The Columbian fountain., 1846-10-27

/ cSou'hui CoCutCHcOIl THIS awful y StdiH y
deepest dye" The Ebenezer Of Temper.
anee is sung long and loud and may il
continue until every cheerless hearthstone
shall echo back the pleasing rhapsody
with which il has been ushered into exist
ence. fas
After my departure from home, a few
days travel brought me in sight Of that re-
sidence, upon which my young and rest
less spirit had been anxious to gaze, and
where could soon find rest for my wea-
ried limbs and faculties. Need say that
my eye fell upon that house just after sun
set Yes, it was the hour Of twilight. OF
all others, most lovely TO me, is THAT hours
So sweet! SO serene! How closely did /
watch the sun, as be heightened his sha-
dows DER the meads, and gilded with his
departing rays the tops Of the forest trees
behind me.
moment or two, and was in the pre-
sence Of one, whom Itwell knew And
notwithstanding the haggard look Of Eliza
Snead, the hearty welcome which she gave
me, cheered my heart. Behind that forced
smile, there was deep-seated melancholy,
as lasting as life itself My heart was
touched--Eliza was widow. MI
Who, upon the eve Of the marriage Of
Henry Snead and Eliza could have
thought Of aught but happiness ~ Who,
as they gazed upon the promising pair
standing at the altar of Hymen. sealing
their oft repeated vows with the too of
forgotten WILL" could have dreamed
Of domestic affection There he stood
erect, with all the manliness Of. youthful
yirility. There stood Eliza, too, the young
the admired, the lovely bride. Around that
pure white brow was entwined beautiful
flowret. She reclined gently upon him, by
whose side she stood, and from whom she
lexpected protection and succor- trembling
beneath her bridal dress white. and un-
spotted appropriate emblem OF her own
confiding, guileless heart. Her morning
| sky had never been overshadowed by sin
gle cloud. All Rad been JOY and bliss
Wrapped in thefond embrace Of doting pa
rents-rocked in the cradle OF affection, ,iher
young heart knew nothing of the ills Of life
But, alas alas !! How. soon is the spell to
ne broken. In how. short. a time is her
hear, made 70 bleed-wrung with the an
guish Of despair. "a few short years, and
her young and tender spirit is made to
mourn. b<~54 ID gi*aEsAj *r.ial
La aOh Henry, why do you stay out SO.
late ss lido not wish 10 murmur, nv dear,
but talk to me now Tell me! Has your
Eliza no charms for you fIAreyou not hap.
py at home Will you not stay with me
Henry turned his face to the wall, and gazed
intently on the bed, wet with the tears of
affection and grief. oh, the bitterness Of
that hour! Worn downwitf fatigue-and
yet she fingered in the chamber Of death,
watching the dim chickering's Of The candle
oflife; until she caught the last faint bre-
athings Of the dying husband. +.t5* **
Dark was that night Deep was the silence
of that hour. l"Can this be you Oh, Eli
"a, dry up your tears''---and as he spoke,
he recollected his broken vows-hs early
love-the Kindness and undying attention
of his wife. "fToo LATE, TOO LATE. p
Writhing in the deepest agony, he turned
his head and expired. isan 81 a5a II
And can it be true, that, in the short
space Of few years, the young and tender
heart of Eliza has been made to mourn =
The loved one is gone: Henry is no more
Eliza is widow! ...' ..."ra0..m
Young and beautiful one upon whose
smooth and soft cheeks the cold winds of
winter have scarcely ever blown--can 1t be,
that thou hast "awakened from thy dream
of bliss ~ And by whom was the cup of
thy happiness broken Say, was it the
partner ofthy bosom' Was it by him who
Just now loved thee well ; who knew no.
thing but the fondest devotion How hard
to realize this truth u asH s<y & 3u
When free from inebriety, no husband
could be more affectionate and kind than
Henry, But this recollection served rather
TO increase The bitterness of the draught she
had been compelled TO drink. Nay, she
could not bring her mind to believe that
he was so soon to be the lamented victim
of intemperance. Henry Snead is gone -
Of the most frightful and alarm
ing character made mournful the hour of
his death.
If the heart can be made to feel, it must
feel at beholding the early severing of those
lies which bind two hearts in one Oh |!
how disconsolate, lonely and broken heart
ed must that woman be, who far from her
paternal roof, is compelled to consign TO an
early grave him by whom she had been
tendery wooed, and to whom she had been