Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1844-11-29

was he accountable
Man Marston2 ask, TO whom accounta-
Bile? to your wife, your children, and-your
God Had he not showed that he could
keep his word when Necessary? Had he
not abstained totally for the last three yearsl
Then how conld this one glass injurel 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 10 it, was never to be
mistaken, She had seen him thus before.
The babe clasped 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 rudey back The
child, affrighted, put his head in his mothers
bosom, and sobbed himself to sleep. The
first glass being INDUCED III but created
desire for more, and the next day twas with
unspeakable horror that 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 o6stinacy peculiar to inebriety, in
sisted upon taking him. But the little fel-
low remembering his repulse Of the preced-
ing night, or perhaps frightened at the yio-
lence Of his manner, chung the closer TO his
mother. Marston, as has been said, had
been drinking more deeply than his wife
suspected. The fumes of the liquor he had
swallowed, had risen TO his brain, and mad.
ened at what he called ''the brat's obstina-
cy," he snatched him from his mother, Ell.
len clasped her hands as she saw him fu-
riously swung on high, and called, or rather
screamed, "Oh, hurt him not, Harryp but
ere the words we're ended, the helpless, un-
offending babe was dashed to the first land.
ing on the stairs.
A scream from his wife so wild and heart
rending that the agony Of death seemed to
have passed in it, reused Marston to full
sense Of what he had DONE He ran to raise
the quivering form Of that boy, late so much
his Joy and pride, and bore him bleeding
and mangled to bed. He was completely
sobered
Finding that life was not extinct, be
turned his attention to his wife. while ;
servant was despatched for physician
Long and frutless seemed every effort used
to recall that life which from that young
stricken mother seemed fed. But | pas.
over the horror with which she shrunk from
his support, and inquired Co no. ~h;ld and
the agony with which she heard that though
he might live, his spine had been injured
and he would be cripple for life
Marston might again be seen carrying the
babe about in his arms, but how different
his manner-how altered the former ga,
tone Of his voice! He now no longer called
on the rosy, laughing boy TO notice all thai
passed around, but stilled the plaintivt
meanings OF the little sufferer on his breast
with tenderness and soicitude that spoke
the deep feeling that lay in the fathers hear
for his crippled boy. fnr iaa
The patient little victim was six month.
old at the time of the accident, as that ac
of violence was reported TO the physician
and servants to be, and he lived ill his birtl
day came round, when his fringed eyelid
closed "calmly as to nights repose, lik,
flowers at set of sun''--and he breathed hi
last. 1l 1 af r ah
Marslon never again tasted of "the win,
within the cup" business prospered will
him, and he was accounted by the world,
prosperous and happy man. But they saw
him not when tears fell fast upon the up
T turned face Of the little Althea, as she aske,
"why little brother died" 7u "i bn
Not long after the death OF her It'll,
darling, Ellen returned home to her father
| in New Orleans-to die. ii ~
Doctors call her malady consumption, bu
, her husband alone knew that her sun O
earthly happiness had set forever when hi
arm had, with maniac force, tore from he
breast its cherished darling, and hurled i
tots grave 9 aiHaat pa na
He asked not, hoped not for her to live
although with the sacrifice of his own glad
, ly ould he have bought the life Of her h
had so injured, for he felt that though young
amiable and loved. still must death now b
/ welcomed by his Ellen and the kind frien,
who would terminate her earthly sufierings
Aud when few weeks after, letter
sealed with black was placed in his hands
he read it through with the settled caImnes
of despair, and bowling his head down o.
: the fair brow of his living child, he mur
: mured-"Althe your mother has gone /
, your little brother, my child.-God's will b
4 done" ai I...I..1gf ..i .. aii.
/ Is THIS RIGHT Flew Of our readers
perhaps, know that the American Conurcs