The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1842-08-04


once and forever: and often did he, with
many tears, promise that he would never
drink another drop, and never again enter
tina, deI. Of iniquiiy, the gros.s shop. But
long since every promise Of this nature bad
been broken and forgotten, and he who was
the kind fa,her, bad become the inilriaied
fiend. Even the tears Of his wife, and The
fears of his children, aiaddened him with
rage. Nothing at home would please him,
but all went wrong. The more guilty he
was himself, the more inclined was he to
be angry with every one Of his household.
So it was on The night in question, and
such was the mood in which he entered his
miserable dwelling.
The frs, object which met his ego were
the tears Of his wife, aud the clinging Of
his boy to tho side of his mother. lie was
Just full enough Of drink TO be the demon,
without The imb cili,y of the drunkurd.
"You sneaking, sinking miscreant,'
said he, as he approached as with lion
bound, ard seized upou bis trembling boy
-" III teach you TO be always flying from
the face Of your father. What arc you do,
ing, you young rescal, TO be always hiding
behind your mother when ! come There
take lhai-and iha,-.and that as he cuff.
cd him on orc side Of the head, and then on
the other, till with the last blow, he relu.
pushed his hold, aid sent him reelng
agalns, the opposite wall, where he fell,
and lay grIeying and moaning upon the
floor.
The poor mother had raised her implor
ing eyes TO her husband 10 spare her boy.
while tho big tears were rolling down her
cheek, though she could not utter syllable.
Those tears maddened hm. "Wiic, "
said he, With the voice Of lieud--"i have
seen enough Of this everlasting sniyelIlng.
aud now you shall &c after your boy r and
lie levelled al her a blow which laid her
PROSTATE upon The floor. "And now )" said
the tiend, an have general clearance,
and still house FOR once" So saying, he
LAID hold Of his wife, aud dragging her 10
the door, he threw her into the deep snow
then seIzlng the infant which had fallen to
the floor, by one aru, h5 hurled that G.tes
her, then his almost unconscious boy, after
giving him cuI or two. be dragged by Que
leg TO the door, aud slung him With all his
nIehi lnto The dark distance without then
followed 10 moment, one a.ler tho other,
the lnte sleeping boys IN the Corner
reused 10 a Iwinkhng, and hurled abroad
upon the snow. Thus the house was clear
ed, aud the moment this vas done, the door
was fastened, and al within was cloar.
The poor mother es soon as possible
gathered around her her ouicas, famIIy-
The infant on her booom-the lile bows
clinging 10 her on either side. BOT shen
abe wen, 10 her darling Grsi born, the noble
boy tina. would uever leave his mothers
side, nor close an eve in sleep While she sat
waiting the return Of her brutal husband,
she found him still! unconscious, and unable
TO riss. With one arm, kneellng. she clasp
ed her darling, dying boy, and raised him
TO her bosom-sho called him by name.
but be awoke not. The pulse vas still
beating, and tia, was alt.
Something must be done 10 save her own
life, aud tia. OF her children. She an
preached the door. from which she had
been 50 lorcIbly elected, no, to seek an en-
trance but TO knos If any deed Of self de
slruction might be going on within. Her
spi'ii vas broken, and she dad not seek 10
SO iariher-and thee she turned away 10
her nearest neighbor. She and Der chill.
dren were housed for the night, and every
thing done for their relief.
Morning rntno, nnd With it returning rca
son to the brutal father aud husband.
lie remembered something Of the scenes
of the pas; night. But Re remembered
them with paiu ard dlsmay. Where were
his wife and children tossed out in the in. /
clement night VIA, his cruel blows had .
done, bestowed in tie heat Of madness and
passion, aud bestowed with what violence
and force, he could 40; remember.
HIS FIRST dreamy impressions Of tho evcn,s
Of the night, were Of nature that filed hi,
mind glih rcmorse, and tho more he re-.
fiecied, the more intense that rcmorse be.
came, TIL at last reflection aud solitude he.
came Iniolernble. He sailed forth 10 6nd
bis wife and children; be had never so much
abused them bclore--neger driven them
rom his dwelling, though he had treated
hem with great neglect, uuklndnoss, opd
oilen with brutal violence.
The place Uherc bis family had found a
'eiuge was soon found be appeared before
hem like guilty culptit But, oh : vha,
lre his emotions when no saw the mere
wreck OF his yet uacon-slous boy lying be.
ore him, and his pale, weeping mother
langlng over him. The infant was 10 he,
ap' and tho little boys 1ed from his pres
nee and eudeavored to conceal themselves
lie spoke TO bis wife, bu, she answered {
ot. Tue iron had gone into her soul
tommy" said he to the boy, but no an I
"er was returned. A cold shlger seemed
creep over The llesh Of the child at The .
ound of his fathers voice. n
Wife, my dear WIFE" snid he in an Q