Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1858-09-22
AN s W r r Ed

I'D one OF the cottage houses OF densely
peopled village in the West Riding of
Yorkshire, about nineteen years ago, a
pious woman was sitting waiting the return
OF her husband from his daily toll. It was
almost midnight; her children were in bed
they were accustomed to rise early, from
the eldest to the youngest, to add to the
common stock-a stock diminished by the
lntemperance of the father, who, for some
time, had been in the habit of spending his
evenings at a neighboring public house,
lis wife was an industrious woman, and
the duties of her family had engaged her
attention up to that honr. She put away
some articles of clothing she had been
mehrling for one of the children; and,
wearied in mind and body, anxiously wal
ted for the we'll known step of her husband
Her thoughts wandered back to her early
welded life; they were both at that time
thoughtless and gay. She thought of the
gradual estrangement from home of her
once devoted husband of the birth of her
first child !; and now, when watching over
it, she had been led TO think of the PRAYERS
Of a now glorified mother; how she, too.
had knelt and prayed for the forgiveness
OF sins, and obtained mercy through faith
III the Lord Jesus Christ, and how She had
been enabled to hold on her troubled way,
at times rejoicing even in tribulation
She had pray d long for her husbands
conversion, and. thus far, saw no answer to
her prayer; but her confidence in God re-
manned mistaken; and now, placing the
Bible Cher solace and JOY since she had
found the way of peace on the seat of the
arm chair, she knelt and read some of the
precious promises of God, then pouring
forth her soul in simple, child-likc prayer,
such as only woman strong in faith could
have offered, she rose, refreshed, strength
encd, calm. Throwing a shawl over her
head, she wended her way to the too well
known public house. AS she raised the
latch, the clock struck one.
Her husband was sitting in the bar with
some of his fellow-workrnen and the land
lady, when she entered. Tn an angry tone
he bade her go home. The landIady said,
"Wait a little, your husband will 90 with
you" She advanced to the table where
they were sitting, and said in calm voice
to the landlady,
"Mrs. -, seven years is long time
to wait for anything, is it not 2"
"Ycs," answered the wife, "but twenty
one years is longer still. have waited
and prayed twenty-one years for the con-
version Of my husband and as sure as he
is sitting in your bar, shall live to see him
pass this house, and have no inclination to
enter; for God will answer my prayer"
She turned TO leave the room, and her
husband followed her but no angry word
passed his lips-he seemed to quail before
her.
About this time the Rev. ]. Rattenbury
was stationed at Leeds. On the Sunday
following the night just mentioned, Martin
|" was induced to accompany his pray
ing wife to hear him. The text announced,
was the pious resolution of Ruth "Thy
people shall be my people, and thy God my
God" The word came home with power
the arrow of conviction sank deep into
his soul. For several days he groaned for
mercy but the hour of deIiyefance came.
| ''The Spirit answered to the blood,
| And told him he was born of God"
On the Sunday after his conversion,
Martin returned from the chapel to his row
happy home, with firm step-the midday
lmeal was spread upon the table-ebildren