Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1852-09-08

her. About t,ils ,n,e tu-y y-.,"...-.
large and popnlnus city. Evelyn was mis-
tress of uube mansion, surrounded by all
the splcnlor and luxury that love could be,
stow or wealth command Baskng in the
sunshine of prosperity; carrssed, admired
and Aattercd, in the gay and brilliant circles
she frcqucntcd, the beautiful and accomplish.
cd Mrs. Rivers las she was callcd) SWAIN
along the stream of pleasure so gently, that
one might well deem no thorns grew in her
pathway Of roses.
"Wil you not pass this evening with me,
dear Frank {" asked Evelyn Rivers, as she
saw her husband, after an absence of three
successive nights, again prepare to go out
Come" she continued, playfully putting
her slender arm within li. OWL" come,
E'rank; YOU did not always think the evening
! lost which You gave to me- And she gazcd
upon him with the carncstncss of Il woman's S
pleading. But there was sorrow, as well us
anxiety in her look.
lou arc a sweet bcggar, Evrlr rn," said
Rivers, after looking at her Il moment; hut
it wont do. I've pledged my word to Tom
Arundcl-a eentlrman's party you know
will he back before eleven" and, rs if anx-
ions to be gone, he hastily kissed her, and
! went his way.
Heavily did his departing footsteps rover.
Lr..te on the heart of his disappointed wife ;
and she thought time never moved so tardily.
4 sort Of mi<giving, for the first time, cross.
ed her mind; not that it shaped itself into
any thing tangible, but a vague, underlined
apprehension of some impending calamity.
Silently Evelyn Rivers kuct down, and i'm
plorngiy she repeated the intcrccsslnn
"Lcad him not into temptation; deliver him
from cvil!'
1t were loo sad thing to trace Frank
Rivers along his crring path Of folly and
dissipation; too sad tale to tell, how he
gradually and almost imperccptibly, es
tranged himself from his gentle and trusting
Evelyn; how, the more he neglected her
the farther he straycd from virtue and honor
and how the habit Of drinking "wine occa
sionally" led him, at last, to bow down hi'
high spirit at the unholy shrine of intempc
rance! 1t is q thlicc.told tale; too familiar
alas! to many of our readers.
For long time, Evelyn parred the cen
surcs aud harsh judgments Of the world the
secret regrets Of friends, and open attack
of foes. Clothed in its mantle Of devotion
her heart clung with increased tenacity t.
its object; aud the image was only shrlne'
the deeper. In the trusting earnestness
her heart, Evelyn had thrown all on TIN
venture OF his vow; and thus it was tha
she yet sustained herself.
But the truth came at last! That whic
Evelyn Rivers had deemed it even a sin t
think ON, now stood before her lamentab'
and sure rcality-hcr husband was an ire
claimablc drunkard :
Painful rumors reached the ears of Phil
Sargent, and he FASTENED to learn the truti
: EIo came alone and unannounced, to I'M
: his worst fears realized. One glance at VI
Rivers pale, detected conutenance, told til
story of "winc occasionally" and its effects
more eloquen,ly than words! Indeed ie'
words were spoken. Mr.. Sargent announce
his determination to take Evelyn home wit
r him; the physician had prescribed her ma
, tive air, and she consented to go. Ono VIII
knew her husbands accustomed haunt
sought him ont, with a message that MIR
, Rivers wished to sec him-him. round whor