Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-10-09
..Do YOU want ANYTHING elsel" she asked

IAN dress myself now"
This first little effort was crowned with
Inc most encouraging results to the mother;
she felt a deep peace settling in her bosom,
the consciousness of having gained a true VIC
over the p%erverse tendencies of both her
and the heart of her boy. 1t was a lit
tie act. but it was the first fruits, and the gath
erinp even Of so small a harvest, was sweet
to her spirit.
AT the breakfast table the usual scene was
about being enacted, when "speak gently"
coming into her mind, prevented its occur
renee. 1t seemed almost a mystery to her
the effect of words gently spoken on one who
had scarcely needed her most positive and
anrrily uttered reproofs and injunc,ions.
Although Harry was not as orderly in his
behavior at the table as his mother could have
wished, yet he did much better than usual,
and seemed really to desire 10 do what was
RIGHT. For nearly the whole of that day, Mrs.
Burton was able to control herself and speak
pently to her boy, but towards evening, she
became fretful again, from some cause or 9TH
er. From the instant this change made IL
self apparent, she lost the sweet influence she
had been able to exercise over the mind Of
her child. He no longer needed her words,
and she could no longer feel calm in spirit
Wiltu lb -" Itl blot dlu ' ltllitISs
When night closed in, the aspect of affairs
was but little different from that of any pre-
ceding day.
Heavy was the heart Of Mrs. Burton when
she sought her pillow, and the incidents and
the feelings Of the day came up in review be-
fore her mind. In the morning, her heart
was calm and her perceptions clear; she saw
her duty plainly, and felt willing TO walk in
its pleasant paths. In treading these she had
| experienced an internal delight unknown be-
| fore but ere the day had passed, old habits,
| strong from indulgence, returned, and former
effects followed as a natural consequence.
As she lay for more than an hour, %resolv-
ing, and re-resolving to do better, the face of
| Harry often came up before her. Particular
" did she remember its peculiar expression
when she spoke kindly, instead of harshly
reproving him for acts of rudeness or disobe-
| dience. At times she was conscious of pos
! sessing a real power over him; this she never
| felt in any of her angry efforts to subdue his
stubborn will.
On awaking in the morning, her mind was
renewed all passion had sunk into quies-
cence; she could see her duty and feel will
ing to perform it. Harry, too, awoke as usu-
al, and that was in a %fretful, c%aptious mood /;
butthis ippling of the surface of his feelings
all subsidized when the voice of his mother, in
words gently spoken, fell soothingly upon his
ear. He even went so far az to put his arms
around her neck and kiss her, saying, as he
did so, : Indeed, mamma, | will be a good
boy"
For the first time in many months, the
breakfast table was pleasant to all. Harry
never once interrupted the conversation tina.
passed at intervals between his father and
mother. When he asked for any thing, i
was in a way pleasing to all. Once or twice
Mrs. Burton found it necessary to correc
some little fault in manner, but the way il
which she did it, did moi in the least disturb
her child's temper, and instead of not seem
ing to hear her words, as had almost Away
been the case, he regarded all that she said
and tried to do as she wished.
''There is a wonderful power in gentl,
words,'' remarked Mr.. Burton to his wife
after Harry had left the table.
Eyes, wonderful indeed their effect sur
prises me-"
''Love is strong"
$50 it seems-stronger than any other in
nuence that we can bring to bear upon a hu
man being"
"Whether that being be a child or a full
grown man."
"True, without doubt; but how hard
thing it is for us TO control ourselves that TIT
sphere of all our actions shall be full Of love
All me! the love theory is a beautiful one
hut who of US can always practice it! Fo
me, | confess that | cannot"
''Not for the sake of your children? !"
''For their sakes | would make almost an
fort; ] would devote my life to their good
AL ~. Tho parcact oontrol ,f ~, ~ ,,,nr,l low,
per, even with all the inducements my low
Tor them brings, seems impossible"
Il think you have done wonders already,
Mr.. Burton replied. ''If the first effort is S
successful, | am sure you need not despai
of making the perfect conquest you desire"
81 am glad you are sanguine; only wis
| were equally So"
sit might not be as well if you were. |
is almost always the case that we are mos
in danger OF falling when we think o~urselve
secure. Ia conscious weakness there is oite
real power"
'lf that consciousness gives power, the
am | strong enough" replied Mrs. Burton.
And she was stronger than she supposed
and strong because she felt herself weak
Had she been confident of strength she woul
not have been watchful over herself, but fea'
ing every moment, lest she should betra
her natural irascibility and fretfulness Of ten
per, she was all the time upon her guard
To her own astonishment and that of her hu;
band, she was able TO maintain the power sh
had gained over Harry, and to be calm eve
when he was disturbed.
But in all our states of moral advancemeI
there are days and nights as in our natur;
life. There are times when all the downwar
tendencies of our nature are active, and az
pear 10 govern us entirely; when our sun ha
gone down and all within us is dark. A
such times we are tempted to believe that
has become dark forever, that the sun will n
more appear in our horizon. This is onl
the night before the morning which will ce
tainly break and seem brighter, and full
strength to the anxious spirit.
Such changes, Mrs. Burton experience
and they were unerring signs in her progress!
Some times for days together she would nj
be able to control herself; against all the pc
verse tempers of her child, her feelings woul
react unduly. But these seasons were