Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1844-03-08
From the Rochester Daily Democrat.
THE LOST FOUND.

| manu-. MS tdttereu garments and ms me IAN
choly face were we'll calculated to excite OBJ.
servation and pity. 1t was too evident that the
vessel which he held had been diverted from
It's legitimate use, and that it was now used,
not as an ol.can, but as a wHrsKEY JUG. Hav.
Ing seen him pass twice 'in one day with his
ever-present can, we had the curiosity to &C.
cost him, and did so, by inquiring his resi-.
dence.
81 live" said he, five miles fro m the city, on
the road"
You have been to the city once before to-
day. have you not !"
"Yes, sir, came down in the morning, but
could not get what was sent for, and had to
come again"
"What was you sent for my lad It must
be something very important o make it neces.
sary for you to walk twenty miles in this
Storm"
"Why sir, it was whisky that was sent for
Father had no money, and he sent me to Mr.
5 to get trusted; and he wouldn't trust
any more so | had to go home without the
whskey; but father sent me back again."
"How do you expect to get it now, when
you couldn't get it this mornng!'
why, sir, have brought pair of shoes,
which sister sent mother. Mr..--wl give
whiskey for them. He has got too or three pairs
Of mothers shoes no,r'
I'O YOU IhC w carry WHISkPy nome nv DOW!
'Oh, no, sir. for it makes US all SO unhappy !;
but can't help it,
We took the responsibility of advising the
boy not to fulfil his Grand, and returned home
with him. The family we found consisted of a
+ husband, wife, and four children the Oldest
| (the boy was not more than ten years of age,
Whe the youngest was an infant Of few
months. 1t was cold clustering day. The
north wind blew harshly, and came roughly and
unbdden, through the nunberless crevices of
the poor mans howell A few black embers
occupied the fire place, around which were hud.
died half-naked chldren,and woe stricken moth.
er and wife Her face was haggard, her eye
sunken, her hair dshevelled her clothes latter.
ed and uncean.
| She was seated on an old broken chair, and
was swinging to and fro, as if endeavoring to
| quiet her infant. which moaned pitifuly in its
mothers arms. 1t had been sick from its birth,
aud 1t was now seemingly struggling to free it,
SET from the harsh world into which it had, but
lew months previous, been ushered. There
was no tear in the eye of the mother, as she
gazed upon the expiring babe.
The fountain had been long before dried up BY
the internal fires which alcohol had knded and
fed Yet she was the picture Of despair; and
we could not but fancy, as she sat thus, that her
mind was wandering bacx to the happy past
| ''.N nays VI HNi anu CUiluUoOu, anu UeT
early home. foor thing She had given her
affections and hand to a man who had taken the
first steps in in,emperance. had left her
home full OF buoyant hopes, hopes never to be
! realzed-to spend life Of misery with a sot
! Broken hearted, cast out from the society of her
former friends, trowned upon BY The good socie-
| ty humane, spoken Of as the miserable drunk.
ard, with no hand to help. no heart to pity, she
very soon became tIpler and drunkard her
self.
AT the side of this woe smtten mother kneel.
ed little g!r of five or six years, down whose
saow cheeks tears were coursinr; and who
ever and anon exclaimed, 'Ponr little Willie,
must you die Oh mother, must Willie die!'
and then kissed the cla,nmy sweet from little
WlIe's brow, covered her face with her latter
ed apron and wept.
In the opposite corner of the chimney, and
among the ashes which covered the hearth, sat
boy OF about seven years, dragging from the
hat dead embers poaoe. which he broke
open with the remark, Mother give this to little
Willie. May be he's hungry I'm hungry
too. and so is sister; but Wlles sick. Give
HIM this potatoe, mother
mo, poor bow said the mother, willie will
never be hungry again. He ,oiU soon be dead
This remark drew all the CHI dren around the
mother and the dying child. The father was
sitting upon what was intended for bedstead
without hat, shoes or coat, with his hands thrust
into his pockets, apparently Indifferent to all
that was passing around His head was resting
upon his breast, and his blurred e"es were fas-
tened upon the flnor, as he was afraid to look up
at the sorrowlng group who were watching the
countenance OF the dying infant
There was a moment of silence. Not a
sound was heard. Even the sobs of the little
| fyir hltr n, H. 4
els Threshold. The very respiration of the
household seemed suspended when a light
shver,ng of the limbs of The infant. and shrek
from the hali'conscious mother, told all that the
vital spark had fed.
For the first time the father moved. Slowly
advancing 10 where his wife was seated, with
qulvering lips he whispered, is Willie dead =
yes. James, the poor babe is dead = was the
choking reply OF the mother, who still sat as at
first. gazing upon the face of the little one.
| Without uttering another word, the long bru-
talized father ielt the house, muttering as he
left, My God, how longr
At this moment kind hearted lady came in
who had heard, but a fe moments before, Of
the dangerous illness Of the child. She had
brought with her some medicine +; but her an
gel visit was too late. The gentle spirit of the
babe had fled, and there remained for her but to
| N"N'oi' 'hS us size uiu, WHO we IOl-
lowed the father. We related to him the cir.
cumstances which had led us 20 his house, and
briefly spoke of the misery which inevitably fol.
lows in the wake Of intemperance.
Il know it sir said he. 4 have long known it,
! have not always been what you see meal.
cohol and my sppetiie brought me to this depth
of degradation
| why not master that appetite You have
the power. Thousands have proved it,
'Sir, ! believe it. have seen others, as far
reduced as myself, restored and made happy ;
but you are the first who has ever spoken to me
upon The subject, and had too strong passion
TOR liquor to think of reforming myself
| well, will you not now mako the eff6rtr
! Il will. 1t has occupied my thoughts during
the whole morning and now, in the presence
OF Almighty God, swear never to touch the &C.
cursed thing which has ruined me and made
beggars o: my family
Happy enough to hear this manly resolution,
we returned to the house with HMM due time
we had made the fact known To his wife and pro-
uuClnu Dlelre. fhp ,phole fY,,iI, s;yDaJ ,,,on