Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-04-02
MISCELLANEOUS.
From tie Emdncipator.
HELEN GREENWOOD;
OR-THE FATAL INHERITANCE.
ny MRS. NJ. l.. swEETsER.

call at his house this evening" sad my
daughter 10 me, as | entered the siiting-room
of my own dwelling, at the termination OF a
long and f]ltiguinc professional tour.
Who is ilI?" | inquired with some anx-
iety, for Mr.. Greenwood was our village pas
tor, and a man who, by pure excellence oil
character, had won a place in every heart,
and it now occurred to me that OF late his
cheek had been paler and lis smile more for
ced and sad than previously.
81 know nothing more = replied Mary,
" that was the message that he left"
'rhen lie was able to come HIMSELF" J
r|cioincd. my heart somewhat lightened, and
hastily partaking Of the supper that waited
my return, | was soon ascending the shady
avenue that led to the parsonage"
An unusual silence pervaded the dwelling,
and it seemed TO Inc that the step of the mat
ronly house-keeper was more staid and her
countt nance indicative of more sorrowful
furebodings than usual, as she silently ush-
cred me into the "study." Probably Mr..
Greenwood had not beard the sound Of our
footsteps, for he stood before the open fire,
his clasped hands resting upon the shelf over
it, and his head dropping upon his bosom, in
painful thought. As J entered, two large
tears fell upon the hearth-Fug, and he press
cd his hands to his head with a mute express
sion Of soul-consuming agony.
"You are i'll. sir" | said with sincere
sympathy, grasping his hand, which seemed
within my own like a burning coal.
"1ll!' lie replied, raising his handker-
chief for a moment to his moistened eyes;
Eyes, | am Ill, but it is a sickness of the
soul, not of the body"
"Such diseases come within the range of
your own prescriptions more than mine,'' |
returned with what cheerfulness ! could as
snme,-for though our friendship had been
one of many years duration, he had ever main
tanned in my presence an unwavering tran
guilty which rendered his present agitation
wholly IA mystery.
But you can aid me, doctor-at least |
trust you cam" he replied, a transient ray of
hope passing over his pale features but in
a moment it faded away, and he added SOL
EMMY, "lf you can give Inc no assistance,
to God alone must | look for strength to bear
this worst of mortal trials"
| sought for a fuller explanation Of his
words-but for a time there seemed TO be a
powerful struggle between his desire for my
advice and his reluctance to expose the cause
OF his grief. ! waited in silence the moment
wien his powerful mind should Indicate the
proper course to pursue, and was not surprl-
sed that after a brief period he turned towards !
me, again eNlcnucu MS udnul anu Sdlu Wlll-
out a trace of his recent agitation:
81 trust to your friendship 10 forget the
scene you have just witnessed. l sent for
you this evening to confde to you a heart
desolating sorrow-one which for years
has lain unspoken within the depths of my
own bosom for | imagined, though perhaps
vainly, that yOu could eradicate the evil, or
at least remove to a far distant day the neces-
sary exposure of this horrible secret. But TO
make all more plain to you, | must revert to
my past history of which probably you are
still ignorant. My parents died hundreds of
miles from here confrmed drunhardS, both of
them. BY the kindness of an uncle | was
rescued from their cruelty and educated In re-
fined society but the ONE desire of my
youthful days was the constant presence of a
wine bottle. | cannot describe to you the
never ceasing restlessness-the constant era
wing for eXcltement-the burning, narrowing
desire for some intoxicating beverage which
night and day fred my brain, and excited &c
the utmost oil my ingenuity to escape the VI
GLANCE of my uncle. But he watched ovel
c Inc with an eagle eye, and a full knowledge
Of the fatal thirst | had inherited from my de
a graded parents SO that while under his su
pervision, | never yielded to the mighty temp
n talion. AT length | left his home for college
l4ld hAIAGio AllGhNllIh hlOuilh NY paul oNAli
c however, | struggled OH, sustained by
strong will, an iron constitution, and a pow
erful sentiment of self respect, to which tn
n idea of the attending degradation was strong
ly abhorrent. Every day-every hour of IN
life has in some form presented TO me thu
never ceasing desire to which ] have neve
d yielded. Can your Imagination picture augl
of the terrible life | have carried in my be
d som during the twenty years | have bee
your Pastor ?-but thanks be to God, / hai
never fallen I"
III docs your mind waiver after such Ion
Il and noble resistance to L demon passion !
40 | asked, as he paused and bent his head wit
II a look OF unutterable anguish.
1T is not for myself that fear" he mu
-, INJURED slowly, without raising his head,-
"but, 0, my God that such a c~onfessit
should ever be required of me !-for my chi
for Hehn-the only image Of my saint
wye!"
Here, his voice sunk to a hollow whispe
and as he spoke the last words, large dro
of moisture stood upon his noble brow, al
the hand that rested within my own, sudde
ly changed from a dry, burning heat to a col
clammy rigidity. A professional life of ne;
ly thirty years had been fraught with ma
heart-rending scenes, but never in the who
course Of it had | seen a powerful mind
completely bowed down beneath the crus
ing weight of a %cureless and agonizing s.
=, row. His hair was saturated with moistl
his limbs trembled violently--he gaspt
rather than breathed at length, with the
parent helplessness of a child, he buried
face in his hands, and wopt without 7
traint.
Considering these tears as the best rer
dy for his mental suffering, | made no ell
to recall his usual self-possession, but sile
ly pondered upon the revelation he had ma
TO me.
"Sinee Mr.. Greenwood's first settlemr
in our village, | had been the professional
tendant of himself and family. Sixteen We
previous, | had exerted my utmost skill
rescue from consumption the fair and frag
NO. companion of his bosom-but in vain; "a
nd, with n fond intnrnsI had Waichnd the da