viewing in _Mary Ashton_ the image of their loved ones now laboring in
the vineyard of the Lord, or transferred to his more blessed service in
the skies. But few such, alas! are to be found among even the baptized
children of the Church; those on whom the dew and rain gently distilled
in the privacy of home and from the public sanctuary bring forth the
delightsome plant. God grant that such fruits may be more abundant!

* * * * *


Original.

RECOLLECTIONS ILLUSTRATIVE OF MATERNAL INFLUENCE.


In thinking over the scenes of my childhood the other day, I was led to
trace the path of some of my youthful companions into life; and I could
not but be struck with the fact, that in almost every instance, both the
character and the condition were referable, in a great measure, to the
influence of the mother. Some of them were blessed with good mothers,
and some were cursed with bad ones; and though the conviction is not in
all the cases marked with equal distinctness, yet in several of them,
the very image and superscription of the mother remains upon the child
to this day. I sometimes visit the place which was the scene of my early
training, and inquire for those who were the playmates of my childhood,
and I receive answers to some of my inquiries that well nigh make me
shudder; but when I think of the early domestic influence, especially
the maternal influence, to which some of them were subjected, there is
nothing in the account that I hear concerning them, but what is easily
explained. For the cause of their present degradation and ruin, I have