The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1843-03-28
Miscellaneous.
From the U. S. Gazette.
g o o. $a a.. se ss q

its fthc young man, before he had advanced further
in our esteem; he might else have inveiged only
daughter into marriage, and brought disgrace upon
us, as well as misery upon chiId.''
(Which would have been misery 10 us too, SURELY
said the wife,
''It would have been insupportable misery But
thank Gcd, continued he, raising his eyes in heart
felt gratitude, 81 informed in season to prevent
my child from the disgrace Oft connection with -"
"With what ?" said good looking young man,
bowling to venerable pair. with trhai, sir? speak
out now ! am your daughters husband; and it
seems not unfit that there should be SO much conf
dence between father and son, as that the latter
should know the opinion of the former upon his pur-
SUITS when the former knows the relation in which
each stands to the other -
eff it is too late to prevent the marriage, said the
father
cit is too late.''
''Then, at least though my rights father may
have ceased, those Of husband and of
impaired; and if | cannot rule those in my house,
can at least, say who shall be its inmates
s'Father,'' said the bride, kneeng, with clasped
hands, edo not cast me from you; give my-give
him time at least to prove that you have not done
him Justice. Mother, dear Mother 20
The closing of the door at the other side of the
drew the attention Of the supp'iunt, and she
found that her husband was the only one left with
her. 1t was too late.
Hand in hand the newly married pair left what
had been to the wife Eden of quiet happiness -
The stern commands of father there, at least,
to be obeyed; and she was yet to learn whether
rious act of disobedience on her part would ever
n L
her affections whose life apparently entwined
with her obedience.
She left that Eden then. land in hand the ban
shed pair took their departure; and as the offending
daughter, and con6ding wife, turned back to look at
the closing door of her paterna mansion,t seemed to
her, indeed, if some angel severe in awful beauty,
guarded the portal against her entrance to the place
which she had desecrated by iIial disobedience.
The pride Of the husband was just too much
for his situation. He anxious not only to main
tain his wife independently of her family, but to give
her many oc those comforts to which she had been
accustomed. lie could easily have attained the for
mcr, and have met all her wishes in that respects
but his pride induced him to neg ect rational means
of acquiring ordinary comforts, and led him to resort
TO what he deemed chances ofsudden wealth He
had before his marriage, suffered in the estimate of
many respectable persons, by his assocating with GER
tain dashing young men, who, to their other social
qualities, supposed add that Of fondness for
games of hazard. He had amused himself in that
way without pecuniary profits, and by careful obser
vaton had learned the tricks of the art without prac
Using them upon others.
Time passed onward, and the young wife became
a mother, and saw, in the birth of her boy,
,a. I,,.h
apparent lapse of affections, certainly without other
evidences Of unkindness, had been of late preermit
ted He had absented himself from his home until a
late hour at night and had appeared haggard and
worn 1t was also obvious that the means of support
were diminished, and the wife began 20 feel many,
very many, of her comforts curtailed. The
descent was rapid, and with the renewal of absence
Of the husband at night but open unkndness
exhibited nor there reproach her part unless
the pale cheek and emacated frame, and the heart
broken sigh could be construed.
Misery, wretchedaess, absolute want, beset the
family; and the husband tore himself away from the
bed of his wife and child early in the evening, with
determination to bring back to them something of
comfort. He met old friend, who informed him
that place was vacant in office, which, with Sc
cury for fidelity, would be his
"And who will be that security'''
"Who? Any one-I will. l told you so two years
ago"
"Wi you now, ndeed'"
"Present yourself to we 10 -morrow free of debt,
and l will insure the place"
lie was not free from debt but few hundred dol
lars would make him He felt assured that lew
hours the gaming table the last time he would ever
darken the accursed doors, would supply him with
mans to paw those debts-more than that he would
not receive.
He liastened to the place, and paused at the last
step of the door, ''Why should so I'M The few
hundred dollars which owe, can save; and he
who, knowing my poverty, would he security for me
s. would not think of my character, if confess
indebtedness. and my determination never to place