Smyrna times., 1857-02-25
Written for the Smyrna Times.
The Pembert0n Papers,
No. 5.


All how shall describe thee, my swee
Cousin Edith! virtues and qualities such al
thine, while they make heaven of a home
and shed their bene6cent influence over all thai
stands connected with the family circle; are SC
gentle, so retiring, so unobtrusve, that such
characters are most difficult of description
And YETI dear reader, must try to make
you acquainted with my Cousin Edith
She is rather below the medium height,
with person we'll proportioned, carriage easy
and graceful, and modesty and quiet self pos
session mark all her movements. You look in
her face and decide at once that she is not pref
| ty, but you set down and converse with her,
watch the firm and mild expression of her light
blue eye, note the intelligence that plays over
every featKe, catch the subdued and sunny
smile that plays upon her lips, feel the inhu-
ence of the sound judgment and good, COIN
mon sense that mark every act, and word,
and deed of hers; and, before you know it,
she is winning her way to your admira-
tion, and the features which you before set
down as plain, you begin to think arespret-
ty- My cousin Edith is not woman of note
in the town where she lives. Content in the
retirement of home, to religiously perform the
duties of " life and mother surrounded by sma III
circle of attached and apprecating relatives
and friends, she seeks not the gaze of the "pub-
lie eye," and while she manages her house af.
fairs economically and prudently, does it, (as
she does everything else,) without ostentatisn
and show, having no ambition to be looked upon
as model housekeeper. Marrying at mature
age, and after we'll considering the RESPONSE
blltles OF the position. husband having seve.
raj children by former marriage, she strives
faithfully to perform the duties of her position,
in training these children up to habits OF in-
dustry, and by inculcating in their opening and
expanding minds, sentiments and principles of
virtue, and though her labors may not always
be properly appreciated by them now, the chill
dren of The dead mother in future years, shall
Sc up and call her blessed. And, though the
,sition of slcp-mother has often been called q
" "thankless Office" and, my cousin, while sui.
tering from the fault finding spirit of others,
has often found it SO, yet its troubles and per-
plexities to her, have been mixed with many
pleasures, not least among them, perhaps, the
grateful appreciation of her husband, the con-
scious purity of Intention of her own heart and
the appreciation of her Heavenly Father. And
[ have sometimes thought, while witnessing
her care and solictude for their welfare, that
# departed sp rts llnger around the loved ones
;hey have left, the sainted mother Of these
children, by whom on earth they we're so fondly
loved, looks down with more than a sisters af-
lection upon her who is striving to discharge Il
mothers duties. And when released from
earth's labors and cares, may not that sainted
mother be first TO welcome 10 Heavens brig ght
abode the faithful step.mother, and leading her
before the throne, listen with holy rapture while
the blessed Saviour says, Inasnuch as ye did
it to the least of mine, ye did it also unto me-"
Then, and not till then, sweet Cousin Edith,
shalt thou receive the full measure of thy re-
ward.
Need | add that such a wsman as my cousin
hts her husbands entire CONFERENCE.-The un-
| changing, abiding love !-need add that the
true secret of my Cousins virtues are founded
ON Christian principle, Religion with her is
no mere poetic sentiment-no mingling of
Pharasaical spirit and church pride. But she
has gone with the Saviour to Gethsemane't &
garden. and witnessed His agony there she
has stO, d by the Cross while he bowed his head
a I'd died, and, catching the purport and full
import of that Saviour's mission to earth, she
has been enabled to claim as her Saviour, and
feel
" For me, for me the Saviour died;
For me, my Lord was crucifed."
PETER PEMBERToN