fl flA A MOTHER IS ISeA A eA MOTHER STILL THE HOLIEST THING ALIVE n By ELMO SCOTT WATSON T VAS WAS Samuel Taylor Coleridge the Englishman who in included included included in- in I IT in n his poem The Three Graves the immortal lines which form the title of this article and the sentiment which he expressed in them is the sentiment back of day which we celebrate on the second Sunday of May Mothers May Mothers Mothers' Day The glory and beauty of mother love and the cons consequent quent love for mother will vill all the joy that i it br brings is as old as the human race There is an ancient Jewish saying that God could not be everywhere and therefore lie He made mothers Some of the greatest men of all ages with the true humility of the great and with the breadth of vision which recognizes the true values values val vat ues of life have acknowledged I their great debt to the guiding force that made their ther achievements achieve achieve- achievements 1 ments possible The classic example example example ex ex- ex- ex ample of that fact is the declaration declaration dec dec- attributed to Abraham Lincoln All that I am or ever hope to be I owe to my angel mother No other subject tins lIas a history so wound about the heartstrings of mankind and with whit such a background back ground of ot literature as mother lorea love lore loveall a all aale ad love mother They TIley have bave been the Inspiration of some tome of our most famous potts poets and nd have hare produced produced pro- pro J souls some of oar known best-known and andi i best loved best loved poems 4 In Tim The Princess Tennyson TennIson In In- Deluded thi tribute to toMOTHER toMOTHER MOTHER On On One not learned harned pave eav j In gracious household wa way wan Not ot perfect na nay full tull of ot tender want wante No angel ancel but a dearer being belna all In angel In breathing Iara Isra dl Interpreter between the gods god and men Who looked alt an natIve to her place and yet rt On seemed emd to touch upon a a sphere phere Too iron gross t to tread and all 11 malec mat male t c minds mind perforce Swayed to her hor from their orbit a a. a the they moved mond And girdled her with music Happy napp he h. With such auch a mother faith In womankind womankind woman woman- kind 1 TilE THE PIONEER MOTHER Statue by Bryant Baker erected near Ponca City Okla Okia the gift of E. E W. W Marland Macland now governor of Oklahoma heats with hi itie bla blood and Ind trust In all aU thing high Cornel Cornea ay easy to him and though ho hi trip and fall tall II lie II thai shall not blind hi hi soul with ela clay y C I 0 To if My First love JoI My fy Mother Is 11 1 thel title of tile thU poem pom by Chris Chris- Bonnets Bonnet ar are full of ot love and this myc my mr c- c tome tom III man many sonnet so 0 her ber now pow shall b be b. On sonnet connet more a loving Iovine sonnet r from m meTo me flue To her ller who heart hart I I. I m my hearts heart q q let iet home horn To m my love m my any Mother on whose whoa knee I learned learnd love lor that I. I not Dot trou trou- Who service I II I. my mr special dignity And sha Ih h m my any lodestar while I go and corns come And BO so because became you rOU love 10 and because I love you OU Mother I hue have woven a wreath Of Ot rhymes rhyme wherewith to crown your our youri i honored names name In you ou not Dot four four-acor year rea can ean dim cUm the name flame Of at lore 10 whose who blessed glow tran tran- the law laws Of at time and change chance and mortal life lit and death C 50 One Ope of the most moat famous of or all tributes to mother love lore la is Kipling's MOTHER O 0 MINE If I 1 were hanged on the highest hill hili bill Mother o o 0 Mine Mint I know whose tow love would follow tollow m m. m t till III t Mother o 0 Mine If I 1 were drowned In the tb deepest sea lea S M Mother Mothr o Mine I know whose tear tean would com corns down to me Mother o o Mine Min Mother o o Mine It If I 1 were damned of ot bod body and IOU soul soulI oulI I II I know whose who prayers prayer would make mak me m. whole Mother o 0 Mine Min Mother o Mias 5 5 5 Equally EQuall famous are these verses by bl one of ot Americas America's favorite poets Eugene Lugene Field CHILD AND MOTHER 0 o Mother Love tf it you'll lilY give m me m. your Jour hand And SO I 1 ask uk you to wander I 1 will lead lesS you away to a. a beautiful land land land- Tb The Dreamland that that's waiting out yonder onder Well WI walk In a sweet posts poal garden out ther Where the moonlight and starlight ar are streaming And th tb tb flower and bird ar are ra the sir air With fragrance and musie of dreaming Therell There'll b be no tired out boy bOT to undress No question or ear cares to perplex you OU Therell There'll be b. no little bruise brul or bump to caress cares Nor patches of ot stockings to vex ex you OU For Ill I'll rock you JOU away on a silver dew stream And sing line you JOU asleep when youre you're wear weary And no one shall hat know of ot our beautiful beau dream Out But you ou and your own little dearie dearl And when I r am arm tired Ill I'll nestle neaU m my head headIn headIn headIn In the tha bosom that toothed m me 10 so often often And th the Ui wide wid awake awak stars star shall sing eln In m my stead A sonic song which our dreaming shall soften often So Mother my ve let m mo m. take your our dear hand band And awa away through th the starlight well we'll wander- wander Awa Away through th the mist to the beautiful beau land land land- The Tise Dreamland that that's waiting wa out yond yonder en I e S 0 Another of Fields Field's poems In la which the mother theme themo Is II predominant LaIN IaIN Is La IN THE FIRELIGHT Th The Are lIr upon th the hearth I is II low tow And there ther I la ii stillness everywhere And Ilk like Ilk wi winged Deed spirits spirit her here and there ther Th The Th firelight t shadows fluttering go And a as a. th the th round m roe m. creep A childish treble breaks break th the And softly from from a further rom room Come omea Now I la lay m me m. down to ala deep p. p And with that litti prayer And that tweet sweet treble In m my tars ears U fly thought goes goe back to distant ant years year And lingers linger with a dear clear on one on there And a as a. I hear m my any child childs amen My mother faith comes comee back to tome tome tome me me- me Crouched at her side lid I seem item to be And mother hold bold m my hand bands alia again tn Oh for tor an hour In that dear clear place Oh for tor th the peace of ot that dear time Oh for tor the childish trust sublime Oh for tor a glimpse of ot mother facet tacal Yet Tet II a. th the hadow round m ms ma creep I do not leem seem to b be alone alone alone- Sweet maglo magia of ot that treble tone ton And Now I 1 la lay m m. m down to sleep Similar In theme to In the tho Firelight Firelight Fire Fire- light Is 1 this tills poem NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP Now I la lay m me down to sleep I pra pray th the Lord rn my any soul loul to keep kep Was Wa m my childhoods childhood early arly prayer Taught b by my mother love and care Man Many years year eare sine since then have hav fled Mother slumbers lumber with th the dead Yet I 1 e 8 0 her hr now now With love lit eye aye and holy brow A. A kneeling b by her side eld to pray S She Sh he gently taught m me ins how to say ear ay Now I la lay m m. m down to sleep I f pray the be th Lord m my soul loul to keep Oh Ohi I could th the faith of childhood days Oh Ohl Ohi I could It its little hymns hymn of ot praise ralee Obi Ohl could Its simple Joyous trust D U. U recreated from th the dust That lies lie around a wasted life lite Th The fruit of ot many a bitter Ohl OhI then than at t night In prayer Id I'd bend And call my mr God m my Father Friend And pray pra with childlike faith one once snore more moreTh Th Tb prayer m my mother taught of ot yore yore yore- Now I la lay m me ens down to tn sleep I pray th the tho Lord my mr soul to keep Tho Tie author of ot tint that poem was not nota a widely known poet as ns Field was but a banker lie He was Eugene Henry lulleD Pullen who was as torn born or In Baltimore In 1832 became a ii p president vice of tho National Hank Bank of tho the Republic In New r York served as president of ot the tho American Bunkers Bunkers' association I 1 r za w. w to ELIZABETH AKERS ALLEN Author of Rock Me to Sleep Mother In ISM 00 and died In Brooklyn ii In a alSt Ills poem was published man many r years before elds eld's appeared eared and L although the similarity between n a tb them Ul baa bos often be bc been en n commented upon and has haa led to some lome confusion con fusion as to the authorship of tb the e etwo two the likeness la 14 s not enough ti tito to justify any atsy suspicion of pla plagiarism ot r. r arism anians on Fields Field's part There Is II another famous mother poem which was once the cause laUle o of ofa ofa a heated controversy ersy as 81 tt tel Its au at I. I This Thia was the familiar ROCK ME TO SLEEP MOTHER Fl Backward turn backward 0 O Tim Time I U lit your Jour flight Slake Mak m me a child again suet Just for tor te to to- Mother com corn back from th the tb echoic echo ic I. lese shor Ibor shore T. T J t I t L II I I I ft j it i. i j I iS I l ye t. t p- p lr 1 n TilE THE SPIRIT OF MOTHERHOOD This ThU composite portrait was 1111 made snide from the features of th the Madonna In lit paintings painting ranging in date from 1293 to 1823 1523 It was made by Joseph Gray Cray Kitchell after 31 years year of study I Take Tak m me ens again to your our heart ai as of ot yore yoro Kits Kiss from my any forehead th the furrows furrow of ot care Smooth th the few sliver silver threads thread out of ot my soy hair Over my slumbers slumber your loving watch keep keep- Rock Hock me sue to sleep mother rock mother rock m me ins meto to sleep stepi Backward flow now backward 0 O tide of ot th the years I have grown weary of ot dust dUlt and decay decay- Toll Toil without recompense tears tear all In vain vain- Take them and give m me m my any child hood I 1 have hav grown war weary of duat duet and decay- decay Weary WearT of flinging m my soul loul wealth awa away I Weary Wear of ot sowing lowing for tor other othera to reap reap reap- Rock nock m nie m. to sleep mother rock mother rock m roe me meto to sleep Tired of th the hollow th the base bace the untrue tether Mather 0 O mother my mT heart calls call for tor you ou I Man Many a ummer summer th the grass era has baa ha grown Irown green Blossomed and faded our faces face be be tween tween Yet Tat with strong trong yearning and pas pas- donate lonate pain Long Lone I 1 tonight for tor your our presence again Comes Come from the silence 10 so long and ando so 0 o deep deep deep- Rock nock m me m. to sleep mother rock mother rock m me meto to Over Our m my any heart In th the days daya that are flown No love tove like Ilk mother love tov ever ha has hone shone No other worship abides abide and en endure en en- dure Faithful unselfish and patient Ilk like yours youra None like a mother can ean charm awa away pain From Frol Froni th the sick soul and md th the world wear weary brain Slumber Slumbers soft calm oer o'er m my heavy bavy lids lid creep- creep Rock nock m me to sleep mother rock mother rock m me meto meto to I Come let your brown hair hair- lust jut uit lighted with gold oM Pall Fat on your our shoulders shoulder again a I as of ot old Let It drop over my mr forehead to tonight tonight to to- night Shading my mT faint taint eyes yea away from th the light For with It Its sunny edged shadows one once more snore Imply will throng the sweet visIons vision of ot yore ore Lovingly BOru softly It it bright billow billows sweep sweep- weep Rock nock me m. to sleep mother mother rock rock k m m. m to Mother dear mother th the years year ear have hav been long lone longSine Sine Since I Z last hushed bushed to your lullaby tong song Sing Sine then and ard unto my mT soul It shall hall p teem seem Womanhood Womanhood's year arl have hav been only a adream dream Clasped ped to your our heart beart In a loving Iovine embrace With your our light lathe luhe just sweeping sweep sweep- ing Ine my taco race sever Never hereafter to wake wak or to weep weep weep- Rock nock m us JU to sleep alep mother rock Iother rock m me meto to sleep eec The Tha author of ot Rock Hock Me to Sleep Mother was Elizabeth Akers Akere Allen who was born In the town of Strong Stron Maine In 1032 1932 Her lIer mother another diet died while the she was still a child and her ber father took her ber to live In the town of There at the ag ao age of twelve twel she began writing verses verges the first of which appeared In to a aNew aNew aNew New Hampshire newspaper under her pen name of Florence Percy In 1817 1547 she began contributing poems to a Vermont newspaper ne and eight ela years rear later the she became assistant assist ant t editor of the Portland Maine Transcript Her lIer first drat volume of poems I Forest St ol Buds nuda From the Woods of ot Maine was brought out In la 1850 ISSO and the success of this book enabled enable her ber to go abroad three years eara later While In Home tome Ital Italy she wrote Hock Kock Me to Sleep Mother and sent lent It U to the Philadelphia Post In which It was published In It Immediately became popular was widely reprinted anI and set let to music by several leeral different persons persona al t though hough the author remained comparatively com p unknown In 1860 1800 she abe was married to Paul A krs a well known sculptor and a n native naU of Portland Maine In attle a li little over n a year after their marriage mar n Akers died as did their daughter daugh daugh- t ter er Gertrude and the time bereaved wife a and nd mother returned to Portland to t take ake up her her- work on the Transcript a again gain In she was appointed t to o a post In the War Var department in W Washington ashington She lived Ih-ed In the capital d during the stirring years cars of the Civil w war ar and was one of the throng of or h stricken horror spectators who wit n essed the assassination of President l d dent ent Lincoln In Fords Ford's theater In 1800 her second book Poems b by y Elizabeth Akers Florence P PS Perc Percy ercy Including Rock Hock Me lUe to Sleep S leep Mother Iother appeared In that y year ear also she was married again to E E. it M. M Allen and soon afterwards a accompanied her husband to m mond monda ond Va Vs to live It was during duringer h her er residence resilience in that city that tint the e extraordinary discussion arose concerning con conS c the authorship of her ber poem Rock nock Me Ie to Sleep Mother says sas the C of ot American Literature w which continues It was claimed by no less than fi five ve aspirants U W the honor bonor of Its c composition Mrs Allen took no p pains ains to vindicate her claim until i In n 1868 A A. M. M W. W Ball Dall of Elizabeth N N. N J J. ventured to print a pamphlet containing c Its affidavits of a number of I TilE THE MADONNA OF THE TRAIL One of the heroic statues designed by A. A Leimbach which was erected I by the Daughters of the American I Revolution in 12 states to mark the National Old Trails Trail Road I his bis friends who thought they remembered re reo that he lie had bad written something something something some some- thing of the kind ten or twelve years ears before Then tie the real author was compelled to deny that sh she lad had stol stolen n her lIer- own poem and the controversy controversy con con- was conclusively settled In her favor by an elaborate review v of ot the whole case taking up a full page of the New York Times rImes a e Amon Among the better known mother moth er poems poems' by modern writers should be Included this one by Theodosia Garrison 1 I think th the gentle soul of ot her Goes gladly In some lorn orne pleasant place With the old smile time ma may not blur Upon her ber face tac She who was wu lover of ot th