Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1839-12-17

AhStA fOtAOS WtAC ttDtnhttJ
and their heads bent closely tow ards each.
other. Mendicity appeared the only re-
source ofthis unfortunate family and they
agreed that the evening was the best time
for trying its effect. The unhappy father |
remained rocking against the shattered
wainscot till the arrival of evening. Ines
repaired the clothes of the children, which
were now 50 decayed, that everyattempt at
repair made fresh rent, and the very
thread she worked with seemed less at
tenuated than the worn-on! materials il
wrought on.
'sThe grand father seated in his ample
chair by the side of Ines (for his son had
grown Indifferent about him, watched her
moving fingers and exclaimed with the
pe;ulence of doatage, 'Ay-you are ar
raging them in embroidery, while | am in
rags-in rags 7 he repeated, holding out
the slender garments which the beggared
family could with difficulty spare him.
Ines tried to pacify him, and showed her
work, to prove that it was the remnants of
her children's former dress she was re-
pairing; but with horror unutterable, she
perceived her husband incensed at these
expressions Of dotage, and venting his
frantic and fearful Indignation inlanguage
that she tried to bury the sound of, by
pressing closer TO the Old man, and at
tempting to fix his bewildered attention on
herself and her work. This was easily
accomplished, and all was well, till they
were about to separate on their wretched
precarious errands. Then a new and
untold feeling sprang up in the heart Of
one of the young wanderers. Julia re-
membered the occurrence of a preceding
evening--she thought of the tempting
gold, the flattering language, and the ten
der tone of the young cavalier. She saw
the family perishing around her for want
she felt it consuming her own vitals-
and, as she cast her eye round the squalid
room, the gold glittered brighter, and
brighter in her eyes. A faint hope, aided
perhaps, by still more faint suggestion
of venal pride, swelled in her heart.
'Perhtps he might love me, she whisper
ed to herself, 'and think me not unworthy
of his hand Then despair returned to
the charge. 4 must die of famine, she
thought, IF | return unaided-and why
may not by my death benefit my family
II Will never survive shame, but they
nay for they will no know it!' She W mt
out and took different direction from
that of any of the family.
''Night came on---the wanderers re-
turned slowly one by one--JuZa aoas the
last Her brothers and sister had each
obtained a trihin5 aims, for they had lear
ned Spanish enough to beg in-and the
old mans face wore a vacant smile, as
he saw the store produced, which was
after all, scarce sufficient to afford meal
for the youngest. 'And have you bro't
us nothing, Jul a 7 saidher parents. She
stood apart, and in silence. Her father
repeated the question in raised and an
CRY tone. She started at the sound, and
rushing forward, buried her head in her
mothers bosom. Nothing, nothing,
she crieJ, in broken and suffocated
voice 4 trie1-ny weak and wicked
heart submitted to the thought for mo-
ment-bnt mono, not even to save you
from perishing, could IT. came home
to perish first myselfP Her shuddering
parents comprehended her, and amid
their agony they blessed her, and wept
but not from grief. The meal was
divided, Of which julia at first steadily re-
fused to partake, as she had not contrib
uted TO it, till her reluctance was over
come by the affectionate Importantly of
the resi-, and she complied.
at was during this division of what all
believed to be their last meal, that Wei
berg gave one Of those proofs ofsudden
and fearful violence Of temper bordering
on insanity, which he had betrayed latter
| ". He seemed to notice with sullen
displeasare, that his wife had, as she al.
ways did, reserve the largest portion fol
his falhe.. He eyed it askance at first
muttering angrily to himself. Then he
spoke more, aloud though not SO as to be
heard by the deaf old man, who was slug
gishy 'dovouring his sordld meal. Then
the sufferings Of his children seemed to
inspire him with a kind OF resentment, and
he started up, exclaiming, My son sells
his blood to surgeon, to save Us from
pershing A factl it occurred in I
| French family not many years ago. My
daughter trembles on the verge of prosti
tuition, to procure us a meal 7 Then fierce
| " addressing his father, And what dos
thou do, old doatard 7 Rise up, rise up
and beg for us myself or thou must starve,
and as he spoke, he raised his arm
against the helpless old man. At thi;
horrid sight, Ines shr.eked aloud, and the
children rushing forward, interposed
THE wretched father, incensed to madness
dealt blows among them, which were born'
without nurmar and then, the storm
being exhausted, he sat down and wept.
cat this moment, TO the astonishmen
and terror ofall except Welberg, the olt
man, who, since the night of this wife
interment, had never moved but from
his chair 10 his bead, and that not wlthou
assistance, rose suddenly from his seal
and apparently in obedience to his son
walked with firm and steady pace to
wards the door. When he had reache
!, it he paused, looked back on them with
f,uitless effort at recollection, and wen
out slowly and such was the terror fe
by all atthis last CHASTITY look, which seem
, ed like that Of corpse moving on to tn
place of its intermcnt, that no one attempt
ed to oppose bis passage, and severe
moments elapsed before Everard had tn
recollection to pursue him.
sIn the mean time, Ines had dismsse
: her children and setting as near as sh
? dared TO the wretched father, attempte
j - .~sS,. xaofhinu evnreSsions