The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-09-22

.'ctOa you are becoming petr1heu al
ready" Tor felt no desire to go to the prayer
meeting; indeed, did not want to 90. must
here tell you that these Morning Union PRAYER
Meetings have< become an institution at the
Springs, and are held from nine to ten o'clock.
They are kept up by good people, who live for
the most part at the Columbian, Congress Hall,
the Union, and Mrs. Mason's The States sends
forth but few of its inmates and Aunt James
feeble health keeps her at home and then, too,
nine o'clock is our hour of breakfast. This
morning, / had hurried breakfast, and was
thinking only of my ribbon and the party to
which | was going at Mrs. C.'s. twinge of
conscience came, and / said to Mrs. p
would go with her, and make my purchases after
wards. So we entered the Baptist meeting house
vestry together, and after l was fairly seated, /
was pleasingly surprised by the interest felt in
the services. The burden of the prayers and
speeches was all about mothers training up
their sons to become ministers and many touch
ing facts were related of the blessed results of
such piety, by those speaking out of their own
hearts history. But not one word was said
about daughters they seemed to be of no ac-
count whatever; and / asked myself, Where
are these pious mothers to come from?" After
the meeting broke up, the first words Mrs. P
uttered were these:
l have no patience with these ministers
They have not one word of counsel or sympa-
thy with mothers in their hard task of rearing
up daughters and not word of exhortaton
to the many daughters present Poor mothers
who will come to your aid. You, my dear Net
ia, can know little of the misery existing in the
middle classes, arising out of the trials of
mother in the very simple matter of dressing up
her children. My own child said to me, a week
OF two since, Jenny Jones Ia mechanics
daughter of ten years of age) says she never
had set OF pantaletts which were not ruf1ed :;
and have only one set ruffled, mother Now
think of it these costly trappings cost the
father money, and the mother any amount of
labor and care for who is to do these things up
when soiled, and who is to mend them when
torn, but the mother; and then the child is re-
strained in its play. You must not do this, ,
1ou must not do that is said to the child /;
and why not? Because you will dirt your nice
clothes have so labored to make up and do
up?'"
Mrs. P continued "This spring, told
my child l had bought her a bingham dress for
Sunday wear" +" A gingham dress for church,
mother said my child, in tone of surprise
Yes, child for Sunday wear )" and like an
obedient child she has worn it, as l intended
she should. ! regard it the duty of the wealthy
to dress their children and themselves in dresses
distinguished for their propriety and simplicity,
for then they aid and countenance those who
wish to practice economy. / have a neighbor,
Mrs. B, woman of fortune, who once wore
her velvet bonnet of last year in making visit
to an excellent woman Mrs. F., whom we
greatly respect for her worth, as a good wife of
| a good man, just now in rather straitened
circumstances Mrs. B apologized to Mrs.
E. for wearing an old bonnet. Pray wear
| that bonnet, Mrs. B" said our neighbor ;
for, seeing you wear your last years bonnet,
| have worn mine, thinking if you, who can af-
| ford any expense of the sort do not get a new
bonnet, / shall be shielded by your example 4"
and after further conversation, as we slowly
| walked from church, Mrs. P gave me
another illustration of her remarks. She said,
In this very village, was in shop with a
friend making some purchases, when a man,
evidently of the working class, came in with
his wife, pretty woman of twenty-five, who
asked to look at lace shawls, as they are called.
The shopman showed her several--one priced
at nineteen dollars the poor man looked on
with sad countenance, as his wife was chat
| fering with the salesman about this gew-gaw-
for nineteen dollars must have cost him many
days labor-when the shop-keeper took down
another, saying, Madam, here is one in this
box for twenty-four dollars which, / assure you,
is very great bargain This was too much
for the wretched husband. With tone of voice
which spoke his suffering soul, he softly said,
Pray, sir, don't show it. Nineteen dollars is
more money than / have to spare The wife
was not to be moved by such an appeal to her
affections. Her vanity demanded a lace shawl,
and she compromised matters by taking the low
priced one!"
am sure grandpa will find my letter full of
confirmation of his doctrine of total depravity,
and | wish to show him that there are some
glimpses of sunshine even at the U. S. Hotel in
| Saratoga, going to show that all the world is
not totally depraved at all times. And my
story is simply this: A gentleman Of New
| York, who in happier days had lovely wife, to
whom he had given a set of diamonds worth
some twelve hundred dollars, in the providence
of God lost his wife, and afterwards his fortune.
These jewels were worth too much for him to
keep as a memento Of his lost wife, and he
came up TO the U. S. Hotel, at the suggestion
of some friends, who promised to get up a rattle
for him, so that he might here realize their full
value. Certain ladies took the matter in hand,
and the sum was all collected, and the rattle
took place. Among those who held tickets
was Count R and his daughter a lovely
child of twelve years of age, said to be great
heiress. When the prize was drawn, the num-
Der was found to be held by Signorita R,
and the jewels were at once put into her hand.
Having looked at them, she turned to her
father, and said, May l not return these to
Mr.. -" " Certainly, my child and the
delighted father at once retired with his daugh-
ter, who held the casket in her hands, in order
that she might seek out Mr.. -, who was not
present when these precious memorials of his
happy days were disposed of and to whom they
were thus unexpectedly and beautifully restored
Now, then, this little girl acted like an angel,
and looked ike one-and rather think she
did that which was as acceptable to her Father
in heaven as to her father on earth. With all
love, dear G*+*, your META"
A ROYAL SLAvE-We have Just had, saws
the Havana correspondent of the Picdyune, a
remarkable baptism of no less parsonage than
the son of the Chief or King Of the Loango
Congo district of Africa, who came passenger
to Cuba in 1857 upon a SLAYER, and fell into the
hands of the Government as an ordinary Bozal
After two years Of official examination and in
vestigation here and upon the coast of Africa,
he has been identified as the royal parsonage
son of Congo's great King, long familiar witR
Cuban traders, and was Christianized at his own
request. He talks in Spanish, Portuguese, and
French, and as soon as he has been thoroughly
mbued or taught the tenets of his new faith he
VIII pe sent W DPain, anu shehce restoreu 10
his anxious father. He requested Col. Felipe
Avango, in charge of the Emancipado Depot,
to stand as sponsor for him before the altar,
which request he complied with in the presence
of a crowd, attracted by the royal novelty. The
bearing and department of the young Christian
distinguish him from all others of his complex
ion, showing the divine attributes of blood.
Several gentlemen of Cincinnati have asso.
ciated themselves with Prof David Christy, in
a late extensive land purchase in Cherokee
county, North Carolina. This company, Of
,,,b;oL Mr ID III C,aoLa..o, % +ha a,xant have