National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1869-04-16
The Humble 0ferinQ.
BY MRS. c. NJ. EDWARDS,

come down already achieved and
secured to them. For what should
they be proud But to the family
who have wrestled all their lives for
independence and respectability;
rising early and late, and eating the
bread of carefulness; vigilantly OBJ
literating the footmarks Of poverty
lest the public eye should note them
making each garment and each loaf
do the duty vi two, that a daily pen
ny may be saved for greater need,
till at last these we'll saved pennies,
swell to an humble competence, and
the owner looks with laudable
pride on the battles fought and the
victory won.
From such family came my moth
er to her own humble but happy
home, with her few SIN Ill beginnings,
fairly earned beneath the paternal
roof. She we'll knew that the same
long life struggle remained to her,
for my father was no richer. and so
thus she girded herself trustingly
and lovingly for the work before her.
And the two worked on together
until they became three, and four,
and then five, and my mother was
oi,.d tha. she never dreamed of any
other road to wealth for them, well
assured that she INST have been
disapp,::""tnd. 1t seemed even mar
der TO get ulIad for the little one
than it had b zen at the old home
stead. But then there was one rca-
son-s;range she hadn't sooner
thought of that! Her father was
deacon and daily asked for their
daily bread. and it was given them.
She would ask for there was some
thing wrong-something that had
never come to them in the Old home.
Aud 50 my mother began to pray
for bread, aud though il did not al
| WAYS come there came something
else TO the heart of the poor
! woman.
And here | might as we'll tell YOU
that the demon intemptrance had
come to Us. How early it began to
! invade our premises did not then
know, but | have since learned that
one day my grandfather took mother
into the front room, and talked long
and faithfully of benjamin Baily,
and his fears that he was given to
drink. And mother had answer
ed that she would risk it" And
so she took tie husband and the
risk together.
Il is Lot necessary for me to re-
c5nnt all that we suffered or how
we were brought down by this beast
~ habit of my poor father. | call
him poor, for vile ana wicked as he
became, he was always kind and
gentle, and so comical in his drunk
en- freaks. We children would
laugh nearly to commissions, but
mother never laughed ut those times
seldom at any time.
There was beneath the stairs that
led to the loft. an old lounge that
had, like its owner, seen better days
1t was once the brightest piece o
furniture in our keeping room.
= Covered with gay patch aud far
ther distinguished by snowy tidy
1t had given an air OF comfort to tn,
place. But the children were un
ruly, and little feet had worn The
covering, and little hands had shred
ded away, so that coarse wool tha
, foimed the stuiling stood out II
ragged patches and together it wa
dragged from its hiding place. |
was there that my father slept off hi
drunken fits, and awokc to pcnitcnc,
and rcmorse. Nearer To the din
fireplace was the door to "a small in
ncr room. that was the place wher
ny mother nestled the smaller chil
drcn, and slept, and prayed. Tha
she cid pray, was Il profound sccrc
5 to me ut the time. Had known
sooner, it might saved me from
strange recklessness and hopeless
yles. in one so young.
b One day my little brother Bcnn
climbed to my lap, and putting hi
ragged sleeves around my neck, sai'
Fanny, why don't you pray lik
mamma do" tmned my eyes t
my mothers pale face 10, 1t wa
pale no longer, but burning not a
over, with bushes in being detecte
- in praying with her little ones.
81 DO keep your dirty arms frol
my neck, "said l, giving the ch'd
push from me. | saw his soft ey,
- fill with tears, and his lips quive
with grief, and the next minute
was running down the hill back g
our house with great sobs of an
guish bursting from my BOSOM
| spent long time wandering b.
the brook, and when ! returned
Benny had forgotten his sorrow an
called me to see little frog in n pa
of water, which he insisted was hi
brother. Again my eyes sought IN
= mothers. There was no rcproof /
them but an expression of pityin
love, such as have since found /
/. my heavenly Father.
IN My father had an interval of ~
10 bricty, or our baby had died, an
he had more respect for death tina
\, ANYTHING living. In like manne
H. the poor little thing had better robe
m than any of us wore. wonder,
q. to see my mother weep above u
=. coffin as though there was u.
y, enough of us left. And when 81