The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-04-21
FoR TIE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN
THE PASTORS WIFE.

life, and is worthy of being viewed more
than once. Possibly some of your readers
may have seen it before, but to the majority
of them it will be entirely new. Fl. B.
Truly she was from the Lore" was
''prudent." d" This grand ingredient in fe-
male excellence might be said to mould and
control her whole character. The term is
comprehensive, and was well used by the
wise man in giving, in one word, the charac
ter of that wife who is from the Lord-she
is prudent. -
She, whom l mourn, was prudent in her
speech. She kept the "door of her lips. -
With good conversational powers and So
cial disposition, she talked but little, She
was not sullen-the law of kindness was
ever engraved on her countenance, but her
LIPS kept knowledge" She always heard
c:ltrs with respect and attention, but ex-
pressed only her own mstured thoughts
Her conversation was religious. If not on
religion, yet there was always manifested a
disposition to give it religious turn. While
she rarely trusted herself to comment on
the characters of individuals, she left her
principles in no doubt. She therefore rarely
made an enemy by her imprudent speech.
A licentious tongue is undoubtedly the most
fruitful cause of personal animosities and
contests. Friends are ofteuer alenated by
imprudent speech, than by imprudent con,
duct. Not so with her. "She opened her
mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue was
the law of kindness. Her children rise up
and cali her blessed: her husband also and
he praiseth her"
She was prudent also in her conduct. In
straitened circumstances, her plans were al
ways for retrenchment. She often asked,
in view of an expenditure, "Can we afford
it?' She never l think, during her life,
proposed to incur the expense of a single
dollar, even for her own convenience, with
out presenting the subject in such form
that her husband could feel entirely free
to decline it, if circumstances in his view
required it. If every wife would do SO,
how often would indulgent husbands be re-
ieved from pecuniary embarrassments,
which have their origin in domestic extrava-
Cancel She always contrived to appear
respectable in society, with an annual ex-
penditure of fifty dollars, while well know
that many of her friends appeared no bet
ter, who expended Eve times that sum--so
much ney -carefalness and economy do.
She was prudent in her entire behavior.
As a clergyman's wife, she cOnciliated the
affections of all classes, formed natural
and easy connecting link between the rich
and poor of the congregation, and often re-
lieved many difficulties which the impru-
dence and mistakes of her husband created.
Although naturally difident, she was active
and bold in duty. Even when young, she
led the benevolent associations in the church,
and although she always blushed to appear
in public, she never hesitated to pray or
converse in assemblies of her own sex. In
her family, she did not suffer prayer to be
omitted when her husband was occasionally
absent, but assembled her children with the
female members of the family, and led them
in her own most fervent way to the throne
of grace. This was the pervading and
moulding principle of her character-her
spirit and habit of prayer. 1t was the Sc
cret of her influence. 1t raised her above
the world and prepared her to mingle prof.
tably with it.
In dress she was prudent, not only in the
expense but in the manner. In this she
was distinguished by her modesty and re-
gard to health. She avoided singularity,
but never sacrificed her comfort and health,
nor modesty to fashion. She was always
less ashamed to appear in bad weather at
church with clothing, suitable to defend her
from head to feet against exposure, than to
risk her health and sacrifice her better ar
ticles of dress by spurning the uncOuth over
shoe and ample umbrella. 1t was not by a
constrained effort that these practices some
times obtained, but prudence in her was a
principle, practised to a habit and all-per-
vading. 1t regulated her conduct in pri-
vate as well as in public. She never lost
the respect of her husband in the least de-
gree by familiarity. She never, by her
department to others gave cause for mo-
ment's uneasiness in the breast of her hus.
band, who was perhaps naturally too fastidi
Gus. Without afectation, she always gave
assurance by her conduct that if she did MOI
in all respects appreciate him above al
others-a thing hardly possible and not tc
be asked-yet that he had her affections
and his company was always her choice.
She was prudent to protect her apirit&a
interests against every encroachment. Ii
was always evident that her entire arrange
ment in the family had a reference to reli
gious duty in its principles and forms. Pri
vate and family devotion had their stated
times, which could not be interfered with
Like the stated ringing of the city bell
they designated the hours to which anc
from which all other arrangements led AM
departed. The Sabbath was never permitted
to take her by surprise. Nothing was lef
to be done or to retard the appropriate du