The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1839-09-05

nlnsg as her brutal husband was set
ting Oft for the tavern to spend the
day, she expostulated with him, and
endeavored to impress upon his mind
her distressing and critical condition.
She seemed to succeed. But, o! de-
lusive hope. She told him she must
have assistance soon, or her stay in
the land Of the living was short. He
seemed to feel. She prevailed on him
TO go for medical aid. He crossed
the river St. Lawrence on the ice to
Kingston "a distance OF four miles)
and obtained a vial Of medicine at the
apothecary's store, and left in haste
Tor his sick family. He was returning
with apparent concern, and was pass
ing the corner of the street when one
OF his associates in profligacy, looking
through the window Of contempti-
bic. grog shop, saw his comrade pass
ing and called him ia to take some thing
to drink.
Although this inebriate knew that
the relief, if not the life, Of his family
depended on his speedy return, his
helpless family being entirely alone,
and none of his neighhors having
knowledge of his absence; yet this
miserable wretch, on hearing the
sound Of rum, and an invitation to
partake of the crimson poison, soon
forgot a suffering wife and helpless in
FAINT, left by him in the jaws of death.
He entered the sink of wo and crime,
where demons in human form are
wont to meet and hold midnight rev.
elry. Here he remained in a drunk
en- frolic for several day s,during which
it was extremely cold, and there was
a heavy fall of snow. No one called
at his house during the storm, suppo-
sing that he was at home with his fam
lily. The fire was out--no friend to
render assistance-not' even the call
|of stranger to give relief. On her
bed Of straw, with an infant on each
arm, and a few shreds OF covering, lay
the sufferer, perishing with hunger and
cold-the bed, fire place and floor
were all covered to some depth by the
drifting snow. On the third or fourth
day he returned with the little medi
cine and a bottle of rum. The snow
had so drifted it was with some diff.
Guilty he entered his house. All with.
in was silent as the house Of death. I,
is said the fingers Of the eldest babe
were stiffened to marble, and the tear
drop had frozen upon the infants
cheek. His wife neither smiled nor
wept-lite still flickered within them
all. In this situation, he found his ne.
elected and persisted family. He was
intoxicated when he returned-se his
medicine and bottle of rum on the
shelf and Immediately left for his ia.
theirs family, (nearlv half mile dis,
tant,) told his mother the fire had gone
out, and his wife was at home sick.
and he wished she would go over and
see her--at the same time stopped in
to his fathers bar took glass of bran
| dy; as ne came out, staggered and fell,
and there he spent the afternoon.
His mother was unfortunately Civ
en- to habits Of intemperance, and was
then under the influence of ardent
spirits. However, with fire and fuel
she set off to visit the abode of distress.
She found the woman and children
speeches., badly frozen, and appar.
emily in the agonies Of death. With
some difficulty she made fire, threw
a brick and stone into the flames, and
while they were heating she discov-
cred the rum. Being exceedingly
chilled, she drank freely of it, and
thought it would do her good but it
only deprived her Of reason. By this
time the brick and stone became very
warm, and the drunken mothers ap-
piled them to the naked feet of the
dying woman. / will only add, that
in about thirty minutes the kindest
messenger from heaven came to her
relief-that messenger was death.
It fell to my lot to deliver the flu
neral discourse OF this unfortunate fe-
male. The feelings Of my heart on
this OCCASION, will not attempt to de-
scribe. When the lid Of the coffin
was removed, and many weeping eyes
were casting painful looks on her who
had fallen a victim to the casualties OF
intemperance, | saw The husband (the
author other hapless fate) stagger up
to the coffin, and to all appearance,
with heart as unmoved, and an eye
as fearless as the cold and lovely form
on which he fixed his drunken gaze.
We all proceeded to the burying
ground, and felt a pleasure in seeing
the coffin consigned to its peaceful
abode. But when / had dismissed the
audience in Christian form, with my
eyes I saw that drunken maniac stag
ger over the fresh grave of his bosom
companion. Ny heart failed, and my
spirit moved within me, and ! could
not refrain from exclaiming in my