Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1869-12-22

Next. Mark almighty NE.
"Me glory summons to the martial scene,
The field ofcombat is the sphere ofmen."
Unfortunately the field of combat
with the Hectors of this day is too often
confined to the domestic hearth-stone.
But notice:
"Where heroes war the foremost place claim
Thefirst in danger, as the first in fameT'
"ThuS having said, the glorious chief resumes
His towery hcmlet, blaclz1yith shading pIumes.
Big mel HThe first in dangerp'
Alas! the first also to snore in selfish
sleep, while the weary wife, with ach.
ing brow and heart, IuIls the fretting
child to rest. The glorious chief deigns
not to bestOw word of commend
alton or sympathy to his Andromache.
Suppose that care and anxiety, loss of
sleep, is supping her Iife's blood If
she should happen to drop of, why it is
easy enough to fill her place!
I am intimately acquainted with sew
eral modern HectOrs. Perhaps, reader,
you may recognize the picture-John
Smith. call him this for the sake of
brevity. Such aclever high-toned gen
tleman! So upright in business-sO ur-
bane in society. Dresses well, too;
wears a costly blanket across his broad
shoulders. Smokes, oh such delicate ci-
gars! His voice is as smooth as whip
ped crcam-that is, away from home;
1t does people good to hear John Smith
laugh, because (they say It seems to do
John Smith good to laugh. It is seldom
however, that Mrs. Smith and the little
Smiths everhear John laugh. He saves
all his frowns and crusty words for them
for in the heart of his family he is Hec-
tor out HectOred. His wife "guides the
spindle and directs the lOomu to perfec-
ton. Poor sickly-loOking thing! She
licks the hand that, with unseen, silent
strokes, is shortening her aimless life.
1t is enough that her Hector is
"The first in danger, and the first in faue.u
could never see any difference be-
tween a man striking his wife with a
bludgeon, or killing her silently by In
chos, Maybe John Smith can. He has
long since, by neglect, dried every
drop of love from the heart of her who in
the beginning almost worshiped him.
She was once a blooming, almost frolic-
some girl. She is now a sober lat times)
detected woman. Houses, lands, Jewels
gold, position, are all nothing to q loyal
wife without the priceless gem, her hus=
bands love.
The few short moments the recent
grandly, sublimely beautiful eclipse
lasted, proved, by the chilled air that
kissed the cheeks of those who looked
upon it, how hopelessly desolate and
Iifeless this glorious world of ours would
be, shut out forever from the genial
warmth of Gods great Iuminary.
Equally dreary and oheerless Is the
heart of a trusting wife, when cold neg
lect steals between her and the chosen
husband of her affections. Take this
away, and she becomes a mere automa-
ton. John Smith is, in the sight of God,
a murderer. It is true his wife is not
yet dead, but she is dying slowly surely,
and her husband is her murderer.
There have been instances where art
full females have become murderers in
the manner alluded to, but they are few
in comparison, for, as a general thing,
women are not eat up by self-love, as
men are.
Ieuuld mention Vqrlons other secret,
silent, deliberate, cold-blOoded murders,
these murders of the heart" but will
not name them now. Somewhere
mothers have been killed by their sons
and daughters, and the gray hairs of
fathers have been brought in sorrow to
the grave by wilIful and heartless chill
dren; but the theme is too sickenfng to
dwell upon.
It's enough to know that murders of
the heart are daily being committed in
our midst, and it is useless for any one
to deny their existence. fl knew that
by writing this sketch for the Sondqy
Times I could be the means Of averting
one single murder of the heart, like Sim
con of old, would feel like excIaiming:
'Lord, now let thy servant depart in
peace"