Page 1 Advertisements Column 6

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2005, 14 February 1907, Page 1

ONLY “MOTHER’S TEARS!” (By Toliunga, in N.Z. Horiild.) Only “mother’s tears!” That was the curt roason tho electric spark tapped out! when tho Board of Education’s agent sent to say why a now teacher was not coming to Auckland. And tho London telegrapher took no notice of it, for it moant nothing to him, hut the man at Newfoundland mentioned it to his mate with a smile and a chuckle ; and the smile and tho chuckle grow and grow as tho message spoil. It spoke to exiles on tho groat snow wastes of the North-West, and clicked out its meaning to men at Vancouver, whose eyes look longingly eastward. At Fanning Island they did not chuckle but roared—as men usually, do when they want to shed a t'ear themselves. And in Auckland when wo read it we all chuckled again. Yet there was no malice in our mirth, for to those who have caused tho flowing of them there is nothing more sacred than a mother’s tears, and have wo not all a kindly feeling for one who stayed them? It is easy for us to talk of emigration” who come of tho emigrating stocks, and pleasant to boast of the wide lands that have been entered and held by those who put homo behind them. But for those who stayed behind, it is not so easy and never will be easy as long as tho motherlovo is the strongest instinct in life. For still tho oceans seem a trackless abvss to the great bulk of the old folk, and still to send a son to the furthermost side of the world is like burying him in a grave. Thousands and tens of thousands have done it; with brave face and aching heart; thousands and tens of thousands must do it again, for that is the way of the world and the duty of women. Yet can we wonder that the colonial life grows great and strong and free, when wo know that its roots have been watered ever ever with the tears of mothers? “Mother’s tears!” It is surely one of the tragedies of Life that great movements cannot bo without them, that the new lands cannot grow, the old lands cannot prosper, unless women weary and weep. For this sorrow of parting, woman has loved and wedded, has travelled and toiled, has given herself to nourish and to nurse, has striven through strenuous days mil watched through wearv nights For this, sho has guided the steps of her tottering baby and listened to the leaping footfalls of her growing boy. For this, she has taught him to be brave and gentle, courteous and kinillv, strong in sport, courteous at school. And the end is that while she is still keen to feel he leaves her and goes to begin in a new land a iifo in which she seems to have no part. Of course, sho has a part if she only know, hut she doesn’t know. For he is not there to comfort her in her old age and to close her eyes when she sinks into the last sleep. He becomes a more memory, he is as one already dead; and who shall wonder that she mourns him with all her heart. Yet, wise or unwise, it is hard. A young man looks out across the world and sees visions of far lands and wide opportunities, thinks of what he may he and do in the countries where young men have a chance. And the girl eggs him on, for sho, also, feels cramped and crowded anil, if she has sense, knows that it is better for her that he should bo where the ladders are not so full of climbers. But the old mother looks on, feeling discarded. Her work is done, her son is grown —and this is tho end. What mother has not felt this when the northeaster blows over Britain, for that is the wind that makes women weep as tho westerlies dry their tears and bring the wanderers Home. And can we say more for tho mother-lovo than that it so usually makes the great sacrifice and, for his own good, sends the loved one oversea? Hail it not boon so, there had been few colonies, for how many men can resist any woman’s tears, least of all a mother’s? And, speaking of this, it is interesting to note what an enormous prooorion of tlioso who leave England for the colonies have stepparents. While both parents live there is a greater reluctance to break up the old home than when it has been reconstructed. Step mothers have been much maligned and stepfathers are much better than somo would have us believe, but they do not strengthen home-ties to the earlier nestlings. How much the colonies owe to second marriages may never bo exactly estimated, but that they do owe a considerable part of their population is very certain. Then there are mothers and mothers for some have become strong to the thought of parting, though to others sending away of children is like ying them in a grave. . Lobsters not become altogether inured to ling alive, probably, but if they e any means of passing the news ig tliev must have learned by now t it doesn’t last long, anil that it not enough to live miserably over 'Way. And so, with the families 1 in tho districts where mothers •e learned to submit to the fate t drives sons from home and sends ighters into strange countries it ’t so bad. They become accusled to the idea, and dream dreams great careers for their boys m eign parts and of tho homc-com-of bearded men with boxfuls of isents, and of matronly daughters h armfuls of babies. But even to >se mothers the tears come at partas they do to sailors’ wives and cliers’ sweethearts, Besides, in these colonies of ours don’t really know tho home-feol- ; as it is known to thousands and ilions in the Old Land. Wo are ly lodgers, only sojourners and yfarers in tho land, only globeitters who have settled clown here a generation or two and may ,ve on somewhere else if it doesn’t t us. Everybody in tho world is y a lodger, of course, everybody is wayfarer, everybody is _ a globeittor, but, somehow, _ tilings are ferent when you live in wliat you ow to bo a new country and when it live in a place where your people vo lived from prehistoric times, is a subtle difference, but it is >no may be grateful to_ a new ntry. may literally love it, may pt it with all one’s heart and ro you have it. The woman who adopted a child may say that she i s towards it as though it were own, but mothers chuckle in ir sleeve at the pretension. To adoptive mother a child may ml aching void, may soothe a tored heart, may cajole away the iliuess of living—hut it isn t one! cr can lie bone of her bone and h of her flesh. And so with the ,• countries; we may love them, •k for them, toil for them, die for m . but they are not just the same the place where we were born. I„r colonial mothers live amid „„ e and arc of the makers oi nge. Often they think nothing the distance between Auckland l Otago,look upon Loudon as quite ;e. upon Australia and America as r>d the corner. So that when ir boys go away they are not ,llowed up in the Unknown. But an English mother, living in some Band town, where for generations rv relative has lived and died: /sees in the neighboring churchd the gravestones of her ancestors 1 to whom twenty miles is as a rnev through space, k may bo V different. When sho thinks of ,ou leaving her for the other side the globe, we know it. is not ange that he cannot resist his ther’s tears.

Van Dyko: “As the boat left the dock I waved my handkerchief, and then a most curious thing happened.” Forney: “What was it? van Dvke: “The ocean waved back.” WEAK BACKS. The weak spot in many men and women is the back. It, gives out before the other part of the body. 1c gets tired and aches terribly after a day’s work or night’s pleasure. A tired, weak back, pulls a person right down and renders life miserable. The kidneys are often supposed to be the cause, but usually the muscles and tendons in the back have been strained. Dr. Sheldon’s jMagnetio Liniment is the proper and only permanent remedy. Rub it into t-lie pores of the back, and a feeling of renewed strength and vigor joll come immediately, and a few such treatments will f. - you up all right. Dr. Sheldon’s K -gnctic. Liniment takes out soreness and inflammation. It invigorates and- freshens all the muscular tissues. It contains ingredients that vou never used before. For sale by A'._ W, J. Mann. Agent, Chemist.