Democratic banner., 1847-04-26
w 0 MAN.
Her Character, Sphere, Influence and con-
Seqncnt abilities and Education.

Look around upon men in all the circum-
stances aud relations of life, and see how
closely their standings comparc with the
close, mean, misery neighbor, who would
"Skin a flint" ten to one if his wife is not
smaller yet. See that spruce, industrious
young man, who, before marriage got along
well, and was accumulating some capital
to start with. He marries a wife more Law
ish than saving, and soon becomes moor,
and drags along through life like a sleigh
upon bare ground. He does his best, to no
tenect. All he can raise and scrape goes,
how and whence cannot be told.
But another young man, far less prosper
Gus before marriage, is far more SO after.
wards. He has asmart, Industrious, saving
wife, who is his ''better half" in the mat
ter Of property; and hence his success
See how correctly his standing compares
with the character of his wife.
Look again. That dashing husband and
father in his coach and four, was not a par
t;cularly ambitious young man. But he
married, Il spirited woman, who encouraged
him TO launch out and make a show, both
in business and cquipage. He did SO, and
the result is he handles a great deal of mo.
ney.
But lie has failed. His wife was the pri-
mary cause. He bought, at her instigation,
1T IN consequence of the spirit she through
him, more than he could pay for; and the
result is 4 failure.
How much the popularity or UNPOPULAR
.ty OF ministers depends on their wives, has
almost passed into 4 proverb. II Presbyte-
rlans ought to examine ministers to see
whether they are sound in doctrine, mucl
more their wives to see whether they are
fit to exert the right influence over their
husbands directly, and through them over
their parishes. And a close scrutiny will
disclose the remarkable result that nine outI
OF ten of the causes which result in the dis
mlssal of ministers, originated primarily in
their wives, either directly OF indirectly.-l
Literary men, who rise in their ~caIlineI
must have ''help meets" in those caIlinsS'
in the person of their wives. EachelorsI
occasionally become distinguished, thought
rarely-nevcr ought to-but only u few
ever rise above mediocrity' A man with
out a wife is only half made; and hence re-
quires a wife in harmony with his calling.
Of no class is this more true than of
leaders. Whoever would rise in the
temperance cause, or any other philanthro.
pic cause, must have a wife whose soul
beats in unison with his; who will cheer
him under diScouragemcnts, sustain lis,
spirits, excite his hopes, direct by
her counSels, and take hold with him of TIE
cause in hand. As well tie lead to the wings
of an eagle and expect him to soar, as ex-
pect a man, however splendid his natural
and acquired capabilities, to soar while an
opposing wife hangs like Il milestone around
his neck. But for his uncongenial wife,
who has opposed lis cause from first to last,
where would Sylvester Graham have now
been!2-or rather, where, if she had helped
forward his cause as eiTectuaIly as she has
hindcred it? honestly declare, that if my
wife were opposed to my science, and those
reform views it embodies, much as l love
them both, l might as well give up and die
voluntarily as by compulsion. The Coop
of wife is success and life to what