Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-01-21
The Absent One.

/ promicel last week to give an instance
Of t~hepower Of letter from a loved and rev.
cred Parent, to protect and restrain the youth,
when far away from home and its hallowed
influences:
Some years since, a young gentleman was
sent by his father, in a confidential capacity,
on along voyage. IL had just burst into man.
hood, was full oF life and enterprise, entered
eagerly upon the arena Of the world, and took
his departure in a cheerful and buoyant spir-
it. A fsw hours, however, before the vessel
sailed. his father. who eonfded in and dotted
upon him. and for whom he entertained the
most prafouni respect and affection, called
him aside, spoke to him kindly and f~eelingly,
ard placing u letter is his hands, begged him
to read il attentigely and ponder upon it's
truths calmly and thoughtfully, Immediately
before his landing on the distant soil to Thich
he wts destined! lie promised so to do, de-
posted the letter in aspot Of the utmost secu-
rity, and at the time designated, he opened
and p]erused it. II was long, kind, coniden-
tial and truthful. The father had himself
been again and again in a distant land he
understood AL tho faeinations and temptations
that was presented to a stranger, had seen
many young men fall before them, and he
was unwilling to subject his son to so fiery
an ordeal, without stating the facts to him
wildly and graphically, and appealing to hi.
reason, his conscience, and his good sense, t.
exercise 60 the utmost the virtues Of temper
ancc, self denial and self-control The ef
feet upon the mind Of the young man was o
the most decided character. In the letter
that he had go carefully cherished, he saw, Al
it were, the heart Of his father, and he hearC
his voice echoing over thousands Of miles Of
the tracklsss ocean. A tear, a manly tear
came to his eye before he had concluded, ant
he quietly but solemnly resolved to abide b,
the counsel there given.
Only the next day, and before he had Ian
ded six hours in the new field of life, he wa
earnestly invited to participate in a scene o
dissipation, exactly such as his father had
described-a scene, too, which dozens Of 9th
crs Of tn, saRc age and similarly circum
stanoed, were about to enjoy. But he de
clinad promptly, courteously, yet firmly ano
unsquivocaliy. Oae or two Of his companion
laughed at his scruples and endeavored to per
susde him that he vas unnecessarily ''cautiou
But to all such no hal only one reply-uIt
and q shield, and while it protected him froI
the dangers, the vices and the excuses whie
he soon discovered were destroying mar
others, it constituted & lesson Of thought
kindness and generous confidence, that
remembered vith gratitude for the rest Of
days.
Aud yet, how often is this duty, this SO
emn duty Of writing to the young, the arde
and itnpulsive, when away from home, eth
partially or wholly neglected-and how oft
are the consequences, as in the cases abo
adyertod 70. Of the most painful eharacte
We have great faith in the power Of a lett,
when aptly written, judiciously toned, a
generously intended /! There is an indesc
bable magic in an epistle Of this kind. '
have known mothers 10 linger for hours on
some hayty scrAwl of a truant hoy in a
land, while No havo seen children grasp
at something far more precious than gold
the tattered fragments Of some fnger-wo
letter thar was written years and years
fore, and that nevertheless embodied So
priceless sentiment of love.
In this country, with 80 many moveme
in progress, with States SO widely separat
by distance, with parents dwelling by
borders Of the Atlantic, and children str
Cling for fortune amid the golden sands
the Plc,f;. Al oiclsoaal letter is absoll
ly indispensable. Without something OF
kind. uoNE, kindred and their hallowed
sociations will, tot certain extent, he forg
n, dangerous habits will be formed, a