Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1854-04-04

hemmed in by blackened s,rscts; 81 IL
was q precious place to him. The hands.
Of bis wife were hardened by toll. spi
she was oil before her time; bu. shs
was dear to him. His children, s,untod
Id their growth, bore traces Of unwhole.
some nurture, but they had beauty iahis
sight. Above all o,hfr things, IL was
an earnest desire Of this mans soul
that his chilIfon SHOULD be taught. III
am sometimes missed" said he, "for
want Of knowledge, st lcas, let them
knoM better. anil avoil my mistakes. II
il is harl for me TO reap the harvest Of
pleasures and instruction that is stored
in books, let it be easier 10 lhem."
Bui, the BIgwig family broke out into
violen. family quarrcls concerning what
il was lawful to teach to this mans
children. Some Of the family insisted
on sucl, thing being primary and indis.
pensibls above all other things; AMI
others Of the family insisted on such an.
oihef thing boing primary and indispen.
sihls sD6ye all ether things; and tho
Biswis family rent into factions. wrote
pamphlets, held oonvocations, deliver.
ed chorges, orations, and all varieties
of discourse: iMpou ldel one another in
courts Lay and courts Ecclesiastical,
threw dirt, exchanged pummelings, AMI
fell together by the ears in unintelli.
sible animpaily. Meanwhile, this man
in hisshoft evening snatches at his fire.
side, saw the demon Ignorance rise
there, and take his children TO itself.--
He saw his daughter perverted into a
heavy slatternly drudge; he saw his son
60 Jnoping down the ways Of low sensu.
alily, to brutality and crime; he saw tho
dawning light oil intelligence in the eyes
Of his babes so changing into cunning
and suspicion that he could rather have
wished them idiots.
81 don't understand this any be;ter,"
said he; "but think it cannot be right.
Nay, by the cloudsd Heaven above me.
protest against this as my wrong!"
Becoming peacable again. (fer his
passion was usually short lived, and his
nature kind,) he looked about him on
his Sunday holidays, and he saw how
much monoty and WEAKNESS there was,
and thence how drunkenness arese with
all its train ofruin. Then he appealed
to the Bigwis family. and said "We are
a lahorins people. ard'l have glim.
mering suspicion in me that laboring
people Of whatever condition, we're
mad,-by higher intelligence than
yours, as poorly under stand ito be
in neeI Of mental refreshment and rec.
rea,ion. See what we fall into, whea
we rest without it. Come! amuse me
harmlessly, show me something, give
me an escaped"
But, he.e the Bigwig family fell into
a state Of uproar absolute deafening.-
When some few voices were family heard
proposing to show him the wonders Of
, !, the world, the greatness Of creation, tao
mighty changes Of time, tho workings Of
: nature and the beauties Of art-to show
him these things, that is to say, at any
Period of his life when he could look
upon them-there arose among the Big.
wigs such roaring and raving, such pull.
piting and petitioning, such maundering
5 and memoralizing, such name.calling
}, and dirt.throwing, such shrill wind oI
u parliamentary questioning and feeble
: replying-whcre 81 dare not" waited on
a 81 would"-that the poor fellow stood
: ashast, staring wildly around.
q Have provoked all th,s?" said he
Il with his hands TO his affrighted ears, "b,
what was meant to be aa innocent 70
j. quest, plainly arising out Of my iamilia
c experience, and the common knowledg'
e Of all men who choose to open their eyes
n | don't understand, and am not under
! stood. Wha, is 10 come Of such stat
}, Of ,hings?" II
III He was benling over his work, ofteI
s. asking himself tho question, when tn
D. news began to spread that pestilenc
se had appeared among the laborers. ant
lie was staying them by thousands. Coin
IN forth to look abou, him, he soon foun
Id this to be true. The,dying and the dea'
;, were mingled in the close and tainto
~ houses, among which his life was passee
~ New poison was distilled into the al
m ways sickening air. The robust and tn
ID weak, old age and infancy, the faiths
" and the mother, all were stricken dow
On alike.
as What means of flight had he?, H
ne remained where he was, and saw tho:
'ig who were dearest to him die. A kin
~ preacher came to him, and would has
~ said some prayers to soften his heart |
,ce his gloom, but he replied: '
n 20 what avails.it missionary, to con
'es to ME, man condemned 10 rssiden,
nd in this ferid place, where every SEN
becomes torment, and where eve
;;e' minute Of my numbered days is ne
y; mire added to the heap under which
lie oppressed! But, give me my Fl
glimpse Of Heaven, through a li,tls OIL
NJ. light and air; give me pure water; he
ia me TO be clean; Tighten this heavy /
ne mosphere and heavy life in which .
spirits sink, AM. we become the indi6l
10 ent and calIous creatures you TOO of
see US; gently, aud kindly take ths 30
m les Of those who die among us out Of i
49, small room, where We grow to be 50
,,us miliar with the awful chsnge that ev
its sanc,ity is lost 10 US; and, Teach
IN then will hear-.none know better th
nat you. how willingly--of Him VII,
'en, thoughts wefo 30 much with the Pc