Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1845-05-17
Love and the Pledge.


ing the fire that glowed in comfortable quiet in
the crate. At length, the lady said, in low
and hurried voice, while her eye wa. stead !
fastly turned away from her companion, after |
furtive glance
James, have considered your proposals
long and seriously since | saw you; for my
happiness as well as yours depended npon the
decision. and ! am obliged to say that cannot
accept them"
'C,nnot, Anna! Do you doubt my love,
dearest ? Surely you do not
No, James. | do not doubt your love, nor do
| deny that my own feelings plead against the
decision am constrained to make
Your feelings plead for me Why. how
thy your love, of your esteem' Why do you
despise me =
4 do not despisc you, James we can still
be friends
Then you love another; for surely you would
not grant your friendship to one who was un-
worthy of you. Tell me the truth be candid
do you love another
Il do not
Then why this determination! What is
the reason of your conduct You tel me that
| yonr feelings must be rcpressed to enable yon
to fulfil this resolution ! OF what have been
| guilty !-Canuo, prevail! upon you to change
your opinion. If | have done anything to offend
you, let me know it,
james, you cannot alter my determination
and you only cause me pain and excite yourself
by argument against it,
But will you uct tell me why you have come
to this conclusion
DO not ask me, James it would only offend
you, without doing you the slightest good
1T will no,-indned it VIII not however un-
just and unkrnd will not repronch you even
wth look
James, she answered, after moments 81.
lence, and her voice was sad, and seemed half
smothered by sob James, you are too fond
of wine =
Fond of wine ! Is this your reason When
have | ever used wine to excess What harm
have done by drinking few glasses of wine
he replied angrily. who ever saw me in,ox
icated =
You have been so, James
lie hesitated, and then continued-B thu,
was an accide't ; and many, whom the world
esteem, use wine more freely than do. me-
yer injured any one by drinking
James, Won have injured others by your cx-
w, h,vn IA III cred vnur u1
sister, and you would embtter the life Of II
wife by chance mloX cation. james, am not
unreasonable in this refusal; it is best tor us
both. Look at your SISTER, Alicia. When she
married, she knew that Mr. lierrlck used VINE,
bu, she feared not the consequences. Now
look at her. All their comforts, every means
of subsistence have been lost by the habits OF
her husband, and she is hourly afflicted by the
evil example he sets her children. Yes, by the
lessons he gives them in vice. You have seen
his lt,le boy intoxicated by hs father, to give
pain to his wife and her family upon whose
bounty he was living
Blu, never Use wine Us he did ; l vii! pro-
mise never to use il to excess
any intoxicating drink
We'll, perseyere in yonr reasonable deter.
inina,ion, but viii not be subject to your ca
PRECIOUS government
James retired with the angry design Of max
ing Anna rue wha, she had said, by deliberately
Intoxicating himself, but judgment whispered
in time Ia restrain hlm--lhat this would only be
proving her opinion Of hln correct. He re-
excited by liquor, wallc he at the same time
Purposed, by s,udiousy avoiding her, 10 show
his independence OF her esteem and although
they met occasionally in parties, he adhered
10 both OF his resolutions, even while he fell
plqued that she did not notice his neglect bat
one evening he was siandlug near her as the
win passed round, and observed that her eye:
> were upon him as It approached T; 10 show IN,
superiority TO her opinion, he took a glass, and
rejoced tha, he had caught a glance of re-
pruach as she turned away, The determine
b. ton, painfully broken, ceases 20 he a restraint
) and James drank more freely than ever, unti
. he was excessively intoxicated The mex
4. morning brought repentance and regret for the
. insult o:the indulgence of appetite, but coulc
/ not convince him that the appetite itself wa,
n false, and that he should conquer il. One.
i. more he allowed himself TO mingle in scenes o
d convvalty, until his prudence was oyercom,
i by the allurenents around him, and reason wa
| bartered for momentis enioyment