Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1862-09-22
miscellaneous.
The sxlss 6ars Praysn

I@A lab@ ago Was 10 l40M an AnEOh4to'N
abe task. bat tbeiT children sOOn learn
ea "a 00RpaEaa With their little american
play GastsS ia y style Of peculiar sweetness
MOI lnany months had the Swiss family
been in OaF ~EeigAbazh0oa, nntSl Care, the
aaaghteH was introduced into Sabbath
school. Hero her progress in learning to
road add acquiring general information
was trety astonishing, Her deep blne eyes
would sparkle with pleasure when she
fannd 0ht the meaning Of some difficult
s~eatenee, OF gave q correct answer ia her
teachers question,
Cares father had sought the shores Of
the New World With the expectation of
finding il in the realization Of dreams of
fairy land. Like those who indulge in
building air. castles, no was doomed to be
disappointed. Ignorant of y language,
and u~nacquainted with our method Of la
Dor, il is not to be wondered at that his
progress on the road to wealth was very
slow. But he did not stop to consider the
disadvantages under which he was labor
ing, and to remove, BY selEculture, the OBJ
staoles from his path, but inwardly cnrsing
America and his ill-fortune, sought to
drown his trials in the foaming bowl
Whiskey and lager beer were kept in his
bouse, and scarcely ever did he pass a sa-
loon without patrOnizing the establish
ment and pampering his destructive taste
for liquor. The effects were soon visible.
The kind husband and indulgent father
soon became the domestic tyrant. His
= wife wept and sought to pacify his drunk
en- rage his children fed from his pres
ence with fear and trembling. Such
scenes, from being occasional, soon became
every day occurrences, and the whole
family learned to dread the echo of foot
step that once had been to them a sound
Of JOY.
In this manner more than twelve months
rolled away, and then there came a change.
Gradually the strong man shook off the
spclljof intoxication, and sought to return
to his former society. He again sought
for work, and obtained it. His knowledge
OF our language was as imperfect as ever,
but the ready wiU soon found out the Way,
and by aid Of signs he soon learned to
make himself understood. Often did the
neigbbors comment on the great change
that had wrought reform in the old Swift
zer, but no one save the gentle, warm
hearted Care knew the magic of the work.
Hand in hand, we roamed together through
the woods in pursuit of wild flowers, yet
months had passed since the old man had
become a sober laborer before my daily
companion told me the secret hidden away
In her trusting heart. But one. dav, in the
warm spring time, wearied by our ramble,
we seated ourselves on the hillside, and
she told me the story.
You know she began, 'how cross ia
ther used to be when he drank so much,
and you know, toe, that it made Ms all
very unhappy. Well, many a night, after
I had gone to bed, l would lie and think
of this, and of the evil example set before
my brothers. / would sometimes hear
my mothers sobs from the next room
and then father would talk and curse in
his drunken sleep, and | would wish-O!
how | would wish | knew what to do to
make him a good man again. Well, one
night | remembered what Mrs. J. said in
Sunday-school about praying. You know
she told us to ask God for anything we
wanted, and not to be particular about
the form, but to let our hearts be right,
and He would hear us. So I concluded
the next time father got drunk, l would
pray, and see if what she said was true.
The very next day he came home-O!
so cross, and | went into the dark old stair
way and tried to pray. l guess it was a
queer prayer though, for l could only say
over and over, 80! God, make my father
a good man, for Jesus sake. Amen"
And then | would cry, and then | would
pray in this queer way Tor an honr or
two. That night I said the same words
until | fell asleep, and the next day when
fathw came home he wasn't near so drank
He did not curse a word, but went to bed
and we had peace. Well, then l kept OF
praying, and sometimes | would be en-
~couraged, and sometimes | would cry ant
think | would give up, for God did no
hear me. Then there would be sure t.
be something happen to make me keel
on and after two or three months, fathe
went t. work.
HE don't drink any now, nor hasn'
fora long time and last night l hear,
him tell mother he never intended t
drink another drop while he lived. Moth
or thinks very strange of all this, but
don't, for l believe God heard my poe
prayer, don't vouP
Such, than, was the secret of the ia
theirs reform such the power of Sabbat
school teaching! such the effects of fait
in prayer!
Nearly two years the old Switzer live
sober man, aud then he obeyed the sun
nous that will call each child of cart
. away. The partner Of his long pilgrim