Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1844-10-18
the rosy, laughing boy on high, or mighty

frctOnatc kindness of the man whom she had
never upbraided in his folly and degradation.
now that he was restored to her, to himself
and socie,y.-She once more, as IN the DAYS
when grief alone by name she knew, felt
thankful for his reformation, and dreamed
tina, halcyon days were yet in store for her.
Alas that the brightest dream Of a fond
wife and mothers existence should be bro.
ken, rudcly and forever, by that fatal curse
ONE more first glass. Yet so it was with
poor Ellen's dream of hope and happiness.
On returning from his Office one evening,
Mdrson, being caught in shower, stopped
in tavern, where were assembled MANY of
his acquaintance, some reading the papers,
others lalkiog politics around the bar. Mars
ton complained of being wet, and was adj
viscd to talk glass of brandy; he knew full
well his propensity, and that TO be temperate
he must abstain entirely, yet he was now no
longer the dependant clerk, whose inebrie;y
might be punished with instant dismassal and
loss of character; he stood high now as
merchant and man of wealth whom could
it possibly injnre-tha, one glass. Besides,
to whom was he accountable
Man Marston! ask, to whom acconnta-
BILE to your wife, your children. and-your
God! Had he not showed that he could
keep his word when necessary? Had he
not abslaincd totally for the last three years?
Then how could this one glass njure 3
The sequel showed.
When Marston returned home later than
usual his wife FASTENED to meet him with his
infant boy in her arms. Pushing past her,
he complained of headache, but Ellen was
not deceived, the smell of brandy. though of
late unused TO it, was never TO be mistaken.
She had seen him thus before.
The babe clapped his rosy hands and
crowed for JOY as he stretched out his little
arms to be taken, but Marston complaining
of his noise, put him rudely back. The
child afr ighted put his head in bis mothers
bosom and sobbed himself to sleep. The
/ first glass being INDUCED in but created de-
sire for more, and the next day twas with
unspeakable horror tina, Ellen saw, by her
husbands manner on his return to dinner,
that he had been drinking, but she knew not
how deeply.
Seeing that she was afraid to trust the
child IN his arms, AS was her wont, Marston,
with the obstinacy peculiar to inehriety, in
sisted upon taking him. But the little fellow
remembering his rrpulse of the preceding
night, or perhaps frightened at the violence
of his manner, chung the closer to his moth
or. Marston, as has been said, had been
drinking more deeply than his wife suspect
cd. The fumes of the liquor he had swal-
10 we'd, had risen to his brain, and maddened
at what he called the brat's obstinacv," he
snatched him from his mother. Ellen clasp.
ed her hands as she saw him furiousv swung
on high, and called or rather screamed, "Oh
hurt him not, Harry !" but ere the wo,d,
were ended, the helpless, unohending bah,
was dashed to the first landing on the stairs
scream from his wife so wild and hear
rendng that the agony of death seemed t'
have passed in it, reused Mars!on to full
sense of what he had done. He ran to ras'
the quverlng form of that boy, late so mucl
his joy and pride, and bore him bleeding ant
manaIed to IA bed. lie was completely so
bered!
Finding that life was not extinct, he turn
; ed his attention to his wife, while scrvan
was despatched for a physician. Long an'
frui'less seemed every effort used to reca!
that life which from that Young stricken mo
Their s. emed forever fled. But ] pass owe
the horror with which she shrnnk from hi
support and inquired for her child, and tn
agony with which she heard that though h
might live, his spine had heen injured ant
he wouM be a cripple far life.
. Marslon might again be seen carving tn
babe about in his arms, but how different hi
manncr-how altered the former CAV ton
of his voice. lie now no longer called o
the rosy, laughing hoy to notice all tina, pas
sed around but sli!lcd the plaintive moaning
of the little sufferer on his breast, with ten
=, derness and sollciiude that spoke the dee
feeling that lay in the fathers heart for hi
crippled boy.
The patient little victim was six montl,
old a, the time of the accident, as that act c
violence was reported to the physician an
servants to be, and he lived ill his birlh-da
= came round, when his fringed eyelids close
l. calmly as to "A nights repose, like flower
at set of sun and he brea,hrd his last.
Marston never again tasted of " the win
!. within the cup" business prospered wit
= him, and he was accounted by the world
: prosperous and happy man. But they SAL
. him not when tears fell fast upon the upturn
> ed face of the little Althea, as she aske
'Why little brother died!'
. No, long after the death of her little dar
), ling, Ellen returned home to her fathers,
!, New Orleans-to die.
Doctors called her malady consumption
y but her husband alone knew that her sun {
: : earthly happiness had set forever when hi
> arm had, with maniac force. tore from he
= breast its cherished darling, aud hurried 1t I
its grave!
= tie asked not, hoped not for her to live
u although with the sacrifice of his own, gladl
would he have bought the life of her he ha
S so injured, for he felt that though young
II amiable, and loved, still must death now b
: welcomed by his Ellen as the kind frien
g who would terminate her earthly suilerings
a And when, few weeks after, lette
: sealed with black was placed in his hand
!, he read il through with the settled calmnes
@ of despair, and bowing his head down on tn
g fair brow Of his living child, he murmured-
e 'Allhea, your mother has gone to your It'll
a brother, my child. Gods wiH be DONE.
- L.