The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-01-29
THE DAILY GAZETTE
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THE DAILY GAZETTE.
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] Within the bounds Of my district
j ,bere lived local preacher, who was
. small. very easy, good natured,
q n,easant man; he was believed to be
4 aalso very pious man, and good
4 and ussful preacher. His wife was
d;rectIy the reverse of almost every
thing that was good, saving, it was
belieyed. she was virtuous. She was
biah, tempered, oyerbearing, quarrel
,ome. and violent opposer of relig
ion She would not tx her husbands
clothes to 90 out to preach, and was
unwilling be should ask blessing at
the table, or pray in the family. And
when he would attempt to pray, she
would not conform, but tear around
and makeall the noise and disturbance
in her power. She would turn the
chsirs over while he was reading,
singing, or praying, and if she could
NOT stop him any other way, she would
catch = cat and throw it in his face
While be was kneeling and trying to
pray. Poor little mani surely ne was
tormsnted almost to deportation
BE had invited several preachers home
with him to talk to her, and see it
thew could not moderate her; but all
to no purpose, she would curse them
to their lace, and rage like demon.
He had insisted on my going home
with him several times, but, ! frankly
confess, was afraid to trust myself.
Ipitied him from my very heart, and
10 did everybody else that was ac-
ousinted with his situation. But at
lsnethI Welded to his opportunities,
and went home with him one evening
intending to stay all night, After We
arrived. I saw in a minute that she
wss mad, and the devil was in her as
large as an alligator; and ! fixed my
nurpose. and determined on my course
After supper he said to her kindly,
sCome. wife, stop your little affair,
and Let us have prayer That mo,
ment she boiled over, and said, 1 will
have none Of yonr praying about me.
Ispoke to her mildly, and expostula.
ted with her, and tried to reason; but
no, the further lwent, the more wrath
full she became, and she cursed me
most bitterly. then put on stern
countenance, and said 70 her, Madame
ifyou we're wife Of mine, would
break you OF your bad ways, or !
would break your neck.
The devil you would, said She
Yes you are a pretty christian amt
youP And then such volley ofcurses
Is she poured on me, was almost be
yond human endurance.
BE STILL said !, we must and
will have prayer But she declared
We should not,
Now said to her, If you do
not be still, and behave yourself, III
put ron out Of doors AT this she
elinched her fat, and swore she was
one half alligator, and the other halt
snapping-turtle, and that it would
take q better man than ] was to put
her out. 1t was small cabin we
we're in, and we were not tar from the
door, which was then standing open.
caught her by the arm, and swing
ing her around in a circle, brought
her right up to the door, and showed
her out. She jumped up, tore her
hair, foamed, and such swearing as
she uttered, was seldom equalled, and
never surpassed. The door, or shutter
ofthe door, was we're strongly made
to keep out hostile Indians; shut 1T
tight. barred it, and went to prayer,
and prayed as best ! could, but !
had nolanguage at my command to
express my feelings, at the same time
lwas determined to conquer, or die,
in the attempt. While she was rag
ing and foaming in the yard and
around the cabin, started q spiritual
song, and sung loud, to drown her
voice as much as possible. The five
or six little children ran and squatted
about and crawled underneath the
beds. Poor things, they were scared
almost to death.
4 sang on, and she roared and
thundered on the outside, till she be.
came perfectly exhausted, and painted
for breath. At length, when she had
spent her force, and became calm and
still, and then Knocked at the door"
saying g"Nr. Cartwright, please let me
in.
Will you behave yourself if let
you in4'' said l.
40 yes said she, will and
throwing myself on my guard, and
perfectly self possessed | opened the
door, took her by the hand, led her in,
and seated her near the fireplace, -
She had roared and foamed till she
was in q high perspiration, and looked
ss pale as death. After she took her
ssat, o. said she, what fool am II
Yes said l., about one OF the big
gest fools l ever saw in all my life
And now,' said /, you have to repent
Of all this, or you must goto the devil
at last She was silent. Said |,
Children, co ne out here, your moth
er won't hurt you now, aud turning
to her husband, said, Brother 9. let
us pray again We kneeled down,
and both prayed. She was as quiet
as q lamb. - s 20.
And now, gentle reader, as this
was one Of the hardest cases ! ever
saw on earth, | must record it to the
glory Of divine grace, lived to soc,
in less than six months after the irolic
with the devil, this woman soundly
converted to God, and if ever there
was changed mortal for the better, it
was this said woman. Her children,
% the family grew up, ! believe, oh
tained religion, and the family became
a religions, happy family, and she
was a. bold in the cause OF God as
a