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A Wife Overjoyed

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California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists · Oakland, Cal. · Feb 11, 1875

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 1, No. 15.

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A Wife Overjoyed.

A MAN at whose house I was a guest, says Gough in his Autobiography, told me he had been a hard drinker and cruel husband; had beaten his poor wife till she had almost become used to it.
"But," said he, "the very moment I signed the pledge, I thought of my wife—what will my wife say to this? Strange that I should think of my wife the first thing; but I did, and as I was going home I said to myself, 'Now, if I go home and tell her all of a sudden that I have signed the pledge, she'll faint away, or she'll up and do something; and I must break it to her by degrees.' Only think of it. Why, the night before I'd have knocked her down, just as like as not, if she hadn't looked to please me; and now I was planning to break good news to her, for fear it would upset her."
As near as I could gather from what he told me, he found his wife sitting over the embers, awaiting for him. As he came into the house, he said:
"Nancy, I think that—"
"Well, Ned, what is it?"
"Why, I think I shall—that is—I mean to—to—Nancy, I mean—"
"What's the matter, Ned? Anything the matter?"
"Yes," said he; "the matter is just this: I have signed the temperance pledge, and, so help me God, I'll keep it."
"She started to her feet, and she did faint away. I was just in time to catch her; and as she lay in my arms, her eyes shut and her face so pale, thinks I, she's dead, and I've done it now. But she was not dead; she opened her eyes, and then she put her arms around my neck; and I didn't know she was so strong, as she pulled, and pulled, till she got me down where I had not been before for thirty years—on my knees. Then she said:
" 'O God help him;' and I said, 'Amen!' and she said, 'O God! help my poor Ned, and strengthen him to keep his pledge;' and I hollered, 'Amen!' just as loud as I could holler. And she kept praying and I kept hollering. You never heard a Methodist in the biggest revival you ever saw holler as loud as I did. I had like to split my throat, I hollered, 'Amen,' so loud. That was the first time we ever knelt together; but it was not the last."