Litchfield enquirer., 1843-02-16

HIS ICluEH pdSSGu away lnc GliInSf DarOly
tasted and then his wife counted the hours
as they passed lingeringly away, Until the
dim, grey twilight tell with st,ddening in
iiueace around her.
Is He will be home soon, now,' she tho't
But the minutes giilod into hours, and still
he did not come. The tea.table stood in
the floor until nearly nine o'clock, before
Mrs. Martin sat down with little Emma
But no food passed the mothers lips. She
could not cut. There was strange fear
about her heart-dread Of coming evil, that
chilled her feelings, aud threw dark cloud
over her spirits.
In the meantime, Martin had gone TO the
dinner party, firm in his resolution not TO
touch Il drop Of ardent spirits. But the taste
of wine had intlamed his appetite, and he
drank more and more freely, until he ceased
to feel the power of his resolution, and again
put brandy to his lips, and drank with the
eagerness of II worn ana thirsty traveller at
d cooling brook. 1t was nine O'Clock when
the company arose, or attempted to arise
from the table. Not all of them could &C
complish that feat. Three, Martin among
the number, we're carried off to bed, in
state Of helpless intoxcation.
Hour after hour passed away, the anxiety
of Mrs. Martin increasing every moment,
"Why does he stay 50 late 3" she said,
rising and pacing the room backwards and
forwards. This she continued to do, paus-
ing every now and then to listen, for nearly
an hour. Then she went to the door and
looked long and anXiously, in the direction
from which she expected her husband to
come. But his we'll known form met not
her eager eyes, that peered so intently into
the gloom and darkness of the night. With
another long drawn sigh, she closed the door
and re-entered the silent and lonely room
That silence was broken by the loud and
clear ringing of the clock. The hour was
one! Mrs. Martins feelings now became
too much excited for her to control them
She sank into chair, and wept in silent
anguish of spirit For nearly quarter of
an hour her tears continued to flow, and then
deep calm succeeded - kind of mental
stupor, that remained until she was startled
again into distinct consciousness by the
sound of the clock striking two.
All hope now faded from her bosom. Up
to this time she had entertained feeble
hope that her husband might be kept away
from some other causes than the one she
SO dreaded, but now that prop became only
as broken reed, to pierce her with a Keen
er anguish.
alt is all over !" she murmured bitterly,
as she again arose and commenced walking
to and fro with slow and measured steps.
1t was fully three o'clock before that lonely
and almost heart broken wife and mother re-
tired to her chamber. How cruelty had the
hope which had grown bright and buoyant
in the last few months, gaining more strength
and confidence every day, been again crush
ed to the earth!
For an hour longer did Mrs. Martin sit,
listening in her chamber, every thing round
her SO hushed into oppressive silence, that
the troubled beating OF her own heart was
distinctly audible. But she waited and lis
tened in vain. The sound or passing foot
steps that now came only at long-very long
intervals, served but to arouse momentary
CLEAN in her mind, to fade away again, and
leave it in deeper darkness.
Without disrobing, she now laid herself
down, still listening, with an anxiety that
grew more and more intense every moment.
At last over-wearied nature could bear up
no longer, and she sunk into troubled
sleep. When she awoke from this, it was
daylight. Oh, how weary and worn aud
wretched she felt The consciousness of
why she thus lay, with her clothes unremo-
we'd, the sad remembrance of her hours of
waiting and watching through nearly the
whole night, all came up before her with
painful distinctness. Who but she who has
suffered can imagine her feelings at tina,
bitter moment!
On descending 10 the parlor, she found her
husband lying in half stupid condition on
the sofa, tho close air of the room impreg-
mated with his breath - the sickening, dis
gushing breath of drunken man! Bruised,
crushed, paralyzed affection had now to
lift himself up-the wife just ready to sink
to the earth, powerless, under the weight of
an overwhelming afiliction, had now to
nerve herself under the impulse of duty.
"Jamcs! James!' she said in voice of
assumed calmness, laying her hand upon
him, and endeavoring to arouse him to con-
seriousness. But it was long time before
she could get him so fully awake as to make
him understand that it was necessary for
him 10 go up stairs and retire to bed. At
length she succeeded in getting him into
his chamber before the servants had come
down; and then into bed. Once there, he
fell again into profound sleep.
Is pa sick :" asked little Emma, coming
into her mothers chamber about an hour
after, and seeing her father in bed.
ayes, dear, your father is quite unweli,"
Mrs. Martin said in calm voice.
"What ails him, ma 20 pursued the child.
"He is not very well, dear, but will be
better sooD," the mother said, cvasively.
The little girl looked into her mothers
face a few moments, dissatisfied with the an
swer, and unwilling to ask another question.
She felt that something was wrong, more
than the simple illness OF her father.
1t was near the middle OF the day when
Mr. Martin became fully awake and con-
scious of his condition. IL ho had sought
forgctiulncss Of the past nights debauch
and degradation, the sad, reproving face
OF his wife, pale and languid from anxiety