Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1844-10-18
BEWARE OF THE FIRST GLASS,
4 Tale ofthc Middle Walks Of Life.
BY J. d. b., OF LOUISIANA.
"Tnste not the wine within the cup
Let not that curse be thine; -
IT'S rich and red, but grief aud woe
Are hid its rosy depths below."-WlLLIs.

Ellen Canning had, when yet mere
child. plrhted her roth ito love and honor
talented though dssolute young man, of
slender income and expensive habits. In
vain her relatives argued that such an union
could promise nought save misery; but the
warm hearted girl had pleaded so earnestly,
',ha, since Harry Marston had separated
himself from his former gay companions, lie
no longer frequented theatres, bar-rooms,
clubs or bilIard-rooms,' as to draw relnc-
lant consent from her father, though the old
gentleman limited that the loss of his situation
as book kerper for the extensive western
commission house Of the BIS was ow-
ing to his sad propensity for tipping.
Though Ellen could not defend the past, she
spoke with proud security Of the future, in
the simple appeal, 'but he has joined Tenn
pcrance Society now, papa
Alas, poor girl she knew not that he
whose cause she was so warmly pleading
had often before signedlhe temperance pledge
and as often, unable to resist temptation,
back-slidden from his promise, although he
felt it eslrangrd him from the esteem and
confidence of kindred and friends. For the
first few months after their marriage, Mars
tons conduct babe fair to fulfil his wile's
prophecy for the future but again, strange
iniatualion he, without any particular cause
or inducemcn,, tried another first glass, and
by way of indemnifyng himself for past alb
s,inence, drank TO such excess as to lose his
employment of hook keeper, and once more
ALLEVIATE the respect and confidence Of hi,
frrrnds-ali save one, that one, his patient
suffering, accomplishing wifc-she still re.
NAMED The same.
Soon they were reduced from respec,a'
BILE competence TO poverty, and, by as RAPID
"A transition, from poverty, to absolute prnu'
ry: and Ellen, with an infant daughter, was
at last compelled, by the fear of seeing hr
) babe die from want of the care and comforts
she might secure to it beneath her father
roof, to accept for II and herself that asylum
: which was not extended to her drunkard hus
; band.
Although Mr.. Canning refused to ADM
Marston an inmate of his family, still 70
Ellen's sake he furnished the miserable ant
now thoroughly repentant man with respec
table clothing, (even his clothes had beer
pawncd at the cabdrets for drams,) and il
consideration Of his once more signing TIN
temperance pledge, under il solemn promis
not to violate it, he furnished him also wit
letters to a mercantile house IN Cincinnati
He left New Orleans Immediately, and wa
shortly after his arrival, installed in Cincin
r natl as book keeper to the firm to whom h
t was recommended. For year his conduc
! gave entire satisfaction out of bis salary h
sent regular remiltanccs TO New Orleans, t.
a pay off the debts contracted during his term
2 of inebriery. During the year his regular up
| right conduct and attention to business S
pleased his employers that, unsolicited, the
: raised his salary, inasmuch that he ventures
to write TO Mr.. Canning, to whom he ha
p promised neither to write 10 his wife nor b.
any verbal message endeavor to induce he
to JOIN him. He now wrote, confident in hi
I present upright course and tried abstinence
praying that Ellen might be permitted T.
come to him. a kind answer was returned
, and in another month Ellen re-joined him i
Cincinnati.
F, Another year passed. and Marston wa
f left comparatively wealthy by the death @
+, his father, ia coffee planter in the West In
/, dies) and had entered the commercial hous
4 of which he had been book keeper, as
g partner. During that year his family had re-
3 ceived the addition of boy, beautiful
@ healthy child, and Marston might ever b
n seen. when returned from his Office, carryin
: the rosy boy in his arms, his favorile prid
v and playthlng. What though he felt all
E fathers PRIDE in lis eldest child, the beauti
a ful little Athea, with her deep blue eyes an
/. dark curling hair, still was she TO him NOR
as IA stranger, and he never replied to ques
h ton, of her age that she was four years ole
' without signing Involuntary at the though
\ of how small portion Of that time she ha
4 been permitted to know him. None Of thcs
' narrowing recollecuons were his, as he losse