Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1876-02-29


was pledged TO make his home happy;
but that we did not trust in our pledges.
but in faith that we could do all things
through Christ who strengthened us.
Still the lines, Were hard. He had to
bear up against the taunts and the sneers
of boon companions, and had to
struggle hard to give desolate room
the welcome home look that would pre-
vent his wishing for the lights and the
warmth and the excitement. aud the
praise his songs were sure to obtain.
But, however scanty the furniture, O
poor mans home can always be sweet
and clean; that is in the power OF the
poorest; and though when he returned
from his first days timbering there was
but one tea.cup between us, the old
darned cloth was clean, the teapot and
fire bright. No lords children could be
cleaner, and he said il was as good as q
nosegay to kiss their sweet cheeks. 1t
was hideous to see how his old
companions loomed in upon our poverty,
and tempted. or tried to tempt him back.
One terrible drunkard staggered in, and
mockingly asked if would give my
husband leave to go for an hour-just
half an hour even-and arose and went
into the little bedroom. | knew | could
trust him, because he had ceased TO
trust himself. And blessed God when
| saw the tempter staggering forth,
deriding my husband, and prepared TO
commit violence on any who opposed
his progress.
1T is some time before neighbors and
ones friends can believe in drunkard's
reformation. The dear good lady who
took the surest way to insure his, lived
t see our growing prosperity
q house with teacup, she always called
it-and my goodman was not slow TO
declare the effect the clear highroad
pictured forth in the fairgrounds had
upon his excited Imagination on that
memorable night Oar necessaries
returned to US slowly at iirst-.but the
neighbors, when they saw how hard and
earnestly ny husband worked, offered US
credit for what they thought we needed;
but We resolved 10 abstain from all
luxurios until We could pay for what we
got Some OF our little valuables had
been lett at the publc.house as security
for scores, and the landlord thought
himself most Injured man when my
husband redeemed his one article Of
inery-a gold shirt pin that had belonged
to his father. We learned the happiness
every Saturday night of adding TO our
comforts; and from that day TO this my
husband has always found his house
swept and garnshed--no damp linen
hanging about, no buttonless shirts or
holey stockings. The children were
trained to neatness and good order, and
the sound of discord and contradiction
has never been since heard within our
home. The habits of our first months
of marriage returned; few verses of
Holy Writ, prayer and hymn, re-
freshed the memory of our bond with
God and with each other. We feel those
exercises far more impressive now than
we did when we practiced them as
cold ceremony rather than as result of
living faith.
In less than six years my husband
built this cottage,l may say with his own
hands. We got the bit OF land at low
rate, and over hours he worked at il as
only teetotaIer can work. Our Wiley
has never been strong lad, and the
doctor says if be had been even a trife
wild he would have been long ago in the
churchyard. With all my love for his
beautiful infancy. did not do my duty
the first two years OF his lie. A careless
wife is never careful mother, whatever
she may think; but it pleased the Lord
TO let in His ligh. upon us before the
night came. And it was not folly to
carry two things first into this house
our Bible and the old tea cup that
attracted your curiosity. 1t is not too
much TO say that the cup often reminded
US of our duties. And you can under
stand now, I think, darling, why Goodman
and Granny Grey value it before all the
gay china that could come from beyond
the seas; for may rightly say that, by
Gods help and blessing. this house icds
bull out Of that tea.eup.-Harper's
Weekly.
A man driving wind-broken horse
along Bird ge street Saturday, was hailed