The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1862-07-18
No. 80.

The last speaker Was Friend Carter, .
small man, not moro than forty years OF
age. His face was thin and intense in its
expression, his hair gray At the temples. and
his dark eye almost too restless for . child
of "the stiffness aud the quietness" His
voice. though not loud. was clear and pens-
traiing. with an earnest, sympathetic quali-
ty. which arrested, not the ear alone, bat
the serious attention Of the auditor. His
delivery was but slightly marked by the Pc
cuhar rythm of the Quaker preachers: and
this fact. perhaps. increased the effect Of his
words, through the contrast with those who
preceded him.
/ His discourse was An eloquent vindicatioc
of the law OF kindness. as the highest and
purest manifestation Of true Christian doc.
trine. The paternal relation Of God to man
was the basis of that religion which appeal
ed directly TO the heart: SO the fraternity
/ of each man with his fellow WAS its practic.
al application. God pardons the repentans
sinner; we can also pardon. where we are Of
Tended; we can pity. whore We cannot par.
don. Both the good and the bad principles
] generate their like in others. Force begets
force; anger excites corresponding anger;
bat kindness awakens the Numbering emo
always be answered by an equal love, but it
has never vet created hatred. The tessino-
ny which Friends bear against war, he said,
is but a general assertion, which has no
value excspt in so far As they manifest the
principle of peace in their daily lives,--in
the exercise OF pity, OF charity. Of forbear-
ance. and Christian love.
! The words of the speaker sank deeply
into the hearts of his hearers. There was
an intense hush as ifin truth the Spirit had
moved him TO speak. and every sentence
was armed with sacred authority. Ase-
nath Mitchenor looked at him, ov er the low
partition which divided her and her sisters
from the mems side, absorbed in his rapa
earnesiness and truth. She forgot that 9TH
er hearers were present: he spake to her
alone. strange spell seemed TO seize up
on her faculties and chain them at his feet:
had he beekoned TO her, she would have
arisen and walked to his side.
Friend Carter warmed and deepened as
he went on Il feel moved to-day" he
said.-"moved. | know not Why. but I
hope for some wise purpose,--to relate to
you an instance of Divine and human kind
ness which has come directly to my own
know ledge. young man Of delicate con.
stituiion, whose lungs were thought to be
seriously affected, was sent to the house of
a Friend in the country. in order to try the
effect of air and exercise
Asenath almost ceased to breathe, in the
intensity with which she gazed and listened.
Claspng her hads tightly in her lap to pre-.
vent them from trembling. and steadyipg
herself against the back Of tho seat she
heard the story of her love for Richard Hill
ton told by the lips Of a ssranger!-not
merely Of his dismissal from the house, but
of that meeting in the street. at which only
she and her father was present! Nay, moro,
she heard her own words repeated. she
heard Richards passionate outburst of 70.
morse described in language that brought
his living face before her! She gasped for
breath.-his face iOas before her! The
features. sharpened by despairing grief,
which her memory recalled, had almost an
ticpated the harder lines which fifteen
years had made, and which now, with q
terrible shock and choking leap of the
heart. she recognized. Her senses faded,
and she would have fallen from her seat
but for the support Of the partition against
which she leaned. Fortunately, the women
ne her were too much occupied with the
narrative to notice her condition. Many Of
them wept silently. with their handkerclliefs
pressed over their mouths.
The first shock Of death like faintness
passed away. and she clung to the speakers
voice. as il its sound alone could give her
strength to sit still and listen further.
deserted by his friends. unable to stay
his feet on the evil path" he continued.
'the young man left his home and went 10
city in another State. But here il was ga
sier to find associates in evil than tender
hearts that might help him back TO good
He was tired of life, and The hope Of spec
der death hardened him in his courses
But, my friends, Death never comes to those
hp kaII To- h.
holds destruction from the hands that are
madly outstretched to grasp il. and forces
His pity and forgiveness on the unwilling
soul. Finding that il was the principle Of
life which grew stronger within him, the
young man at last meditated IN awful crime.
The thought of self destruction haunted
him day and night. He fingered around
| the wharves, gazing into the deep waters.
, and was restrained from the deed only BY
the memory of the last loving voice he had
! heard. One gloomy evening, when even
this memory had faded, and he awaited the
approaching darkness to make his design
| secure, hand was laid ON his arm. A man
in the simple garb Of the Friends stood b.
fore him, and q face which reflected the
kindness. of the Divine Father looked upon
him. MY child.' said he. I am drawn to
thee by the great trouble Of thy mind
Shall tell thee what it is thes meditates?'
The young man shook his hsad. i will b
silent, then. but l will save thss. I know
the human heart. and its trials and wsakness-
es, and it may be put into my mouth to give
thee strength he took she Joung mans
hand, a. ii he had been littls child, and
led him to his home. He heard the I'd
story, from beginning to end; and The yosaa
man wept upon his breast. = hsas nc. word
Of reproach, bat only the largest aAd tan
dcre.t pity bestowed upon him. Thsy knsls
down, SIDE by side, u midnight; and ths
Friends right hsad was upon his head
while they prayed. sa'ss z. s sf.sa.
The young man ~ SeDeasd hon his
evil ways, to acknowledge ssih la.thss -
boundless mercy Of Prosidsees. Ths H.
sipation wherein he had fsstlssale soaehs