Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1858-12-11
MISCELLANY.
The Power of Woman
BY A REPENTANT uUSRAHD

well remember the time | vcnturcd
home in state of intoxication. | knew
my situation, and dreaded that NV wife
should discover it. / cxcrtcd myself TO
conceal it. affected to be witty. nfrcc
tlonatc, and social, but it was total fail
urc | felt the fatal poison momcntarilv
increasing. | saw the enquiring eve Of
my wife fixed upon me with a look of nm
utterablc grief 1t was only with her aid
'hat | was able to reach my pillow.
All restraint was soon swept away, and I
came home night after night in state most
revolving to the feelings ola delicate, affcc-
tionate wife. In vain my amiable compan-
ION wcpt and cxpostulatcd Twas too much
cntangled and corrupted to break away,
either from my vices, Or associates. They
neither feared God nor regarded man
L was led captive by their devices.
became, [ will not say an infdcl, for 7
was too ignorant of the theory of sccpticism
to be one became mocker t'Fools
make mock at SIM" and such fool was I.
knew Just enough of the Bible to make it
my Jcst-book. ] saw that this part of NV
conduct was extremely painful to my pious
wife, aud tried to restrain mysclf from tr;
fling with the Bible in her presence. but
loved to raise loud laughter among nv
bolstcrous companions, and the indulgence
served so to strengthen the pcrnicious hab-
1T, that was often detected in the use of
this offensive language.
1t was not till became father that her
touching appeals on this subject reached
my conscience. "Must this child E" shc
would say with tears, {" be trained up under
these bancful influences? Must he be
taught by parental example to despise and
rldicule the Scriptures with his lisping
tongue before he is able to read their con.
tents, or realize their heavenly origin"
Our son had now become an infercst;n,,
little prattler, initiating whatever he heard
or saw perceived, with sort of diabol,
zeal pleasure, that the first effort of his in
1ant tongue was to initiate my profane Ian
guagc, the recollection of which now sends
thrill of grief and horror through nv bo-
som. In vain did his sorrowine mother
endeavor to countcract the influence of NV
wicked example. continued to swear
and he to initiate my profanity, unconscious
of its turpitude
On certain occasion returned from
one of my gambling excursions, and found
my wife and child absent On inquiry.
ascertalned that Sic had gone to her no
customed place of retirement in q grove
some distance from the house. 7 knew
that she had gone there for devotion.
had Decn accustomcdto to sec her retire thith-
or at the evening twilight, and though
thought her picty unnecessary, had no OBJ
lection to 1t as "a source Of enjoyment to her;
but that she should take her child with her
excited my surprise. felt curiosity to
follow her. | did so, and took a position
unseen by her, but where | had full view
OF her attitude and features. She was
kneeling beside rock on which lay her Bi-
bic before her. One hand was placed OH
It's open pages; the other held the hand of
her ialr boy, who was knccling beside her.
his eyes lntently fixed on her face. She
was pale and care-worn. Her ewes were
closed, but the tears were chasing each 9th.
er down her cheeks, as she poured forth
her burdened soul in praycr-first for her
husband, that he might be reclaimed and
saved; but especially did she plead with
God that her son, whom she unrcscrvcdly
dedicated to him, might be saved from those
SINS which were taught him by his fathers
example. Save him." she cried with ag-
onY save him from taking thy great and
holy name in vain; and give his anxious
mother wisdom, fortitudc and grace effec-
tualiy to correct and break up the habit of
profancness"
lcrcPt silently. from my hiding-placo and
returned home With.a conscience narrowed
up by tho keenest seif-feproaches. knew
that her feelings were not the fitful ebuli-
tons OF passion or excitement:%'I had long
been convinced that 3hofs 90 sissdct was rco,1.
lated by fgm: and, ,viltAosis psinoiples, and
that the Bible, which SO Ggltly esteemed,
was the rule of her life On hcfsreturn to
the house, she was solemn, but the law of
Kindness still ruled her tongue. She did,
not reproach me; but from that day shc.|
firmly and faithfully corrected our little
son for the use of profane language, even
in my presence, and when perhaps he had
just caught it from my lips.
= She succeeded in conqueying the habit
IN her child; and when she had cured him.
I resolved to abandon forever the use of
hggunge which had cost her so much pain.