The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1843-11-02

uOOr, ana lney tahe thelr ihoihlnS INV '"'0
the delightful rural districts of Brooklne
and Dorchester, with obsequious servants,
obedient TO every desire. There are chill
dren in this family; and in the bright and
sunny mornings of summer careful ser;
want draws them in their little carriage,
rocking upon steel springs, along the gray
elled walks of Boston Common, under the
shade of the over-drched elms. The owner
Of this magnificent establishment, and the
father of this family, has property invest
ed in all valuable stocks, and his ships are
exploring every sea. The nett annual prof
its of his business are, perhaps, fifty or SIX
ty thousand dollars. "Surely," says the
reader, "this must be happy family. Here
are all The ingredients of earthly JOY" Such
| a family mag be happy, but such e.rtermdtS
do not make it so. We had almost said,
they have no tendency TO constitute happi-
ness.
Let US suppose that the passions of the
members of this family are uncuIuvated and
unsubdued. The father comes TO his home
in the evening, irritated by the petty annoy
lances of business. Always accustomed TO
domineer, he is the tyrant in his family;
and when thwared in any Of his plans, the
ebulilions OF his rage cast their gloom
around his freside. In his !retGul humors
he stalks through his parors like chaied
hyena, and neither wife nor child can win
from him kind word. His children, ac-
customed to these outbreaks Of peulance
and rage on the part OF their father, have
lost all respect and affection for him. They
! regard him with no reverence - they greet
! him with no kind attentions. Their only
object is to teaze from him as much money
as they can, to squander in extravagance.-
Brought up under such influences, they are
heartless, empty-minded grls-mere fancy
articles; and are strangers to any joy but
that Of ourshning their rivals in the pomp
and pride of life. They hardly know the
meaning of the word happiness.
"Farher," says one 10 another, "has come
home tonight as cross as he can be. do
wish he would 60 to England again, and
stay there. There is no living in the same
house with him."
The mother is, perhaps, vain and weak
minded woman. Her husband has SO often
detected her in petty acts of deceit, 10 ac-
complish her wishes, that he treats her with
the most contemptuous neglect. She is ac-
customed to be trampled upon at home, and
| tho she dresses her countenance in smiles
when her fashionable friends call, she pass
es many hours in mopng melancholy.
Now and them the thoughts of death will
force themselves - unwecome intruders-
10 the minds of the members OF this family.
They ride TO Mount Auburn, and there is
the embellished tomb, where moulder the
remains of one who few days before met
them in the gay assembly, where "music's
volupuous swell" dispels for a time all
thoughts of death and judgment. An &C
quaintance dies, and cold courtesy compels
them TO attend the funeral. And there, in
the darkened chamber, and by the shrouded
body Of The Dead they can not repel the
terrible reflection, that they too must die.
The gloomy thought sends faintness to the
heart, and paleness TO the cheek. They are
living in the world without God. They are
rejecting the Savior, And death, the terri
bic foe to the unprepared soul, IS coming
with giant strides upon them. Thus are
they truly joyless. All this external show
Of wealth and splendor, is but as the garn-
ishng Of the sepulchre. Ii but wells the
desolaion Of the empty heart. We often
read Of misery in rags. There is also mis-
cry clothed in purple and fac linen.
From this sense Of outward luxury and
splendor, but Of real wretchedness, let US
visit this log house, in one of the valles
encircled by the White Mountains. The
Saco river, there little streamlet, ripples
over its pebbly bed few rods 10 front of
the dwelling. The humble edifee is built
Of unhewn logs, and contains but one room.
The rough pine boards, nailed together, con.
stitute the only door; and wooden latch,
opened by leathern string passing thro'
a gimlel hole, is the only fastening. A hole
cut through two of the logs is fitted with a
rough sliding sash, containing few panes
of glass, as the only window. The fire
place is rudely fashioned OF stone in one
corner of the room, and large, fiat slate
stone makes a smooth and pleasant hearth.
Two pieces Of granite are used for and
irons; and the bright flashes Of the immense
wood fire blazing on the hearth n cool
October evening, illuminate the whole apart
ment. The floor is composed of implanted