The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1843-09-07

Rutland, Aug. %, l843.
LEIGH RICHMOND AT HOME.

The following beautiful sketch is from
the pen of his daughter;
1t was ever the first wish of my be.
loved father, that our home should be
happy; and he was never so well pleased
as when we were all sitting around him.
Both in our childhood and youth, every
innocent pleasure was resorled TO, and all
his varied altainments brought into exer-
else, 10 instruct and amuse US. He was
the sun of our little system, and from him
seemed to be derived The light and glow
of domestic happiness. Like the disciple,
whose loving split have often thought
my dear fathers resembIed. his motto
was, Little children, love one another
and he taught this more efectually bv
example than even by precept. Religion
was unfolded to US in its most attractive
form. We saw that it was happy thing
to be Christian. He was exempt from
gloom and melancholy, and entered with
life and cheerlulness into all our sports.
Bul we should not have been thus hap.
py in domestic affection, had not our be.
loved father so carefully trained US in the
religion Of Jesus Christ. This was his
chief concern, his hourly endeavor. He
did not talk much with us about religion,
but the books, studies, and even amuse-
ments, to which he directed us, showed
us that God was in all his thoughts, and
that his great aim was 10 prepare his
children for heaven. Religion was prac-
tically taught in all he said and did, and
recommended to us, in his lovely, domes-
tic character, more powerfully than 10 any
other way. He had thousand winning
ways to lead cur infant minds to God,
and explain to US the love of the Savior
TO little children. 1t was then our first
/ impressions were received, and though,
for time, they were obscured by youth
full vanities, they were never totally eras.
ed J he lived to see them in some instan-
ces, ripened into true conversion. 1t was
his custom, when we were very Young,
to pray with US when alone; he used to
take US by turns into his study; and men,
DRY still recalls the simple language and
effecting earnestness, with which he plead.
ed for the conversion of his child. used
to weep because he wept, though | under
stood and felt little of his meaning; but
saw it was all love, and thus my earliest
impression was associated with the idea
that it was religion which made him love
US so teuderly, and that prayer was an
expression Of that love. | vas led in
this way 10 pray for those who were kind
to me, as dear papa did.
Ia conversation he did not urge the sub
ject of religion directly on our attention,
or question US much as TO our personal
experience of it. He has sometimes re-
GREETED this, and called it his in6rmity
but think he adopted more successful
plan. He used 10 watch over US most
cautiously, and express his opinion in
writing; we constantly found letters in our
rooms, with directions to think and pray
over them. Reproof was always con-
veyed in this way; and he also took the
same method Of questioning US on exper-
imentsl religion, and of beseeching us 10
become more decided for God. Some
times he required an answer, but, gener.
ally, his own request was that we would
spread his letter before the Lord, and
think over it,
His reproofs were inexpressibIy tender. y
He was never angry with Us, but when
we displeased him, he showedit by such
q sad and mournful countcnance. that il