Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1850-09-27
Gbnirt IitFraturF.
IDDLLA PnMBERToN.
BY REv. PHILlP ?. NEELY.

4
By REV. PHILIP p. NEELY.
!" am glad you have come, William"
said ldella Pemberton to her husband,
as he entered the room late one evening
in November 81 feel so lonely as the
night winds beat against the walls, and
Agnes has been worse all the evening.
William, l know your business in town |
demands much of your time, yet will
you not try and spare yourself from it, |
so that you can spend your evenings
with me until our babe is beyond the
danger Of another paroxysmS 1t fright
ems me SO much when you are away
When she has recovered, will endeav-
or to resign myself 10 your necessary ab-
sence."
Her kind words and pleading eyes
went directly to the heart of William
Pemberton, who, drawing his young
wife afectionately to his, bosom re,
piled
Yes, Idella. / have neglected you
and our little Agnes too long. prom
Use you to watch with you until she is
quite well. Tomorrow evening I will
bring out collection of books, so that
our hours Of watching may pass pleas
antly and pro6tably away
You are very kind TO me-" said Idel-
la, while tears, such as she had not shed
for weeks. gathered in her eyes.
William Pemberton was Young man
Of ardent and generous feelings. Hay-
ing received liberal education under
the direction Of his uncle, and possess
ling handsome patrimony, he embarked
in the mercantile business in the lowell.
est village Of the South. 1t was there
be saw ldella Chandler. She was lust
lseventeen, and such was the gentlenes:
land amiability of her disposition, that
flew months association was sufficient t.
win his affections. He wooed her ant
was successful. They were as happy
i pair as ever knelt before the bridal altar
and none that gazed upon him, as HI
stood in the manliness of youth, or OF
} her, as she trembled beneath robe @
Epurest white-beauliful emblem of
!, spotless heart-and were united in th
. most haIlowed relation on earth, woul,
have dreamed that shadows would eve
) daFken the path on whose Howery thresh
: old they were then standing.
Il At the time our story opens, they weF
J, living in a retired cottage house, shoI
: distance from town. Two years had gf
: ded by since their marriage, and III
morn Of their welded love had been III
1 clouded. The frank, ingenious natuu
efof William Pemberton made him th
: easy subject Of temptation, and unfortl
K nately his resistance was but TOO unsu,
e eessful. For some weeks be had r,
II turned home late at night, Inaintainin
4 throughout the evening q silent and mc
ot rose manner. He gave as his excus
III that the opening Of his full stock of gooc
'ul required his unceasing attention, an
to- the confding Idella, with credulity il
at separable from true affection doubted
% not, Perhaps if she had marked close
* the expression of his eve, or had ma
N rowly watched his step, the wiIdness
I'd one and the unsteadiness Of, the 9th
lP would have revealed, with too dreadf
I'd certainty, the fearful peril to which
III was exposed. She knew that ne W
w not as he once was, but the voice of /;
ur fection whispered an excuse for him,
ot the worldly cares with which he W
n surrounded. OF his absence she had n
We yet complained but when her babe sic
ia ened, she Ventured to plead for the col
i'll pany Of her husband, and prevailed.
n The recovery of Agnes was rapid. D
rs ring the evenings which William pass
n at home, it seemed as IL he and Ide
b? had entered upon new existence.
ry bis former tenderness returned.
lto read 10 his wife, and hung around t
ng couch Of the little invalid; administer
Dr. needful restoFatives with a husbanr
t a kindness and fathers love. When I
omI child recovered entirely, William s
ngl spent his evenings with bis family,
d reading or rambling. 1t was a season
pil quietude aud peace. Gradually he
lay turned to his former habits-drank de,
md er and deeper Of the wine cup, until
ing cast off the bonds of moral restraint, q
es- bound him in its damning vassalage
ial- Idella--the gentle, the devoted Idell;
der was the last to believe William Pemb
u! ton drunkard.
our It was stormy night in the wintel
yo- l840. The wind blew in fitfuI gu
: Of and the snow fell through the clap-bo
'ubt roof of miserable howell in one of
crl- miserable streets Or Gathered
heir round handful of wasting embers
You that wretched hut, was pale woman
b, ! two children one daughter about f
ould teen, and the other son, seemingly
you bout six years old. The mother
: | sewing by the feeble light Of an odd