Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-05-23

of Jolly and Bci'egou.
y. $. The Council Of revision have
approved the Judgment.
Il Moral lNrLUENcE or THE WIFE ON TIM
II IlUsBAND.-Evcry wife has II IN her power
| to make her husband either better or worse
Il The result is accomplished not merely by
II giving advice and instruction alone. Both o
| these have their influences; and as means
of Improvement, should not be neglected.
II But il is by the general tone and tenor Of hcI
/ conversation, rs manfesting the temper and
| disposition of the heart, that she makes the
most abiding Impressions. These are modl.
tying his character daily and hourly, some.
times even when absent.
Il Il has been said that the wife Of Jonathan
Edwards, by enabling him TO put forth his
powers uneubarrassed, conferred a greater
benefit upon mankind, than all the female
public characters that ever lived or ever will
live. A similar remark might be applied t.
the mother OF every great and good man.
Woman's true grcatnes IS consists, so II seems
to me, in rendering others useful, rather than
in being directly useful herself. Or in Other
words, il is less her office to be seen anC
hho" w tiuh w inoHc SSS'
aud known, and their influence felt.
II might give numerous examples and H.
lustratlons OF the principle am endcavorlng
TO sustain, both IN this country and elsewhere
| | might speak Of The mother of Washington
of the mother of Dwight, franklin, Wilber.
/ force, Whtcficld and hundreds of others
for il wac by exercise of the duties not only
of the mother, but of the wife, that the illus.
t.,. ol. al
world but will confine myself to single
instance; AMI that ole in which the influence
upon the husband was direct.
/ The case to which refer is that of Si
James Mockintosli, whose fame as jurist, q
statesman, and a writer is well known, no
only in Europe and Am rica, but in India
and whose efforts in the cause of science
and humanity, have rarely been equalled.-
Few men have done more, through the pro
gress Of long life, than he I; and few have
at any rate, been more distinguished for cx-
tensive learning, large views, md liberal
! principles, in law, politics, and philosophy
but especially in his favortc department OF
the law. 1t was he Of whom Sir Walter
Scott said on n certain OCCASION, that he made
"the most brilliant speech ever made, at bar
or at forun." Yet this great man, if We may
believe his own story, owed no small share
of his greatness to the assistance and nIln-
ence Of his wife. Of this, the following ex
tract from letter Of his, to a friend describ
ing her character, after her decease, will be
most abundant proof The last clause in.
cludes, it will be seen, passing tribute to
another person-probably his mother, which
doubles the value of the extract I have
made, in exhibiting the influence of two fe-
males in the formation Of character, instead
Of but one.
ALLOW me, in Justice to her memory, to
tell what she was, aud what owed her.
was guided in my choice only by the blind
affection my youth. found an intelligent
companion, and tender friend, prudent
mistress, the most faithful Of wives and a
mother as tender as children ever had the
misfortune to lose. i met woman who by
the tender management OF my weaknesses,
gradually corrected the most perncious OF
them. She became prudent from affection
and though Of the most generous nature, she
was taught frugality aud economy by her
love for me.
"During the most critical period Of my
life, she preserved order in my affairs, from
the cares Of which she relieved me. She
gently reclaimed me from dissipation she
propped my weak and irrcsolute nature she
urged my Incidence to all the exertions that
have been useful or credilable to me, and
she was perpetually at hand to admonlsh my
heedlessDess and improvIdcnce. TO her !
owe whatever shall be. In her solicitude
for my interest, she never for a moment for.
got my feelings or my character. Even in
her occasional resentments, for which too
often gave her cause, (would to God ] could
recall those moments she had 10 sulleDness
or acrimony. Her feelings were warm and
impctuous, but she was placable, tender and
constant.
"Such was she whom have lost, and !
have lost her when her excellent natural
sense WIS rapidly improving. After eigh,
years of struggle and distress had bound Us
fast to each Other, when knowledge of hel
worth had refined my youthful love into
friendship before age deprived it of much o
its original ardor. | lost her alas, (the choice
of my youth and the partner of my misfor
tunes) at moment when had prospect o
her sharing my better days"
| Who-what wife, especially, can read
these paragraphs without feeling n desire
enkinded within her TO be distinguished in
the world, not so much in her own name as
by her influence on her husband and family
aud then on others? She then becomes not
so much the instrument Of human meioration
as the moving agent