The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1851-03-22
NY MCthei's Geld Ring.

ear enter 10y trade, and uGt Heck "l ntlC ChiIrCn
has one of the hudcsi father, IN the country.
was thonsht The lacs,sl gill III H., parish. when
C. = made IN, hs wife. / thought -
myself Our wedding day-aud i, W"s happy
onc--was but an indifferent sample ii thu,c ,an
OF rational happiness and uninterrupted harmony
which We wire permitted To enjoy together So
the space of slx years and although for tie last
| three Years uf our lives we have been IS haI py
/ as We were ut the beginning, It make. my heart
SICK TO think of those lorg dark days and sad
nights that cane between for two ycus of orr
/ uIhCn were years Of misery. ! well rccocct the
inst glass of ardent spirits that my husband ev-
cr drank. He had been at the grocery to pur
chase a little tea and sugar for the family there
were tirce cents coming to i'm in change; and,
uniuehIiy, the deacon, who keeps the shop, had
nothing but silver in the I'LL F.; AMI as it was sharp
and frosty morning, he per, uadcd rny goud man
to take hIs moneys worth of rum, for It was lust
the pnce of a glass. He came home IN wonder
iul spirits, aud told me he meant to have me and
the children be tier dressed, and as ueighbur Bar
ton talked Of selling his horse aud CHASE, he tho't
. of buyine them both and when ! SAID to him,
. "Georgc We ate dressed as well as We can afford,
and hope YOU will uot think ola horse and chase
I'LL We have paid of the SqUrcs mortgage, lie
gave me harsh look and bitter word. never
,hall forget that day, for they were the first lie
ever gave me in his life When h9 saw ne shed
ding tears and holding my apron to my face, he
said lac was sorry aud came oiiss me, and ! dis
covered that he had been drinking and it grievcd
me to the heart. In short time after, bile !
was Washing up the breakfast things | heard our
little Robert, who was only five Years old, CRYING
bitterly and, going learn the cause, met him
runuIng towards me with his face covered with
blood
/ - T,,l l., t,I. -. h.
and was PLAYING with him, but had given lin a
blow on the face only because he had said. when
he kissed him, Dear Father YOU smell like old
isaac, the drunken fiddler" Ny husband was
very cross to Us all through the whole Of that day
but the next morning though he said little, he WAS
evidently ashamed aud humblcd, and he went a.
bout his work very lndu,tiiousty, aud wa. partlc.
ularly kind To little Robert. lprayvd constantly
for my good man, and that God would be pleased
to guide his heart aright and more than week
having gone by without any similar occurrence
ilatlcrcd self that he would never do SO Il
gam. But III very little time, either the dca
con WAS short Of change, as before, or some temp
ting occasion presented itself which my husband
could not resist, and he returned home once more
under the influence Of liquor shall never for
gei the expression Of hI, countenance when he
came IN that night We had waited supper
at the fire and the bannuckS were untouched upon
the Ledrtl AMI the smaller children were begin.
ulns to mujmur for their supper There was an
hdcscrbable expression oi defiance on lns coun
tenancC, as though lac were conscious Of having
done wrong, and resolved to brave It out We
sat down silently to supper and lac scarcely raIs
cd hi- eyes upon amy ui Us during this unhappy
rcpast. lie soon went To bed and fell asleep; and
after ! had laM our little ones 10 rest, kn.lt al
the foot Of the bed on which my poor misguided
husband was sleeping, and poured ont my very
soul TO God, while my eyes were scaldcd witt
the buterest tears | ever shed. For then fore
saw that, unless some remedy could be employed
my best earthly friend, the father of my little Chl
dr,h, would become druukard The next NOR.
nng, after breakfast, vcnturcd To ,peak with lin
in mild way and, though could not refrain
my tears, neither my words nor my weepn ~ ap
pcarel to have ary effect, and saw that he was
becoming hardened and careless OF Us all How
many M hts have ! waited, weeping alone at my
once happy iireside istiung iur the lifting latch
wishing, yet dr.adiu, to hear Ii footsteps nt IT,,
door
After this state of thin-s hal continued or rith
or grown VERSE, tur nearly three mobl.. put 'r
NY bonnet one morning .tcr my husband h1'
gone To work. aud went ~ the deacon, store, nnd
finding Tim Hour, stated IN, husband case, auC
brggct him earnestly 10 sell HIN TO mote II,
told me it would do ~ good ior il lc did not sci
it, some other person would sell It and lie doubt
ed if NV husband took more than was good fol
] hm. lie quoted 5cuNtuFe tU show that 1t vas ;
Wits duty To stay at home and submit herself t,
her husband, ani not mcdi,o with thiug- that III,
no! belong To- her province At this time two o
three customers called or rum, and the dcacor
ciyilly advised me to go home and look after ms
I children.
D went out with heavy heart 1t seemed a
! If he tide Of evil was setting against me. A.
] was passing EIfmc' J,hnsons on my way home
they cailclm me in. sat down and rested mysc
fora few mrlreS IN thclr neat cottage. Fdrmt
johnson was just returning from the nold, an'
when saw the little ones running To meet hin
at the stIlc, and the kind looks that passed be
tween the gOuI man and hls wife, and when ! re-
\ membercd that We were married on the ver'
\ same day, and compared my own fortune witt
th,irs, my poor heart burst forth IN flood of tear,
They all knew what | WAS weeping for, and iir
mer johnson in Kind manner badG me cheer W
, and put my trust in Gods mercy, aud remcmbc
that It was often darkest before daylight H.
farmer nni his wife were members Of tho temper
u auce sucicty, and had signed the pledge and la
u often heard him say that he believed it had save
;. him from destruction. lie had, before his MAJ
70
Is taking little spirits every day lie was m II
= dustious, thriving man but shortly after his ma
e rage he became bound for n urishhor, who ra
eff and he was obliged to pay the debt. hay
heard HIM declare that when the sheriff took
way all his property, and stripped hi, little CO
i. tagc and scarcely left him those triiles which N
Ill secured to the poor man 10y law and when i
I'd considered how i'll his poor wife was At the tim
: in consequence Of the loss Of their child, that die
D. only month before, he was restrained from r
l. sortin. .n the bottle in his moment. of despair
-, nothing hut recollection Of the pledge he hr
N, signed. Farmer JohnsonS nelghboiiug deac,
N was in favor of pledges and had often told hi
that affection might weaken his Judgment and Il
l. moral sense, and that the pledge nigh, save hi
At last, rs plank saves the life Of n mariner vi
is tossed upon the waves, Ours WAS uuiurtuna.
ly Of different opinion lie thought very i'll
pledges, and expressed his disapproval in no me
al surel terms.
a Month after month passed away and our ha
nj pncss was utterly destroyed. My husband ne
IN lccicd his business, aud povety began To stare
y in the face Notwithstanding my best cycrtlor
VI ", it was hard work to keep my little ones dccert
a, clothed and sufficiently fed lfmy husband ear
81 cd shilling the dramsclcr was rs sure of it rs
MS it were already in hi. TILL | sometimes thong
81 L.. r. t,,l