A MOTHER"S LOVE! -how sweet the name!
What is a Mother"s Love? - A noble, pure, and tender flame,Enkindled from above,To bless a heart of earthly mould-The warmest love that can grow cold; - This is a Mother"s Love.
To bring a helpless babe to light, Then, while it lies forlorn,To gaze upon that dearest sight, And feel herself new-born;In its existence lose her own,And live and breathe in it alone; - This is a Mother"s Love.
In weakness in her arms to bear, To cherish on her breast,Feed it from Love"s own fountain there, And lull it there to rest;Then while it slumbers watch its breath, As if to guard from instant death; -This is a Mother"s Love.
To mark its growth from day to day, Its opening charms admire,Catch from its eye the earliest ray Of intellectual fire;To smile and listen while it talks, And lend a finger when it walks; -This is a Mother"s Love.
And can a Mother"s Love grow cold- Can she forget her boy?
His pleading innocence behold, Nor weep for grief-for joy?
A mother may forget her child,
While wolves devour it on the wild; - Is this a Mother"s Love?
Ten thousand voices answer, "No!" Ye clasp your babes and kiss;Your bosoms yearn, your eyes o"erflow; Yet, ah! remember this; -The infant reared alone for earth,May live, may die-to curse his birth; - Is this a Mother"s Love?
Blest infant! whom his mother taught Early to seek the Lord,And poured upon his dawning thought The day-spring of the Word:
This was the lesson to her son, -
Time is Eternity begun; - Behold that Mother"s Love!Blest mother! who in Wisdom"s path, By her own parent trod,Thus taught her son to flee the wrath, And know the fear of God:
Ah, youth! like him enjoy your prime. - Begin Eternity in time,Taught by that Mother"s Love.
That Mother"s Love! -how sweet the name!
What was that Mother"s Love? - The noblest, purest, tenderest flame,That kindles from aboveWithin a heart of earthly mould, -As much of heaven as heart can hold, - Nor through eternity grows old; -This was that Mother"s Love.
-MONTGOMERY