The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-10-07

she opposed what she considered tyraI
: my, Her, husband felt that all .Whic
he had tried to do went for nothing, an
that the children whose bread he, ,6arr
ed, were taught to despfse him: Th
,iwas not. the Truth; for Susan ltheuk
she was unjust, never said a wdr
against her husband, save to him, q
I before 'his flce;; there was left this Iii
tie spark Uf truth and honor. yet. Ther
were occasional traces and attempts q
fpeaces until the little girl was bonn
| then the worst OF this divided house lar
peared. The father WIS constantly b
the watch, and the thousand 1ittl
nameless ways in which own parent
age shows itself, awakened .6tsan'
jealousy for her fatherless ones. An,
once, when Mf. Powers struck Harr]
because the baby was hurt in his play
the mOther's anger famed out, "What
is she better than my boy? 1 wisl
that she never had been born." Ant
never IN the fathers sight would sh,
bestow q qaress upon his child. Whel
he was out Of the way,she made up fo
ali.s'.'i .siiizEss-T Sc = ysJ is15a33 !f5r
I aAt afiffeen months old the child fel
\ Ill. III was a bad, summer for babies
and she was teething; it was only 8
weeks sickness, and she died. \ As
they were pattibgi her into the uttlt
casket, her father turned tn his wife
and said % Tliis is as good as what you
| wished" Susan dared not ask if the
grave weref0 be made in her lot, but
she hoped till the very moment when
the carriage turned to the opposite
path, and the whole breadth of the
cemetery lay between. W -
will never 60 there when he can
KNOW" said Susan to herself. And in
this frame of mind, filled with anguish
for her loss, while remorse for what she
had allowed, herself to say and feel
while the child lived, and with anger
toward her husband, she went to
church, on the Sunday after the sfrne-
RAJ, more for the sake of igetting; away
alone, than for the hope that any word
conid help her there She had never
been in the same place before. ,,Js'1 \,
y 1t was, Friday morning, and the Rev.
DIR StanfieId satin his study, attempt
ing to write q sermon of fconsolation.-
Two of his parishioners had died that
week a1e<1ay the other ia= the prime
of life. Pe must say something Of hea1
ven to the mOurners. rf,~dE Il
He had the text written out: Ye
believe ROOD, believe also in me. In
my father house are many mansions"
But that was as far as he could go the
words that he wanted would not come:
He walked out to try and work him.
self Into the mood, when instead of it
there fell upon him such a sense of the
rw0rth,of Tmanoas man, such a vision of
his capacities, such wonders at his pos
sibilities, there came upoH him such a
realization of the soul, apart from con-
ditions, that he felt it must be written.
What q waste, of time with the work
which must 7be deIIe yet onlhis hands!
But he put at the top of his paper, "Yes
are of more value than many spar
rows" and, For we are also his off
spring." Writing was no labor then,
and before he thought of it there was a
sermon. 81 must pick out an, old one
for Sunday" he thought; but on Sat
urday night he determined to preach
that. "It's the word of the Lord to
me from this hour, and will, say it,"
Susan Powers heard that sermon
and it was the word of deliverance and
peace to her soul. She sat like one in
q dream, till the services ended; then
rose and went out of the house, just
casting one backward glance at the
man who had spoken, to see If he were
not indeed an angel, then, with fixed
purpose in her heart, turned toward
her home. "I will try and keep my
sight" she said 81 will not become
blind again.H Fer she aUds like one
who had just received her sight. How
sil her life, to this hour, she herself had
been the center around which the uni
verse reyolvsd = her rights, her COM
Forts, had been the important matters,
and people were good Or bad according |
10 their, treatment of her! And yet
Life, her life, had seemed only poor and
mean. .sstE . iii" "'fE' - - ,i.I r'las
No word of upbraiding, or of warn
ng, or of threatening, could have |
,ouched her as this thought of the val
le of man had dOne.i
But bow can 1 let him know of this
lew light that has come to me?u she
lsked herself "IfIwere to begin talk
ng kindly, he would think there was |
;ome purpose in it and !despise me. If
tell him that / have been wrong, he
viii not listen, or say some, cutting
hing. What shall / do ?n She thought
1.-THE chiidrens but since the baby's
ieath he had never spoken, not even
Q scold them. He went in and out as
hough they were not in the. world. At
he table their, mother gave them food
which his money had purchased, know
ng that he hated them, and feeling
Is if each morsef they ate was choking
Ter. Then the thought come of the lit
lie grave, and how he would go there
lone at sunset; would she dare
ffer to go with HIM? No, her courage
vas not equal to that. But there was
she could do. She found
hat her husband was busy writing in
Us own room aud quickly gathering
'er best, lOveliest autumn flowers, she
vent to the cemetery; tenderly, with
ears that fell not merely for her loss,
he laid her Offering on the new grave.
hat little mound was an altar, and
his was an Offering of love and peace,
nd of hope, too. .sa aai - Il
That night, when Mr.. Powers came
lome his wife scarcely dare raise her
yes to his face |; though she longed to
8 know If her repentance was accept
d. He said nothing, but she fancied
hat his movements were gentler than
suaI, and he actually picked up one
f the children,s toys and put 1t away;,
e was not used to touch anything of
heirs. All through the week Susan
to do kind things without be-
ng obtrusive; and, when Sunday night
anne, as he was leaving the house, her
onnet and shawl were all ready. she
aid, trembling, ~ should like to go
vith you, Phillip" and, as he did not
)rbid, she walked on by his side.- Nei-
her spoke, but after little, Susan tim |
1ly put her hand on her husbands
rm; this permitted also, and she felt
hat her offers Of peace were not de-
Day by day she sought and made lit
e opportunities to show good VIII
ot feciving direct encouragement, but
OF repelled, she perseyered, FEELING
onstaiitly that a little ground was
aimed. The great wonder was that
er own sense Of wrong had vanished
be found herself beginning, to think
rst Of his comfort and convenience, to
onsider his interests, and to feel real
ain when the children incommoded /
fm In any way. = - =, -,
Early in the autumn Harry was ta- !
en- ILL., of what soon proved pneumo- I
la, On the second day, before Susan
ad realized that it was anything Sc
Gus, their doctor came in, saying ;
Your husband came round he thinks
had better see the lad" There was !
choking sensation the mothers {
,roAt: il came to her like flash, that I
Ne had not wanted a doctor for the ba- 1