The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-01-07
Mastered BY PASSION.
Aunt Annie's Story,

and that she often says things that she
does not mean"
It was Hannah Cleaves who spoke,
and she was defending her young and
pretty cousin, who had been not quite
two years the wife of Charles Gray.
Still" said Susan Adams, another
cousin, II must say that she is much
to blame. Her husband is one Of the
kndest and best of men, and I know
that she often makes him unhappy.
She might act differently if she would.
II am not sure of that" returned
Hannah. "She is not to blame for the
evil disposition which was born in her.
She cannot help her own nature. No
two of us are alike in all our feelings,
and we are all apt to act about as we
feel. It is unfortunate that some
people are diseased; but cannot say,
that those are to blame who have in
herited their disease from their ances-
tors. And so it is with our disposition"
But" suggested Susan, "that per-
son who has inherited a disease which
works mischief not only to herself, but
all around her, is certainly to blame if
she does not make any exertion to get
rid of it,"
SAY" cried Hannah, "but there are
diseases which cannot be got rid of {;
and say that Cousin Ruthca mot be
blamed for her feelings, because they
come in spite of her, and when they
have come she cannot hide them"
Aunt Annie Dismore laid her knit
ting-work aside and gravely shook her
head.
Hannah" she said, with deep SOL
emnity, you may at some time be a
mother; and when that time comes, let
me urge you not to teach your children
the doctrine you have been upholding
here"
Aunt Annie was such good, kind
woman, and she loved us all so we'll,
and did so much for our happiness, that
even Hannah Cleaves was respectfully
silent beneath the gentle reproof.
"A little while ago." our aunt went
on, "you were speaking of willful peo-
pie. Now, I admire strong self-will
when it is bent in the right direction.
The noblest of Gods children are those
who have strong wills. The Christian
martyrs were extremely self-willed.
Self-wil is beneficial force when it is
made to uphold virtue and goodness.
And cultivate self-will as much as you
please, and make it subservient to right.
fear the trouble with Ruth Gray is,
that she has no self-will. What you
call self-wil in her is only perverseness
and inconsistency. She exercises no
will at all, but is the creature of circum-
stance, suffering herself to be swayed
to and fro by every gust of passion that
sweeps across her path"
When Aunt Annie laid her knitting
work upon the table, and folded her
hands in her lap, we knew she had
something of interest to say to us, for
she was not woman who talked for the
sake of talking.
II tell you, girls" she said, 1--WE can
it we will If we will do right, we can
do right. She who practically denies
this casts aside the very foundation of
virtuous character, and erects her struct-
ure of life upon a basis of sand. am
going to tell you story of my own life.
You call me good; and I think T am
good to you. At all events 7 try to be
so. But my goodness of temper came
to me through mighty effort of will,
as you shall see. When T was young
was more perverse than your Cousin
Ruth ever was. My temper was quick
and high; I was subject to fits of de-
spondency that made all around me mis-
cradle; and excused myself upon the
plea that such was my nature could
not help it. When I became the wife
of Jacob Dismore I was very happy,
and I thought myself very fortunate,
for I knew that I had won for husband
one of the best young men in the
town. Your Uncle Jacob was then
just what he is now kind, generous,
loving, forbearing and faithful to a
fault. For the first six months of our
married life I did not allow my bad
temper to show itself much; but at
length my honeymoon waned, and my
selves. g! became, in short, just what I
was before I was married. People
called me self-willed; but had no self
will. I did not will to be cross and
petulant. I was cross and petulant be-
cause I had no will to be otherwise.
Sometimes I had bad feelings, and
I had no will no overcome them. The
slightest thing that crossed me found
me SO entirely devoid of will that it
swayed me at it's pleasure. At the end
of two years there was more of misery
than of happiness in my home, and
could not hide from myself the fact
that I was the cause of it all; and yet
tried to convince myself that was
not to blame When my mother talked
with me, I declared that I could not
help it; and when my husband ventured
to allude to the subject. I flew into a
passion. I could not bear Gliding
from him. In fact, his very kindness
and goodness sometimes fretted me
and when he offered to point out to me
my errors it seemed as though he we're
preaching to me, and I would not listen.
"Girls, I tell you truly when I tell
that I believe no one was ever more
firmly fixed in the habit of .ll-feeling
than I was at that time, and / did Ger
tainly then believe that i could not
help it.
"Some time before we were married
there had been 8 volunteer artillery
company in our town, and, as Jacob
was the only commissioned officer iv-
ing in the town itself. he took charge