Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-03-19
MISCELLANEOUS.
[From the Philadelphia Inquirer.1
Deal gently with the erring.'
THE MOTHER AND SONS.

H
Ie know not OF the power
With which the dark temptation came,
In some ungrateful hour.
Ye may know not how earnestly
They struggled, or how well,
Until the hour Of darkness came,
And sadly thus they FELL
lr affords us no little pleasure to notice
cases in which the erring have been won by
kindness and benevolence, from the paths Of
impropriety and sin. Such examples are not
only cheering in the particular cases, but they
are well calculated to stimulate and cncour-
age philanthropy,-to induce others TO make
like efforts for the rescue and reform Of the
misguided,-and thus to assist In the resto-
ration of the unfortunate and the wreiched,
who otherwise would be utterly abandoned
and hopelpssly lost. How few of us, when
passing Judgment even upon the vicious, turn
for a moment to the contemplation of their
early lives, the evils and temptations by
which they were surrounded, or ask what in
all probability would have been our own con-
duct under like circumstances How few
make the necessary allowances for bad exam
pie, ignorance and poverty We hear that
an individual has been arrested for theft, Tor
fraud, for ~misdemednor, or some similar vlo-
lation of law, and our prejudices are at once
excited, and the feeling of mercy is scarcely
experienced for a moment. And yetthe mis-
cradle offender may be, to a certain extent,
the victim of circumstances-an evil-doer,
not from natural inclination to vice, but thro'
bad associations, incorporate parents, vicious
guardians and guides. At all events, when
! the offence is found to be a first one, and
when youth and hope are still on the side of
the erring, a chance, an opportunity, should
be afforded, kind words should be uttered,
encouragement for better things should be
mingled with gentle admonition, and thus in
many cases highly gratifying, heart-cheering
results would ensue. We may give an IL
l~ustration from real life:
Not many years ago, an aged female, mis-
erably clad, presented herself at the house of
a professional gentleman, one of the most
distinguished of our citizens. She had with
her a basket Of tapes, thread, and other trihes
of the kind. She asked for the gentleman of
the house, and on being told that he was abb
sent, inquired for the lady. The latter, on
making her appearance, was touched by the
miserable aspect of the poor woman; and
promptly purchased a few of the articles in
her basket. The stranger then begged at
%tention for a moment to a tale of sorrow.-
She said she had not tasted food since the
morning Of the preceding day and worse,
she had a helpless son at home, who had
been without sustenance of any kind still
longer. But she had come, not so much TO
ask for bread, as to implore mercy. She had
, another, an erring, but beloved sen in prison,
and she desired the husband of the lady TO
exert himself TO procure his discharge. She
was told that the gentleman would be at
home at a particular hour, when, if so dispo"
sed, she might call and feel certain of seeing
him. She bowed her thanks, promised TO
return, and did SO accordingly at the time
designated.
"Well, my good woman" said the gentle
man, I" have heard of your former visit
"What do you want me 10 do for you 7"
"Oh! sir, came to suPplicate mercy for
my son, who is in prison."
"What is his name ?"
He shook his head, and said that the
young man was in for a very grave charge,
and named the offence.
sob, sir, he is not the one. You have
COMPOUNDED him with another-anoihe son >
and her voice trembled with the admis
o sion.
"What-have you two SO sadly circum
IS stanced !"
She burst into tears, and exclaimed, SO
# naVe--aIdS i nave
"And which do you wish discharged !"
TX sit is a hard thing for a mother to seleC
between two children. But Charles, sir,
far less guilty than his brother. He has
late years been my only stay and not min
alone, but that of his wretched and invali
brother, whom the ravages of disease hav
rendered little better than an idiot. Charle
ar has sustained us both, and I firmly belle,
that his strong desire to procure sustenanC
re for an aged mother and a feeble brother, i
duced him TO commit the theft for which
e. is now in prison."
"You seem" remarked the gentleman, n
III always to have been in the situation in Ii
in which you are now placed"
mo- 81 once was prosperous, once was happ
But for many years | have drained the CT
Of sorrow to its very dregs.
81 received a tolerable education, and pc
sessed a small property. In an evil hour
married the object of my affections. | S
an evil hour for, alas my husband becar
dissipated and squandered the means tina
brought him, and left me 10 struggle wi
poverty, as best | could, while he pursu
his dissolute and vicious courses. His {
ample has been the ruin Of his children. /
ward followed the footsteps of his profigi
father, rather than tie ~counsels of his inf
tunate mother, and strayed far, tar from
path Of rectitude and honor. Charles was
gentle, amiable disposition but posses;
less intellect than his bold and despeT
brother; while Nicholas has been rende
by disease an helpless object OF pity, and
capable of taking care Of himsclf. Su
..u good sir, is the sad story Of ramily. ST
is a brief picture of my position and mist
tunes. And therefore ii is, that ] impl
your clemency and assistance in behalf Of
misguided child. | believe that he is
naturally vicious, know that he has alw.
treated his mother with affection, and
years has generously shared his scanty
lance with her. l do not mean. sir, to atter
any justification of his conduct, in the n
ter for which he has been arrested. Blu
surely admits of some pallialion, when
the facts are taken into view. l hope,
len that you, animated by som consideration
the MISGUIDED and the needy, will req