The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1847-11-09

out, Deacon; and apply the correction; as yon
value the soul Of your child!'I
Deacon Smith bowed his head, and recei-
ed meekly, and withoutreply, this reproof OF
/ Mr. Canwell. He felt deeply humbled as
well as deeply grieyed. That he was to
blame, somehow or other, because his son
loved music, and had learned to play upon
the Jew's-harp, he sadly owned, but exactly
how he was to blame and how he could have
prevented the evil that had occurred, was not
so clear to his mind.
As for Abel, to the loss of his Jew's-harp
were added sundry experimental punish
ments, more or less severe; according as af-
feclion for the child, or stern sense of duty,
preponderated in the fathers mind, How
far these were designed, will appear from
the fact, that Abel bought from his friend
Thomas, within week, for gingerbread that
he denied himself lhs qualification of tasting,
another Jew's-harp. This he took good care
never 10 play within the hearing of any al
home. 1t sounded in distant fence corners,
in The old barn where the air was sweet with
newly gathered hay; and in the house of his
friend Thomas, into whose company he
would 60, spite of punshmcht---bu il was
never heard at hofne, where all was cold and
unmusical; and where laugh never echoed
along the ceilings with hear-warming cheer
fulness.
Here was the beginning of Abel's wander.
ing away from the right path. As lie grew
older, his passion for music increased. This
his parents attempted to guide, if they could
not restrain, having him instructed, as soon
as he was old enough TO learn, in psalmody.
But Abel had strange love for instrumen-
tai music, and ofeii showed more interest in
blowing the teachers pitch pipe, or ringing
his tuning fork, than in his sol ia MI.
AS school-boy, Abel was known as fa-
nous maker Of cornistalk fddles, 'locuss,"
&c, and generally had his pockets searched
at least once week at home, and almost
every day at school, for Jew's.harps, not a
small number of which, at one time and an:
other, suffered cunGscaton. But, the love
of music was part of his soul and could
not be exinguished. The sound ofa drum
and fife almost set him crazy, and the music
of a well-played violin touching him so deep
ly that his heart often answered TO il with
tears.
A, the age of eighteen, Abel Went into
store in the village, that lay a few m les from
the homestead, in order to Qualify himself lor
dang business. Freedom from the oppres-
sive restraints of home, he felt to be, indeed,
IL blessed freedom. About the first use he
made Of it, was to buy from an itinerant ven-
dor Of all sorts Of notions, All old violin that
he happened to have for sale, worth, really,
four times what was asked for IT, From the
time Absl came into possession this instru-
ment, for months, every moment of leisure
and retirement was spent in learning TO play
upon it.. This fact sonic friend conimunica.
ted to III, old Deacon, who brought all the
influence he possessed to bear upon his son.
hut without effect. The violin WIS too dear
ly priced 10 be given up.
This love of music and playing on The vio-
lin, were the means of introducing Abel into
new circle Of acquaintance. A few months
after he came to The village he met; tegillt-
ly, every week, halfa dozen young men who
were, like himself, learners some on the vi
olin, some ON the flute, and on other instru-
menls. From music to dancing, and going
to see shows where music, such as il was,
always formed an attraction, was an easy
Transition Abel added to his other vGes
that of tripping it on the the light fantastic
toe, which, when the fact became known TO
his f ther; caused him most bitter grief of
spirit. But all he could say Produced no ef-
feet upon Abel, who made the matter much
worse in the eyes of thu old Deacon by de-
claring that he saw no harm in dancing. If
he had owned to its being evil, and confes-
sed to the inotdinate carnal desire that led
him into sin, there would have been some
hope; but to "ses no harm in dancng"-
that made the perverson of his son almost
hopeless.
1t was a great scandal TO Deacon Smith,
this world dly-mindedness and sad declens'on
! He felt, daily, that his own standing was com
promised by the conduct Of his son; for peo
, pie would say, and he was very certain did
!, say, that there must have been some fault al
home, or Abel never would have wandered
SO soon from the straight and narrow path
What that fault was, he could not tell. Ht
was certain that he had tried faithfully to re-
strain the perverse tendencies Of his falleI
D nature, although he had tried in vain.
The attainment of his majority did no
e cause Abel to love the things of the churc
any more nor tho things of the world an
! less. He entered into all the social amuse
$ ments that came in his way, dancing, ant
i, even joining in game whist, if cards hap
Is pened TO be introduced. But in nothing d
' he take SO much delight as in his violin, il
performing upon which he attailed grea
a skill.
d When Abel was twenty-threc years of age
v he saw during one of his visits at home,
9 maiden who greatly pleased his fancy. II