Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-09-28
THE KIND OF PREACHING THAT
DOES GOOD TO THE POOR.

THE KIND OF PREACHING THAT
DOES GOOD TO THE POOR.
James Fielding was the son of potter,
and bred up to his fathers trade. lie
married young-long before he could keep
wife-and with both his parents con-
sent, or rather with their forgiveness, as
they could not help themselves. For, as
they said, it war very nat'rals and he
might ha' don worse: 'twar, to DO sure,
the first time, an belize he wouldn't do it
agen. And so they cordially shock hands
with him, and pledged the pretty bride in
fagon of old Burton, and were both
present at the first child's christening
But the cholera came soon afterwards, and
took off the old man and his wife. This
was the opening scene of Jane Fielding's
suffering pestiience-and death.
Ills wife and himself were soon afterwards
both seized with the disorder, and, though
they recovered slowly, it was only TO find.
their father and mother, and frst-born
child, removed from their once comforta-
bic home to the churchyard, and they
themselves with feeble bodies and accu-
INFLATED debts, which had run on wildly
during their sickness. First, james was
put in gail for the doctors bill, and then
the landlord distrained for rent, and turn
ed them on the world; and so they were
ruined.
To be in prison never serves man he
gets habit Of shifting and shutfiing, and
leaning, and talking, and idling; lie has
the short hand-in-the-pocket walk, and the
hang-down look of a Jail companion; he
is never man again. James Fielding
came ont of Stafford Jail chan ged CHAR
acter: more clever and less capable of
work-daintier, but not so refned-proud-
er, but not more honorable; the edge was
taken from the mind and given to the APP
petltcs; nevertheless, he was fond faith
CT, for he shortly became one again, and
Il loving husband to wife who dotted on
him. Buta thoroughly fallen man seldom
rights himself, and bankruptcy is break
mp for life in the constitution of successful
industry. James Fielding labored, but
toll was thrittless; he found friends, but
one way or other, he let in every body
who had any thing to do with him. BY
degrees, he got, as was natural, a very bad
character, and, as is generally the case
under snch circumstances, without alto
gether deserving it. He was an unfortu
nate, but not All evil man; and we all
know how falling bodies quicken in their
descent.
Still, he was man born to suffer, and
ia earn his bread by the sweat of his
brow. Men of all countries, stations. and
fortunes, labor from the serf to the lord
and Fielding's destiny was only that of
his sex. But.the gentle, pretty girl, whom
he had taken from her fathers home to
comfort and cherish, to keep his fireside
clean, and to nurse his little ones around
him-her lot was not cast by God for Ia
Dor, for toll and moiI, and anguish; yet
who eas tell what sorrows of grief pierced
that wonlaa's heart during her twelve
years apprenticeship to wifehood! Who
shall describe the mwomanly miseries,
alas, too common in England! OF her daily
shifts and struggles, her pigmy quaint
looks, her thread-bare clothes insufficient
to protect her from the winter weather,
her hard-day labor, her sharp endurance
of her children's hunger, and forgetfulness
of her own: her long, sad catalogue of
distress"s, compared with which the pains
Of childbirth, and even the death Of the
child at the breast, are nothing, being
feminine sufferings.
This poor woe begone mother stood be-
fore good curate Godfrey, one of a noise.
less wayfaring body of Christian men who
make little stir beyond their own parish,
. hut are there constantly felt and aeard Of
the true disciples Of the Father of the
poor, the worlds first teacher of que,
charity.
He he goin' fast, indeed. he be- said
Mary Frelding, speaking Of the potter
who had been down some weeks in a low
fever "Tis hard to lose the father O.
ones child'en. 1 could ha' horne any
stroke bnt thisn. Every where is church
yard now-the life is dug out o me-"
DO not murmur, but think of the past
! remember christening some o. those
Children, when he and you were fnll o.
health and joy. In f,,is Journey of life
Mary, there is no hill without its hollow
our ne'shbor Susan Jackson will not have
to mourn the loss of husband, for che
has never known the love and protection
OF one; and wien she goes, she will no
leave orphans to grieve for her. But, TO
all that, Susan is very lonely and destitute
and says nobody cares for her."
Ma, hap! tut Susan jackson. ca + u
sorry for what she never had; and 400
foik didn't ought to be tancitul. ,ris mf
sir partin' WI my husband, that sI.oul
irets"