The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1857-01-15
One of Life's Dutics,
Who think, mo.t.el. III, poble.tNaSt. U't ths .'i

IN THIS respect, even II we would, ana 10 i've
AMI avoid lfe's responsibilities, is equally i'm
possible. We will not, however, discourse
upon the general duties Of lie, but shall at
present alude to one, which we deem Of very
great importance to all. and especially TO those
who have taken upon themselves the respon-
sibities Of husbands aad fathers. H..b
That there is much suffering in This world,
all sane minds are forced to admit that
much of this suffering is caused by " mans
inhumaui;y to man," IL self evident fact
but that a large proportion Of the misery in
cident to this life may be sverted, we have
no doubt, Poverty is one Of The greatest
sources Of vice, crime, and suffering known
to poor humanity, and yet but comparatively
little effort is made to guard againstit II We
are well fed. comfortably clad, and generally
well provided for to-day, tomorrow concerns
US but little.
We sit down BY our warm fires, these cold
evenings, surrounded by our little, happy
families, and as We amuse aud instruct our
minds by reading the Journal, or some good
book which breathes in:o US thoughts fresh
from the rich store-house of intelligent mind,
little do we reflect that such scenes will not
last Away, and that ere the passage into eter-
nifty of another week, we too may be called
hence, and those whose pleasure is our de-
light be cast upon the rough, cold, forbidding
world. to grapple with wrong and oppression
where the chances are all against them.
Nor would we counsel our readers to cult
vate these gloomy reflections but there are
rational thou ghts and correct actions, pertain
ing TO the future, aside from those OF strict
ly religious character. which merit our serious
attention and prompt actin.
We who toll day after day for our dlily
bread, find that the rigid requirements of So
ciety have stripped US Of every thing but
meager ability to live and appear somewhat
respectable before our fellow men. 1t would
not be saying too much to asser: that onehalf
oi the husbands and fathers of the present
day, were they called to lay down their lives,
could not leave to their f,milies one years
sustenance 1t is also safe to assert that a
large proportion Of the suffering incident to
this life, is borne by widows and fsiherless
children. The great Author Of the Bible,
by urging upon His followers the necessity Of
bestoVjng upon such their special care, testi
fies to this fact. Not only this, but large pro-
portion of the crime, which is so fearfully in
creasing. is the work Of men reared without
a fathers counsel and example, ny mothers
who had Tot the means for their proper sup
port and education.
It is barely necessary, in support of this
opinion, to mentiol the fact that woman is. by
the barbarous laws and restrictions of enlight-
ened men, shut out from a general participa-
tioh in those means of support which rendr
it comp aratively easy for man to provide
for himself and family, and even where they
are pc, mitted to labor for their support. they
ind that for the same amount of labor, done
just as well, the man who work at their side
receives two, three, and even four times as
much as they do. Therefore. to procure the
necessaries provided by husb and, the wife
inds it essential, vastly Inferior, physically,
though she may be, to perform much great
er amount of work.
With these facts staring a man in the face
with our peni!entiaries full of men reared
without the care which little leisure might
have bestowed upon them, how terrible must
be the death Of the poor husband and fatherl
How his fading eyes must stare into the fu
ture, and witness the carnival of misery, and
vice, and crime, which awaits his loved ones!
And thus must the soul of that fond husband
and affrctionate father struggle in deep ago
ny, with .......--..
Darkness above. deSpair beneath,