Blue hen's chicken. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1848-1854, 1850-03-08

we were not always III the poor house You So
now, sir; we had as snug and tidy Hill
home as is 10 be found Ia all -; bui oves
Bit Of furnishing has gone nov, except VIII;
you see. lie has taken away one Thing aft.
another, and sold them for drink and I-ior
. could not help il-had to pawn my clothes 70
bread for my children Mine had become
hard and bitter lot; and what can poor wo
man do, when tied to man who has cease,
10 love her, ceased TO think of her, and oare
emily for gratifying his craving for drink. For
merly, when he came home from his work, th,
house was made comfortable for him; and oil
how rejoiced at the sound Of his coming step
there was very music in it! Bul now, The
sound of his tread makes me shudder: | lisler
for it as before, but it is in dread. | hear The
unsteady step, and my soul sinks within MS
That dear little boy, how he loved his father
He clambered abou. him, and rompea and play.
ed with him, and the father felta proud Joy in
his young son. but that joy, too, was poison
ed by tue growth OF the new craving for drink
which set in upon him, and even feared that
the father began to grudge the food that was
needed to nourish the little things, as ii limited
his mea ms Of self indulgence. All is dreary
blank now -
found that the poor child had been called
up, one cold, raw night, to let the father in
while the mother, unable to rise, was confined
to the bed by her nav born infant A severe
cold was caught, which soon assumed the foru
Of Group, and death fixed his relentless ialons
ON the doomed child. That fa,her--how much
had he TO answer for aud, did spark Of faith :
ery feelings yet remain in him, how borrow
stricken must he be when finding the shocking
result OF his own sinful conducti
left the house, giving the poor woman such
comfort as the circumstances would admit and
sssii, i,aosrvy ,ir-r wcrv exirei,eiy slender. But
| resolved in my own mind to have an interview
with the man himself, and to point out to him
the consequences of his conduct.
few hours after, when the morning light
had dawned, returned to The house the child
had breathed its last a few minutes before
entered. The mother almos. heart-broken was
stunned with grief, and tears were all her utter
ance. A man, bowed down and haggari, sa,
by the FIRE, the picture of wretchedness. He
started up when entered, and made 10 the
door, hut | stood before him and said, " /
should like to have word with you before you
go. You are, presume, the father of that
child !"
/" i am, sir" he replied.
And you are aware OF the cause of its dealhl'
He hung down his head ard sobbed.
al do not wish TO speak severely TO you, my
friend, at such lime bu. you must take this
as a special and solemn warning yourself
one sent, hope, by Providence, to Withdraw
you from the guilty course you are now pursu-
ing, and which must inevitably end in utter
ruin and misery toyourself, your wife and your
children -
know it, sir" he gasped, 4" know it !
But have been infatuated, mad, and cruel to
my family in the extreme. feel it all now I;
| see the hOrrid gull tness of my course and
have vowed never to drink again. have
sworn it over the body of my poor child,
whose love had begun to forget, whose com
fort | had lately altogether neglected and
you will see, sir, shall persevere in my de-
termination"
' am glad to hear it," | said " abandon
wholly this practice you have given yourself
up /, de not even iasie-for the first drop
does the mischief and shall be mos, glad
to learn that you have become restored to use
fulness as a member of society, and 10 the re-
newed love and respect Of your wife and chill
dren."
81 faithfully PROMISE" he said and seized
my hand and pressed il Z" | shall swear 10
you il that be necessary"
"Quiet unnecessary" | replied "the reso.
luton that cannot be- kept without an oath,
will not be kept with one j. and lhsn | left.
Several months passed and being much
occupied, the circumstances had almost passed
from my mind, until one morning visitor cal
led 10 inquire for his account, and gave his
name which at once remembered as the oc-
cupant Of the cottage Of Smiths Yard. had
some difficulty in recognizing him again he
was clean, healthy looking, and well-dressed !
a change seemed to have come over The entire
man.
=" ! have kept my promise, sir" were his
first words; | have not tasted ono drop Of
intoxicating drink since that sad moring, and,
with Gods help shall never taste another drop
while live. have found the good conse.
qnences in my restored self-respect, in my re-
stored health and strength, In the restored en-
joyment of my home and family. have taken
cottage in clean and healthy part of the
town for do you know, sir, my craven fol
siimulanis stuck by me SO long as breathed
the air Of that Filthy eoaTi. Who knows how