The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1857-12-19
For the Central Presbyterian.
The Pastors Wife.

years SllCC, Uut lV 10 q pICtulC 4lOLi AO"
life, and is worthy of being viewed more
than once. Possibly some of your readers
may have seen it before, but to the MAORI
ty Of them it will be entirely new. II. B.
r Truly she was ''from the Lord'-she was
} "prudent" This grand ingredient in fe-
male excellence might be said to mould and
control her whole character. The term is
comprehensive, and was we'll used by the
wise man in giving, in one word, the charac-
ter of that wife who is from the Lord-she
is prudent"
; She, whom | mourn, was prudent in her
: speech. She kept the "door of her lips" "
5 With good conversational powers and a sos
3 cial disposition, she talked but little. She
B was not sulleu-the law Of kindness was
ever engraved on her countenance, but her
clips kept knowledge She always heard
others with respect and attention, but ex-
pressed only her own matured thoughts.
Her conversation was religious. If not on
religion, yet there was always manifested a
disposition to give it religious turn. While
she rarely trusted herself to comment on
the characters of individuals, she left her
principles in no doubt. She therefore rare
ly made an enemy by her imprudent speech.
A iceutious tongue is undoubtedly the most
fruitful cause Of personal animosities and
contests. Friends are oftener alienated by
imprudent speech, than by imprudent con-
duet. Not so with her, "She opened her
mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue was
the law of kindness Her children rise up
and call her blessed her husband also and
he praiseth her"
She was prudent also in her conduct. In
strateued circumstances, her plans were
/ always for retrenchment. She often asked,
in view of an expenditure, "Can we afford
/ itl" She never | think, during her life,
proposed to incur the expense Of a single
dollar, even for her own convenience with
out presenting the subject in such form
that her hush .nl could feel entirely free
/ to decline it, if circumstances in his view
required it. If every wife would do so,
how often would indulgent husbands be
relieved from pecuuiary embarrassments,
which have their origin in domestic eXtraya-
gance She always contriyed to appear
respectable in society, with an annual ex-
penditure Of fifty dollars, while | well know
that many of her friends appeared no bet
ter, who expended five times that sum-sO
much may carefulness and economy do.
She was prudent in her entire behaC1or.
/ As clergyman's wife, she concihated the
affections Of all classes, formed a natural
and easy connecting link between the rich
and poor of the congregation, and often re-
lieved many difficulties which the impru-
dence and mistakes of her husband created.
/ Although naturally diftident, she was active
and bold in duty. Even when young, she
led the benevolent associations in the
church, and although she always bluShed to
appear in public, she never hesitated to
pray or converse in assemblies of her own
sex. In her family, she did not suffer
prayer to be omitted when her husband was
occasionally absent, but assembled her chill
dren with the female members of the fami-
/ ly, and led them in her own most fewent
way to the throne of grace. This was the
peryadiug and moulding principle of her
character-her spirit and haja Of prayer.
/ 1t was the secret of her influence. 1t raised
her above the world and prepared her to
mingle pro6tably with it.
In dress she was prudent, not only in the
expense but in the manner. In this she
was distinguished by her modesty and re-
card to health. She avoided singularity,
but never sacrificed her comfort and health,
nor modesty to fashion. She was always
less ashamed to appear in bad weather at
church with clothing suitable to defend her
| from head to feet, against exposure, than to
risk her health and sacrifice her better ar
tieles of dress by spurning the uncOuth
over shoe and ample umbrella. 1t was not
by constrained effort that these practices
sometimes obtained but prudence IN her
was principle, practised to a habit and
all-peryading 1t regulated her conduct in
private as well as in public. She never
lost the respect Of her husband in the least
degree by familiarity. She never, by her
department to others gave cause for a mo-
ment's uneasiuess in the breast of her nus
band, who was perhaps naturally too fastidi-
Gus. Without alfectation, she always gave
assurance by her conduct that if she did not
in all respects appreciate him above all
others--a thing hardly possible and not to
be asked, yet that he had her affections,
and his company was always her choice.
She was prudent to protect her spiritual
interests against every encroachment. 1t
was always evident that her entire arrange
ment in the family had a reference to reli-
gious duty in its principles and forms. Prl-
vate and family devotion had their stated
times, which could not be interfered with.
Like the stated ringing Of the city bell,
they designated the hours to which and
from which all other arrangements led and
departed. The Sabbath was never permit
ted to take her by surprise. Nothing was
left to be done or to retard the appropriate
duties Of the day. So was she prepared for
the evening of life, and for the quietness
and peace of an eternal Sabbath. An extra
hour of work in preparation was always less
embarrassing to her than the appearance
: of a disordered dress, or detention from a
public duty When her husband once re-
proved her for continuing late at work to
prepare his apparel; she replied, 81 love to
have my husband known in the gates, as
he sitteth among the elders of the land"
She seemed always to take for her model
the wise mans description of ga yirtuOus
woman"
She was prudent in making provision for
the most e6fcjeat discharge Of her duties'
Selfimproyement always urged upon her
claims which she felt and responded to. She
read, studied, and prepared, not only to di-
rect and aid her children in their education,
, but to advance the great interests Of edu-