The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1839-10-31

a
Wen, . lev more weeks rolled away,
before my husband sgain staid ont sl.er
his usual hour. When he came home
shls tine, he was considerably inioxiea.
ted lie pushed me roughly aside. a. he
entered The house. unmindinl al my fast
falling iears. My nights and days be-
came now sDbiiiersd wilh certain fear.
ful looking for Of sorrow. Ny cheek be-
came pale. and mine eyes red with weep
ing.
For about i've years after this, my hus.
band frequently came home intoxicated.
In vain ] reasoned and demonstrated. 4
treated him with all the tenderness Of
which was capable--did all that could
70 anticipate his wants, and made his fire-
side cheerful and agreeable-snd yet, Tor
Il all. ] was frequently repaid with harsh
and brutal abuse When sober, he vas
kindly adeclionate. and would make eE-
cry promise in the world 20 amend. He
seemed deeply conscious Of lie injury
he had done me. Still tie enemy was
allowed fortress on our side-board, and
still my husband said there could be no
harm in occasionally dallying with him.
Alas! The habit was fxed--deeply. incu.
rsbly fixed. lie had become 4 slave 10
his passions. lie could no longer resis,
the temptation. The net was thrown
the victim had been caught; and all the
prayers, and agoai1ing supplica,ions Of a
wife, and all the tears Of five ashamed
and wreiehed children. could mol set the
captive free.
Well. two more years passed away,
Of deep and Undesirable wre,rhedness
Every thing went wrong. Ny children,
who at first were shocked al their fathers
disgrace, now. in turn, began 10 ridicule
him. His business was neglected. and
The first in,imstinn lha, received OF the
bad state Of his affairs, was an execution
levied BY one Of our rum.selling profes.
snrs, upon his store. Immediately gave
q mortgage on my house to release ms
husbands effects 10 trade. lie promised
amendment. ] believed him. and placet
IN his banda all the property which my
deceased father had settled upon me
This, however, was soon sacrificed, like
the rest; and sixteen years after my mar
riage, found myself wre,ched outcas
upon the world, with no place ,ha, could
call my own, in which TO lay my head.
Well dol remember bitter cold morn
ing. in January, 1872, NY husband hat
been absent al night. and | was sea,et
before cheerful fire, in our large south
cas-, parlor. was thinking over the day,
tina, were past, and Imagination was bu
sy smids, the joyous scenes OF my youth
! had forgotten tia, my eye had lost il.
! lusire. that my cheek was colorless, and
iha, had experienced so many years o.
sorrow. was thinking of my father snt
mother, now dead and gone--and how
tenderly they loved me--of the compan
ions Of my youth; and Of my happy bri
dal hour. Al this moment | was srouset
by q loud and violen, knocking ct III,
dGnr, A group Of men entered, amongs
whom | looked in vain Tor my husband
They had come, they said. on an unplea
SAINT business. Nv husband was bank
rup,. and they had come to attach his pro
perry. requested permission 10 exam
inc their execution. II ipns ispisd by !
runrssiling professor Of religion.
i Igave up my splendid mansion. an,
all its costly furniture. without q muir
mur.s followed my husband TO a rud,
built and low matched cottage down I,
the edge Of the shore. Even here coul,
have been happy, Blu, other woes an,
other sorrows still awaited me. wa
here destined TO see two Of my boys be
come the victims of intemrerance, AM
40 follow the other three to their long ans
silen, abode Would that | had burie,
then in infancy,
II well remember a cold, stormy AM
Jreary eve, in the winter of 1924. T'w,
Of my boys had been off thai day fishing
the two eldest had accompanied their IA
Their to town; and | sat o, home, owe
the nearly expired embers, endeasorin!
to prepare something for my younges
I. son.. who was stretched upon low bet
beside me, nearly gone with the scat,t
/ fever. Ny tears cell fast, as his iowm"an
ING voice reached my ear. | arose 70 as
sist him, but | noticed a mortal palenes
, had come over his face. staggered to
wards the bed. One gasp for breath, an,
, then Il was all over with him foi ever
How long | lay inspnsible ] know NJ,
bu. when revived, | found myself in an
) other apartment. The candle burnt fee
|, bly in It's socket. The fire was entirel.
. ex,inguished; aud beside me, in the ha
, hiliments Of the grave, stretched upon
plank across two chairs, lay my son--s'
, lately full Of health and animation, nov
a cold and silent corpse. | arose. ant
entered the other room; neither my hus
, band nor my boys had returned. Tn
, storm howied wildly without, the rail-
beat violently against the window. an,
, there | was alone, in that dreary cot
tage, at the late hour of midnight, wit
/, the corpse of my darling boy. Som
neighbors had accidentally entered Wills