Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1851-05-23
Iah1s neaartHIrnt.
Appeal TO the Ladies' Of America.
BY REV. A. 1. sroEE.-TcoNr1NUEp.1
THE DAUGHTER

u hkf. A. l. sfoNE|lcoNTINUED.
THE DAUGHTER.
Look again-here is another sad one from
the band Of maidens. He whom she calls
BY the honored name of Father, is no longer
Q to be reverenced. She cannot 90 and
offer q daughters caresses to one reekinr
with the fumes Of the revel. In the street
cries Of dersion and insult follow him, every
q (which is a dagger to her heart. And
she bears his name-she is his child-she
must blush for him and wear his shame, and
walk IN the shadow Of his degradation-and
look upon him fallen and loathsome as he is.
a her father still. She has none to show
her q fathers love-none to enrich her with
atathers blessing-none to breath for her a
fathers prayer. How such a grief must
drink up the spirit I! lift do not quite kill.
IT must darken all the coloring of life. An
other footprint of the curse /:
THE SISTER.
And here Is one with a sisters faith, who
knows what It is to hoard a brothers name
and fame. She sees him starting in the race
with eye and lofty aim and generous resolves,
and her ardent soul well nigh lends him
wings. All, what joy it shall be to her to
see him win and wear the wreath Of honor
what elinging pride shall be hers in his
success On the altar of his advancement
she would think it a small thing to sacrifice
herA In his need she would give up peace
and hope and well nigh life and honor to
save OF bless him. 1t IS a deep well of truth
and selfdevotion, a sisters heart. But in
that hrothori1 18Th ~ $500. eel. 49,.
are spread. The glow of the wine-cup out,
shines the lustre Of the bright distant goal he
painted for. The eagle eye is soon dimmed
the nerve Of endeavoris pabied-the ardol
0 pursuit-the dream Of fame-the hope
and the purpose of eminent usefulness-thar
scheme Of a life the world should feel, are al
quenched in the fiery draught. Droops witt
thatnobler Life the sisters ardent soul. How
canshe bear the contrast between the dream
andth Inc reality! How can she look upol
him her trust and hope had mantled witt
such heroic garniture, a poor slave ofsense-
sunk to a level with the brute She canno
lean upon his arm-she cannot hold him t,
her heaTt-she cannot point him out witt
pride amid the strong-@he can only wee
over him and pray. There is bitterness il
such tears-agony in such prayers.
THE WIFE.
Come now with me and look p 0 a We
sadder scene. Family glow the dying en-
bep upon the hearth Of a ruined cottage. ]
Is cold winter night and the pitilcss bla:
shakes the rafting easement and drives i
through many a creyice the falling snow. !
feeble light struggles against the gloom {
the apartment. BY a dim light plying tn
busy needle upon a tattered garment sits
woman shiyering in the bitter frost. He
face IS pale and thin. In her look and a
ttude there Is no hope. Often she sighes a
the sharp pangs Of a breaking heart rend he
bosom. The moan of hungry children
moaning in sleep, comes to her ear, and tn
scalding tears overflow. She thinks of th
time when she was q light-hearted girl
when ehe stood up ajoyous bride, and hear,
the promise spoken, to lore, cherish and pre-
tect ill death should dissolve the tie-wber
in their bright sky, the first glass, the littl
cloud Ike a mans hand, gave token of tn
rising stom-when the first unkind wor'
vas spoken, the 6rst pressure of want fell
the fnst shock Of a drunken husband reelini
across the threshold smote her heart. Sa
musings are thine, lovely wife, as thou plies
sta the needle by the dim light in the des
olate room, the winter without and within
and yet again within. But she pauses i
her work. A foot is on the step-a han
pushes the door open. Oh, how unlike, til
faees the form, the step, the voice, the saluts
krnm - tIrr- IL. ~ --ng A.
she b chained to this @body Of death" II
has q right to call her wife. He may al
proach her and she cannot hy. He ma
silence the moaning children with blows an
curses and she can only interpose her fra
fom. And there is no release for her i
death come. More than widowed, with S
Getty TO which dreariest solitude were par
dise-hOnse, that dearest word Of earth's di
lect to her another name for all wretchedne:
and no appeal save to the Chancery of Hea
eu, no rest save in the grave.
THE MOTHER.
Look once more into a mothers heart.
Her once proud boy is a slave to strol
drink How had she dreamed dreams oy
his cradle4lumbesl How had she seen
radiant future mirror in his bright YOU
eye. What comfort should it be to her O
heart to look out from the retreat Of age u
On his high andhonorable path. What
SIC 10 her ear to hear the worlds voices spe
King his name with honest praises. What
welcome should she keep for him comil
from bis elevated sphere Of duty to sit wi
his hcnos ike a child at his mothers fe
DEFENDING into the vale, how should she lie
upon his heart, his arm, for strength Al
cheer. He lives, but nothing Of all this
ever to be. He IS yet in his earliest ma