The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1850-08-28


drd hy medicine have bat liiIle avail. The
pnIson held in solution By the surrounding
air battles the most skilfnl treatment. and
dezlh Is almost Invariably The viriar in
the cnniesl. Half the children born in
lhis disiiiri. ] VAS assured hy men of long
experience. penshed under four years old;
and The lires nf those who survived were
sickIy. jayless. and miserable. Life with
them was only long and painful dying.
found my liule patient in the dealh.
ihroes. liwas a case of Group Of the worst
kind. The house was romlorless in The
extreme. A few rrd rinders in The crate
struggled fnr liie-a cold ERE. more cheer.
less even Than none al all. The furniture
Of the room into which ! was n-hered.
consisted Of drawers sadly out of repair,
q deal safe. three or four rirkriiy chairs,
and the miserable iruekie on which the
dying child lay. A wooden fight Of stairs
led 10 sleeping apartment sbove-of The
furniture Of which one might fnrm an idea
from this. the - hest apartment. The
molhfr Of Ile child held an infant OF
few weeks old al her breast; she was cry
ing bitterly. for The sad nnih was not 10
be concealed from her. She was dressed
in poor garment. patched in many places.
yet she was clean; The few articles IN The
apartment. however miserable in other
respects. being also as clean as water and
securing could make them. The floor
too, was clean and fresh sanded. by
Whatever means. then, misery had fallen
npon This humble honsehold. il did not. at
FIRST sight, appear 10 be The woman's fault;
the evi,Ienres OF her domestic industry
were obsious. There was q dismal pow
eriy; that was only too apparent.
My interest in the poor woman's for
tunes wa. excited by wha ] saw, and.
after administering some medicine from a
packet which carried with me Cor i'm
mediate use on such occasions, ! inquired
how she lrved. iMite
I'VE live bui poorly, sir" she said;
" no wages have come into the house this
week: aud you see." glancing at The in.
FAM in her arms. that we have just had
another liule mouth 10 fill."
"Then your husband" lesitaied;
and sreing my doubt k
.Alas !' she said. 81 haze husband;
and yet he is moi husband" and she
hung down her head and .wept.
Z" IL he in work." inquired.
"Work enough, and well paid, for thai
part of il: but. sir, you see, he has sadly
fallen oG in his ways since We were nlar>
ried. He has become unsIeady-care.
less OF his home and family--in shor, SIT
a drunkard !" ~ '
The confession cost her painful Ct.
fort; and was almost sorry for having
extracted il; but she proceeded with heI
story:
When we were frs, married, thought
myself the happiest Of women. lie was
kind, afTectionaie, and steady. did my
best 10 make things comfortable, and think
succeeded. We were no, always in the
poor-house you see now, sir; we had as
snug and tidy a hnle home as is TO be
found in all---; but every biz Of furnish.
ing has gone now, except what you see.
lie has taken away one thing after
another, aud sold them for drink; and ],
for could not help il. had to pawn my
clothes for bread for my children! Mine
has become hard and bi,terlot; and wha,
can poor woman do, when ned TO a man
who has ceased l0love her. ceased to think
Of her, aud cares only 10 gra,ify his crav-
ing for drink! Formerly. when he came
home from his work. the house was male
comfortable for him; and oh how re-
ioiced at the sound of his coming step
There was very music in IL! But now
the sound of his tread makes me shndder;
| listen Cor il as belore, but il il in dread.
| hear the unsteady step. and my soul
sinks within me. That dear little boy,
how he loved his faiher. He clnmbered
abou, him, and romrcd and played with
him, and The father fell a proud joy in his
young son. But that joy, too, was poi
soned by the growth Of the new craving
for drink which set in upon him, and
even feared that The father began TO grndgc
The food that was necessary 10 nourish The
little thing. as !. limited the means Of sell
indulgence. AL is a dreary blank now!''
/ E,und that the poor child had beer
called up one cold. raw night. 40. lei the
father in, while the mother, unable TO rise
was confined to bed by her new>born in
fani. A severe cold was caught. which
soon assumed the form Of Group. and death
| fixed his relentless talons. OF the, doomed
child. That faiher-how much had ht
TO answer fur and, did a spark nffallerlJ
feeling yet remain in him. how horror
stricken must he he, when finding lh'
shocking result Of his own sinful con
i duct
| I left the house. giving the poor wo
| man such comfort as the circumstances
would permit; and truh, 10 say. they wer'
extremely slender. Butt resolved in m,
own mind 10 have an interview with tn
man himself, and 10 point out to him tn
y consequences Of has conduct.