The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-06-02
THE HERoIsM OF coaMoN LIFE.

in the lite of every family things that
are magnificent and worthy of poetry
| and history, and that will be clanted
in the other life. There are things in
the experience of every household that
are essentially heroic connected with
the conduct Of parents tow: I'd their
children, and Of the children toward
their parents, and Of children toward
each other They are not famous,
they are not widespread; but if you
measure heroism by the moral quail
ity, the motive, you will find cradle
side heroism, and bedside heroism.
hcroiem Of distress and poverty,
which are eminent as any hero
ism that there ever was on the battle
field, or in the council chamber. Yes,
and ten thousand times more 80, be.
cause they are accompanied with less
excitement and less prospects ofsym-
pathy and remuneration For, in the
dull night alone - oh, alone! at the
longest striking Of the clock, alone! at
its shortest stroke, alone; at the double
stroke, alone; at tn ee and four in the
morning alone; with sick baby and
no one 10 succor. sits the child Of for
tune, cultured, exquisite in taste, and
sensitive in every moral feeling as an
angel. At last, the longedfor sound,
now hated, Of the footsteps of him for
whom she waits, comes to her ear: and
some miserable, dissipated creature
wakes the night; and he comes. rude,
and red, and stumbling into the room;
and she, with every feeling narrowed,
with every taste offended, with her
whole nature outraged, reyolts. Yet,
it was the husband Of her youth, it
was hers and she turns to forget her
revolving and her shrinking to meet
him. to quiet him, 10 lead him TO his
disgraced bed, to put him TO sleep TO
kneel while he snores in his drunken
slumbcr, and amid tears and prayers.
and heart breaking and anguish. like
another angel OF God to him. to i'm
plore mercy for him. And not her
own mother knows; not her own
father knows it; no companion knows
it. With her own lie she is hiding
his deformity.
Now. do you tell me that there is
heroem like that ON the battlc-felds
or in the council chambers? nd so
cicty is full of heroes OF love and DO
nestle fidelity. Thousands Of them
are unknown on earth. They march
in ranks and battalions. so that we
speak of them in nouns Of multitude
as drunkard's wives, All thOse that
under such circumstances, lift them
selves up above the ordinary line OF
human conduct, are heroic. And God
waits for them, and heaven is home
sick for them. Oh, how they will
shine there! Perchance, as you see
them going through the street, meek
and patient, their dress growing more
and more rusty, you smile pityingly
and say, They are poor drunkards
wives, they were promising once. but
they have gones sdown, down, down
and now they are nowhere" l beg
your pardon, they have not gone
down. They have ueen going up
And when you rise with all the wealth,
and learning and genius, and stand in
heaven, having escaped damnation so
as by fire, you may 10 'ow est, at d see
them MS far above YOU us the stars to-
night are above your heads For the
last shall be first, and the lowest shall
be highest
There are heroes that fight battles
besides those that are on the battle
fields. Great and glorious men there
are on lefclds, fighting for the
fife Of the country, for the life Of lib
erty, for the life of justice, for the life
of law; but there are other heroes be-
sides these / have seen them fight
with poverty. Oh. how long a fight
how cunning the enemy! how sharp
his wcaponl How dreadful a battle is
that which one must Il Iht against pow
erty, especially if he has TO go down in
life, and change his circle in sotietyi
and, what is hardest OF all. change il
to the damage Of his children dc
not think that half a man finds any
trouble in being poor if he could be
alone. For it takes but little to keep
a man alive and there is, you know
but one alternative. A man standing
by himself will certainly live, and there
will be something TO live on till he
dies, and it is the best thing about it
The only alternative is, " If die. !
win and until die, l am sure to live
somehow" 1t does not hurt man to
be poor, if he is alone but all mans
nerves he carries in the heart of those
that he loves, go that when they suffer
he suffers; and to take his companions
down into poverty does hurt him. II
they were grown up he would not care
But they arc growing up. Tho boys
gan take care Of themselves very well
and can gain a position in the world
but that the girls should 90 out into
life, and be kicked about like foot. balls
is too much for him to endure.
Inced not tell some of you how q
man thinks about these things, and
how the thought that his familymust
struggle with poverty cute like knife
Last week I met brother, who, de.
scribing q friend Of his, said he was
like a man who had dropped bottle
and broken it. and put the pieces in
his bosom, where they werO cutting
him perpetually. ! have seen persona
with troubles and cares that seemed