The Use and Need of the Life of Carrie A. Nation [21]
surprised;
had been expecting something like it. I knew that this was in
answer to my prayer, and David Nation was to be the husband God
selected for me. He was nineteen years older than I, was very good looking,
and was a well-informed, successful lawyer, also a Christian
minister. My friends in Holden opposed this because of the difference
in our ages and of his large family. I gave him the loving confidence
of a true wife and he was often very kind to me. We were married
within six weeks from the time I got the letter from him. Mother
Gloyd went to live with us and continued to do so for fifteen years, until
she died. My married life with Mr. Nation was not a happy one. I
found out that he deceived me in so many things. I can remember the
first time I found this out. I felt like something was broken that could
never be mended. What a shattered thing is betrayed confidence!
Oh, husband, and wives, do not lie to each other, even though you should
do a vile act; confess to the truth of the matter! There will be some
trouble over it, but you can never lose your love for a truthful person. I
hated lying because I loved the truth. I hated dishonesty because I loved
honesty. I loved, therefore I hated. I love mankind therefore I hated
the enemies of mankind. I loved God and therefore hated the devil.
Truth is the pearl of great price. Whoso getteth it has all earth and
heaven.
I shall not in this book give to the public the details of my life as a
wife of David Nation any more than possible. He and I agreed in but
few things, and still we did not have the outbreaks many husbands and
wives have. The most serious trouble that ever rose between us was in
regard to Christianity. My whole Christian life was an offense unto him,
and I found out if I yielded to his ideas and views that I would be false
to every true motive. He saw that I resented this influence and it caused
him to be suspicious and jealous. I think my combative nature was largely
developed by living with him, for I had to fight for everything that I kept.
About two years after we were married, we exchanged our mutual properties
for seventeen hundred acres of land on the San Bernard River in
Texas, part of which was a cotton plantation. We knew nothing of the
cultivation of cotton or of plantation life. We took a car load of good
furniture with us and some fine stock, hogs and cattle. In packing up to
go to Texas there was a widow who assisted me. In paying her for her
services, I gave her some worthless things, because I was so avaricious.
I would not pay her money, but gave her the things I did not want to
carry with me. I remember I left about eight bushels of potatoes in the
cellar for her and the night we left they froze. I felt very much condemned
the way I treated this poor woman.
We were as helpless on the plantation as little children. The cultivation
of cotton was very different from anything we had been used to. A
bad neighbor threw all of our plows in the Bernard River and everything
seemed to go wrong. We had eight horses die in the pasture the spring
after we moved there. Soon the money we took with us was gone and
Mr. Nation got discouraged. He went to Brazoria, the county seat, and
stayed six weeks during court, for the purpose of entering the practice
of law again.
The cotton had been planted before he left. A neighbor named Martin
Hanks came over and told me not to allow the cotton to go to waste, said
he would lend me his plows, and advised me to get a colored man named
Edmond, who was his master's overseer in slave time, to manage this
crop for me. I hired five other negroes, paying them with things I had
in the house, for I had not a cent of money. The result was a fine crop of
cotton. Mr. Nation's daughter Lola, was then eleven years old, and
Charlien was three years younger. We lived six miles from a school, and
just at a time when the girls needed school most. I began to see what a
disastrous move we had made. I became very dispondant and sick at
heart. I was young and did not
had been expecting something like it. I knew that this was in
answer to my prayer, and David Nation was to be the husband God
selected for me. He was nineteen years older than I, was very good looking,
and was a well-informed, successful lawyer, also a Christian
minister. My friends in Holden opposed this because of the difference
in our ages and of his large family. I gave him the loving confidence
of a true wife and he was often very kind to me. We were married
within six weeks from the time I got the letter from him. Mother
Gloyd went to live with us and continued to do so for fifteen years, until
she died. My married life with Mr. Nation was not a happy one. I
found out that he deceived me in so many things. I can remember the
first time I found this out. I felt like something was broken that could
never be mended. What a shattered thing is betrayed confidence!
Oh, husband, and wives, do not lie to each other, even though you should
do a vile act; confess to the truth of the matter! There will be some
trouble over it, but you can never lose your love for a truthful person. I
hated lying because I loved the truth. I hated dishonesty because I loved
honesty. I loved, therefore I hated. I love mankind therefore I hated
the enemies of mankind. I loved God and therefore hated the devil.
Truth is the pearl of great price. Whoso getteth it has all earth and
heaven.
I shall not in this book give to the public the details of my life as a
wife of David Nation any more than possible. He and I agreed in but
few things, and still we did not have the outbreaks many husbands and
wives have. The most serious trouble that ever rose between us was in
regard to Christianity. My whole Christian life was an offense unto him,
and I found out if I yielded to his ideas and views that I would be false
to every true motive. He saw that I resented this influence and it caused
him to be suspicious and jealous. I think my combative nature was largely
developed by living with him, for I had to fight for everything that I kept.
About two years after we were married, we exchanged our mutual properties
for seventeen hundred acres of land on the San Bernard River in
Texas, part of which was a cotton plantation. We knew nothing of the
cultivation of cotton or of plantation life. We took a car load of good
furniture with us and some fine stock, hogs and cattle. In packing up to
go to Texas there was a widow who assisted me. In paying her for her
services, I gave her some worthless things, because I was so avaricious.
I would not pay her money, but gave her the things I did not want to
carry with me. I remember I left about eight bushels of potatoes in the
cellar for her and the night we left they froze. I felt very much condemned
the way I treated this poor woman.
We were as helpless on the plantation as little children. The cultivation
of cotton was very different from anything we had been used to. A
bad neighbor threw all of our plows in the Bernard River and everything
seemed to go wrong. We had eight horses die in the pasture the spring
after we moved there. Soon the money we took with us was gone and
Mr. Nation got discouraged. He went to Brazoria, the county seat, and
stayed six weeks during court, for the purpose of entering the practice
of law again.
The cotton had been planted before he left. A neighbor named Martin
Hanks came over and told me not to allow the cotton to go to waste, said
he would lend me his plows, and advised me to get a colored man named
Edmond, who was his master's overseer in slave time, to manage this
crop for me. I hired five other negroes, paying them with things I had
in the house, for I had not a cent of money. The result was a fine crop of
cotton. Mr. Nation's daughter Lola, was then eleven years old, and
Charlien was three years younger. We lived six miles from a school, and
just at a time when the girls needed school most. I began to see what a
disastrous move we had made. I became very dispondant and sick at
heart. I was young and did not