Litchfield enquirer., 1855-04-26

u GHf IEIDs CONNss rudely he had tossed it on his knee when il awoke him with it's crying at night. He remembered that the little one had been daily
 with him for now three years-and that mol a day had passed in which he had not spo- ken loudly, fercciy 10 inc child. Yes, he re membered the heavy blows he had given Il in bursts ofPassion-blows deeply regretted the instant after-yet repeated on the first temptation. He thought of it all; that his boy was but little child, and that he had spoken to it, and expected from it, as if il
 were grown. All his passionate, cruel words and blows rushed upon his memory; his rough replies to childish questions hispn- manly anger at childish offenses. He fho'l too, how the little boy had still followed him, because it's father was all on earth tc him; how the little thing had said, he "was sorry," and had offered kiss even afteI some bitter word or blow altogether unde- served. Leland remembered too, as the morning air blew aside his hair, how often he had shown the same miserable, nervous irrifabili.y to his dog. his horse, his serv- ants; even the branch of the tree that struck him as he walked-yea, ,even to his own wife He remembered how the same black, unhap- py feelings had crowded his brow, had burs, from his lips at every little domestic annoy ance that had happened. He could not but remember how it had on'y made matters worse-had made himself and his fami y wretched for the time. He felt how undig- nifed. how unmanly all this was. He pie tured himself before his own eyes as a peevish, irritable, unhappy man-so weak minded!
 He glanced at the house-he knew his wife was in it. engaged in her morning eu- ties; gentle, lady-like, loving him so dear ly. He glanced at his sobbing child, and saw how healthful and intelligent he was. He glanced over his garden, and orchard, and lawn, and saw how pleasant was his home. He thought of his circle of friends, his position in business, his own education and health. He saw how much he had to make him happy-and all jared and marred and cursed by his miserable fits of irritation ; tho fever, the plague increasing daily; be- coming his natnie, breathing the pestilent atmosphere of hell over himself and all con- nected with him.
 As he thus thc19ht, his little hoy again forgot himself, and strayed with needless feet toward his father. Leland dropped his hoe, reached toward his child. The little fellow threw up his hands, and writhed his body as if expecting blow.
 s' Willie" said the father, in a low, gem tie voice. Willie looked up with half fright. half amazement. " Willie, boy" said the father in new tone, which had never passed his lips before, and he felt the deep, calm po,rer of his own words, !" Willie, boy, don't walk on pa's plants. Go back, and stay there till pa is done."
 The child turned as by the irresistible power of the slow spoken, gentle words, and walked back and resumed his seat, evi. dently not intending to transgress again.
 As Leland stood with the words dying on his lips, and his hand extended, sudden and singular idea struck him. He felt that he had just said the most impressive and eloquent thing he had ever said in his life He felt that there was power in his tone and manner which he had never used before "a power which would affect judge or jury, as it had affected Willie, The curse cursed here, too! It was that nasty, ner- vous disposition, which gave manner and tone to his very public speaking--which made his arguments unconvincing, his pathos unaifecting. It was just that calm, deep. serene feeling and manner which was needed at the bar as well as with Willie.- Arguing with that feeling and manner, he felt, would convince inesistably. Pleading with that quiet, gentle spirit, he felt would melt, would affect the hearts as with the very emotion of tears.
 Unless you catch the idea, there is no de- scribing it, reader. Leland was Christian. All that day he thought upon the whole mat ter. That night in the privacy of his office he knelt and repeated the whole matter before God. For his boys sake, forshis wife's sake, for his own sake, for his use falness sake at the bar, he implored steady aid 10 overcome the deadly, besetting sim He plead that, indulging in that disposition. he was alternating from himself his boy and his wife-yea, that he was alternating his own better self from himself, for he was losing his own self respect. And here his voice sank from murmur into silence-he that he was thus alternating from his bosom and his side-God!
 Auu utu uS teIf1bIubefeu tHdt iust SuCu o daily disposition as he lacked was exactly that disposition which characterized God when God became man. The excellence of such disposition rose serenely before him. embodied in the person of Jesus Christ --,he young lawyer fell forward on his face and wept in the agony of his desire and his prayer.
 From that sweet spring morning was Arthur Leland another man--a wiser, abler, more successful man in every sense. Not all at oncc-steadiiy, undoubtedly advanc- ed the change. The wife saw and felt, and rrioiced in it. Willie felt it, and was res- trained by it in every drop of his merry blood; the household felt it as ship does an even wind-and sailed on over smooth seas constrained by it. You saw the change in the mans very gait and bearing and conversation. Judge and jury felt it. It was the ceasing of fever in the frame of a strong man-and Leland went about easily. naturally the strong man he was. The old, uneasy. self-harassing feeling was forgotten, and an ease and grace of tone and manner succeeded. h was higher development of the father, tho husband, the orator, the gentleman, the Christian. Surcly love is the fountain of patience and peace. Surely