The Use and Need of the Life of Carry A. NationNation, Carry Amelia
History
The Use and Need of the Life of Carry A. Nation
Nation, Carry Amelia
Nation, Carry Amelia, 1846-1911; Social reformers -- United States -- Biography; Temperance -- United States
Mother Gloyd was a true type of a New England housewife, and I
had always lived in the south. I could not say at this time that I loved
her, although I respected her very highly. But I wanted to be with the
mother of the man I loved more than my own life; I wanted to supply his
place if possible. My father gave me several lots; by selling one of these
and Dr. Gloyd's library and instruments, I built a house of three rooms
on one of the lots and rented the house we lived in, which brought us in
a little income, but not sufficient to support us. I wanted to prepare myself
to teach, and I attended the Normal Institute of Warrensburg. I was
not able to pay my board and Mr. Archie Gilkerson and wife charged me
nothing and were as kind to me as parents. God bless them! I got
a certificate and was given the primary room in the Public School at Holden.
Mother Gloyd kept house and took care of Charlien, my little girl,
and I made the living. This continued for four years. I lost my position
as teacher in that school this way: A Dr. Moore was a member of the
board, he criticised me for the way I had the little ones read; for instance,
in the sentence, "I saw a man," I had them use the short a instead of
the long a, and so with the article a; having them read it as we would
speak it naturally. He made this serious objection, and I lost my place
and Dr. Moore's niece got my room as teacher. This was a severe blow
to me, for I could not leave mother Gloyd and Charlien to teach in another
place, and I knew of no other way of making a living except by teaching.
I resolved then to get married. I made it a subject of prayer and went
to the Lord explaining things about this way. I said: "My Lord, you
see the situation I cannot take care of mother and Charlien. I want you to
help me. If it be best for me to marry, I will do so. I have no one picked
out, but I want you to select the one that you think best. I want to give
you my life, and I want by marrying to glorify and serve you, as well as
to take care of mother and Charlien and be a good wife." I have always
been a literalist. I find out that it is the only way to interpret the Bible.
When God says: "Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him he
shall bring it to pass," I believe that to be the way to act. My faith does
not at all times grasp this or other promises, but there are times when
I can appropriate them and make them mine; there are times when I can
pray with faith, believing that I have the things I pray for, other times it
is not so.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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