St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1857-04-02

: for her to see if they would not do
; something for her. But her own inde-
, pendent feelings revolted at the
, thought of asking favors of those who
: would be likely to turn away with
r contempt, as they had already done in
anger Once or twice she hinted at
, the subject, but Anna would not listen
) to any thing of the kind for moment
81 have no claims upon them, and
cannot therefore urge any," she
! would reply. In calling upon my
aunt, I fulfilled the promise made to a
dying mother. She would not own
me. She turned from me as she had
before turned from my mother. Shall
| go to her again.? No ! no! While
| have health, my own hands will
bring me all l need"
To language like this, Mrs. Grand
had nothing to object. 1t was like
response to her own feelings.
Mrs. Grand was a woman who had
seen many vicissitudes in life, and
passed through many very painful tri-
ais but, out Of all, so far, she had
come like gold from the crucible,
brighter and purer for the ordeal. -
Some, as they grow older, appear to
become selfish, impatient, penurious,
irritable or, exhibit some other de-
fects of character, that make them
burdensome to all. 1t is not that their
characters have really changed with
age. 1t is only, that, with age, exter-
nal restraints, such as love of reputa-
tion, or the good opinion of the world,
have become less active. These have
lived to no good purpose, They may
have accomplished much in the world
during the period of active manhood {;
but the best, and highest, and most
important work given them to do
self-conquest and selfelevation-have
been neglected All, it is a sad sight
to see the true interior states of the
aged become manifest, when those
states are thoroughly unregenerate
1t is sad sight to look upon an OLD
man, and feel that he has lived in
vain.
But Mrs. Grand had not lived in
vain. She entered upon life with
profound respect for religion and yet
she was not what is called "pious !"
woman. That is, she was not one who
talked much about her own elevated
state, or guaged her religion by her
feelings In her external department
and appearance, she differed but little
from those around her. The broad
difference was in her principles of ac-
ton. She performed all her duties in
life with a profound regard for justice
and Judgment. Her religion was not
a mere Sunday religion-it suited all
days, and its spirit pervaded, benign
ly, all her works. 1t was founded up
on the two commandments on which
hang all the Law and the Prophets
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and thy neighbor
as thyself'
With basis like this to her char
acter, the trials of life could only ele-
vate, strengthen, and purify her. And
such was the result AS years came
stealing quietly on, and external infu-
ences became less and less active, no
unseemly aspect of mind was present
ed. Her intellect was clearer, her
whole character was softened, and all
her passions were under the control of
right reason.
Mrs. Grand was, therefore, a woman
just suited to guide and counsel
young girl like Anna Gray. Annals
mother, amid all the painful vicissi-
tudes of her life, had been sustained
by feeling of pride AS to re-
ligion, she thought Of it but rarely,
and derived from itno support. What
she did not herself possess, she could
not present to her child. Anna, there
fore, had never been taught to look
upon life with the eye Of christian
philosophy. To enable her to do this,
was the work of her new found friend.
But it proved difficult task. Relig
ious ideas, if not presented to the
mind in childhood, rarely ever enter it
fully 1t is the prayer said beside the
mothers knee, with the lesson about
heaven and the angels, and the deep
reverence expressed to the child in re-
gard to God, that does this work most
effectually. 1t is a law of moral life,
that all which succeeds partakes Of
the quality Of that which precedes.-
The child, it is proverbially said, is fa-
ther to the man and this is true ac-
cording to the law just mentioned
just as the twig is bent the trees in
lclined, is another axiom expressing
the same thing. The first ideas child
receives, gives his mind certain
form, and as form modifies all inhuent
life, whether vegetable, animal, intel
lectual, moral or spiritual, it must be
that the mans whole character will be
modified by the peculiar circumstan-
ces, ideas, and impressions of his child
hood Let child's earliest thoughts
be directed to God as a good Being,
who sends his angels to take care of
him while he sleeps, and who protects
him from harm at all times who
makes the sun shine, and the fruits
grow who loves the good and is an
Igry with the evil /; and, no matter
how much he may stray from the paths
: lof rectitude in after life, he can never
in this world wholly lose regard Tor
religion, or certain reverence for
, God. .... ........ .......