Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-08-05

At length Sally ventured to hint at the truth
But Ralph met it with,
Pooh! nonsense! Don't tell me that g ass
of liquor now and then, and bit Of tobacco,
are going to make all that difference 1t isn't
reasonable Besides l work very hard and
ought to have a little comfort with it. When !
am tired glass warns me up, and makes me
bright again, and | am sure | couldn't do with
out my pipe
L don't ask you to do so, Ralph, replied
Sally. 4 only said what | did, that you might
see why we couldn't save money like our neigh
Dor Jones. l am sure am very careful in our
expenses and haven't bought myself new
gown for . long time, although am very bare
of Clothes
The way in which Ralph replied to his wife's
suggestion Of the cause of the evil complained
of determined her to say no more; and as he
felt some convictions on the subject, which he
was unwilling to admit, he was ever a0erward
silent about the unaccountable way in which his
money went
In about the same ratio that the external con-
diton of Thomas Jones improved, did that OF
Ralph Lyon grow worse and worse. From not
being able to save anything, he gradually began
to fall in debt. When quarter day came round,
there was generally seven dollars wanting to
make up the rent; and their landlord, with much
grumbIng on his part was compelled to wait
for the balance some two or three weeks beyond
the due day. AT length the quarter-day found
Ralph with nothing laid by for his rent. Some
bo, otbrr bo nhln tn much
from sickness, and days lost from other causes;
and what he did earn appeared to melt away
like snow in the sunshine.
Poor Mrs. Lyon felt very miserable at the
aspect of things; more especially, as in addition
to the money sqhandered at the ale-house by
her husband he often came home intoxicated
The grief to her was more severe from the fact
that she loved Ralph enderly, notwithstanding
his errors. When he came home in liquor she
did not chde him, nor did she say anything to
him about it when he was sober; for then he
appeared so ashamed and cut down, that she
could not find it IN her heart to utter single
word.
One day she was alarmed by message from
Ralph that he had been arrested, while at his
work. for debt, by his landlord, who was going
to throw him in Jail. They now owed him over
twenty dollars. The idea of her husband being
thrown into Jail, was terrible to poor Mrs. Lyon.
She asked kind neghbor to take care of her
children for her, and then putting on her bonnet
she almost flew to the magistrates office There
was Ralph, with an officer by his side ready to
remove him to prison
You shan't take my husband to JAIL said she
! wildly, when she saw the real aspect of things
u clinging fast hold of Ralph. Nobody shall
= take him to jail
> i am sorry my good woman, said the mag
i strate, 'to do so, but it can't be helped The
debt must be paid, or your husband will have tc
. 90 to jail. have no discretion in the matter
Can you find means to pay the debt! If not
perhaps you had better go and see your land
lord; you may prevail on him to wait little lon
Z ger for his money, and not send your husband
- to jail
yes Sally, do go and see him, said Ralph
4 am sure he will relent when he sees you
! Mrs. Lyon let 90 the arm of her husband
and, dafting from the Office ran at full speed tc
the house of the landlord
= oh, sir she exclaimed, you cannot, you vii
= not send my husband to jail
~ Il both can and WILL was the gruff reply -
y "A man who drinks up his earnings as he does
and then, when quarter-day comes, can't pay hi
II rent, deserves to go to jail
But sir, consider
! Don't talk to me, woman! If you have thu
money for the rent, will take it, and let you
=, husband 60 free; if not, the quicker you leay,
~ here the better
1t was in vain, she saw, TO strive with the hard
- hearted man, whose face was like iron. Hur
rediy leaving his house, she fastened back Il
the office, but her husband was not there. Ii
her absence he had been removed to prison
). When Mrs Lyon fully understood this, she mad
no remark, but turned from the magistrate ant
=. walked home with firm step The weakness
10 of the woman was giving way to the quicken
- ing energies of the wife, whose husband was il
prison, and could not be released except by he
efforts On entering her house, she wen
to her drawers, and took therefrom silk dress
= but little worn, mothers present when she wa
married; good shawl which she had Dough
from her own earnings when happy maiden,
i few articles of jewelry that had not been worl
b for years, most of them presents from Ralp
- before they had stood at the bridal altar, anc
. sundry other things that could best be dispensed
Ir with. These size took to pawnbroker's arc
. obtained an advance of fifteen dollars She hat
two dollars in the house, which made seventeen
the balance of the required sum she borrowed
! from two or three of her neighbours and ther
. hurried off to obtain her husband release.
y, For time the rigid proceedings of the land
- lord proved useful lesson to Ralph Lyon
. He worked more steadily, and was rather more
careful of his earnings But this did not las
. a great while. Appetite, long INDUCED, wa,
strong and he very soon returned to his ole
habits.
h The shock the Imprisonment of her husband
). produced, awoke Mrs Lyon to the necessity o
e doing something to increase their income. Al
Il that he brought home each week was scarcel,