Hearing words
of counsel sweet.
Sacred season was this hour
To the twain in
waiting there,
Each the burden of the other
Sought to know
and ofttimes share.
As the loving mother listened
To the record
of the day,
To the questions of her daughter—
Spoken oft in
childish way,
She in tenderness instructed
With the wisdom
of the Lord,
Gained by prayer and careful
study
Of his precious,
holy Word.
There the character was strengthened;
Bessie’s
heart was made to feel
Greater love for her Creator,
For his work a
deeper zeal.
And she saw God’s plan
for pardon,
To the feet of
Jesus came,
And was able, like her mother,
Full salvation
then to claim._
Ah! fond mother, learn
the secret
That will win
thy children dear;
Draw them gently to thy bosom,
Ever seek their
hearts to cheer.
From thy home exclude all
worry,
Fretful cares,
and sad’ning gloom;
But God’s sunshine bid
a welcome,
Let it shine in
ev’ry room.
As a spring within a desert,
Thou mayst water
each plant small;
But the plant itself must
blossom—
Thou canst tend
it, that is all.
Tiny human plants will flourish
In an atmosphere
like this,
And will yield good, fruitful
blossoms
That will bring
true happiness.
Children always thirst
for knowledge,
And ere long ’tis
surely gained;
If not from a faithful mother,
’Tis from
evil source obtained.
Blameless never is the mother
Who will not the
trouble take
To instruct her precious children,
Close companions
of them make.
