The Whig standard., 1843-12-12
NUMBER 50.

wards whom all her Indignation was directed,
under the imagined possibility Of his becoming q
tippler.
After while the subject was dropped, and at
the close Of the social evening the friends separ
rated, and went to their own homes.
& 1t was, perhaps, two months from the period
at which this conversation occurred, that Mr.. Pc
ters left his home early in the evening to attend
a political meeting, politics at that time running
high, and hard cider flowing as freely as water.
He was in the habit Of attending such meetings,
and Of partaking Of his portion Of cider, and at
times Of something stronger; but, as he was a
sober man, and man, too, Of strong good sense
and firm principles, the thought of his ever par
taking TOO freely never crossed the mind Of his
wife.
Regular in his habits, lie was rarely out after
ten o'clock on any occasion. But this time ten
came, and even eleven, but he was still away,
This was, a circumstance SO unusual, that his
wife could not help feeling a degree of uneasi-
ness. She went to the door and listened for
him after the clock had struck eleven, and stood
there for some time, expecting every moment TO
hear the sound Of his footsteps in the distance.
But she waited in vain, and at last re-entered
the house with troubled feeling. 5as.
At last the clock struck twelve, and almost at
the same time she heard her husband at the
door, endeavoring TO open II with the dead-latch
key. In this he was not successful from some
cause and thinking that she might have turned
the key, Mrs. Peters went quietly and opened
| the door for him. She found that she had not
locked it. s sssssfa ss9i;e7 Is sI s1s ,
AS she lifted the latch, the door was thrown
suddenly against her, and her husband came
staggering in. AS he passed her, he struck
against the wall Of the passage rebounded-
struck the other side, and then fell heavily upon
the floor. sa IA gs3st.s
The dreadful truth instantly flashed upon her.
He was drunk. For moment her heart ceased
TO beat, her head reeled, and she then lad to
lean against the wall to keep her from falling:
Then all the tender emotions Of her heart rushed
/ freely into activity. It was her own husband
who lay before her, overcome by the master spt
rit of strong drink. With almost supefhuman
strength she raised him up, although = large
man, and supported him by the arm until she
got him up stairs, and laid him upon the bed.
Il BY this time he seemed perfectly stupid, and
only imumbled incoherent replies to the frequent
and tender opportunities of his wife. .e
After some time she got him undressed and in
bed. But he grew more and more stupid every
moment
i r Oh, what if he should die !" the poor wife
moaned anxiously, while the tears that had 1t
| first gushed out still continued TO flow freely.
She also washed his face with cold water, and
tried various means to arouse him from the
lethargyA of drunkenness. But all to no purpose.
At last, despairing of success, she laid down be-
side him, in tears, drew her arms around his
neck, and laid her face tenderly against his.
She had lain thus for about Ave minutes, when
her husband called her name in whisper
Oh, how eagerly did she listen after response
| to his call s.
/" IF my husband acre to do so 7"
As he said this, still in whisper, but avery
expressive one. he looked her in the face with
roguish twinkle of the eyes, and quivering Of
the lips, the muscles of which could with diff
Guilty restrain from wreathing those expressive
organs into a merry smile.
Mrs. Peters understood the whole scene in a
| moment, and boxed her husbands ears soundly
on the spot, for very JOY, while he laughed until
his sides ached as his ears. ssa
In all after discussions upon the various unfor-
tunate relations of man and wife, Mrs. Peters
was very careful how she declared her course Of
action, were she placed in similar circumstances.
II, in any case, she was led unthinkingly to do
so, the remark of her husband, made with Pc
culiar infection of the voice 'sOh, yes, if my
husband were to do so''-had the happiest effect
imaginable, and instantly put an end to the un-
profitable discussion. is 3JIg st5s a1
/ -
/ lyTTISTAR,S COUGH LOZENGES These Loz-,