The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-09-03

had contributed his small, but insufficiel
aid, for he was nearly as poor as his patien
The physicians of the poor possess every tt
lent but that Of getting paid for their Sevt
ces. ...
1T was this excellent man who took upo
himself the task of writing TO me- and, o
| my arrival at Marscilles he was waiting for M
in the coach office yard. As / had not re
piled to his letter, he had presumed, in tn
| simplicity of his heart that / would Of COurst
come. Generous hearts are always thus in
flucnccd they judge from themselves anC
believe in goodness. EIc hastcncd to meet
Inc, saying:
"'You have lost no time, my dear sir you
foresaw that delay would be equivalent to a
sentence Of death. God will reward you for
the good act. .
"This mmerited praise was bitter, but had
not the magnanimity to say it was undeserved
and what man ever refused to be flattered?
What ass but would pass for lion?
my first visit, which | had determined
should be to the manager of the theatre, was
made to my sister law. found her in the
miserable garret Of dilapidated house, situ-
ated in a narrow street, with not even ray Of
sunshine to cheer her lonely hours. Near
the bed, with its scanty covering, was little
girl-she had large and lustrOus eyes, arched
fuse and in careless ringlets, SO beautiful in
childhood, encircled regular features, full of
intelligence, and stamped with that serious re-
signation which early suffering gives to the
countenanCe. Oh! how sweet was that child
even then, and how eloquently her thin, pale
cheek, plead for herl gazed upon her silence
i began to feel that there is in childhood an
irresistible attraction, fascination which we
feel and acknowledge, although our hearts may
have been for a lifetime closed to every bene-
VIOLENT or tender emotion. | longed to clasp
the dear child in my arms, but sordid avarice
whispered, Iyou s4fsy your heart to be touch
ed Nth pity gOH are LOST l felt that should
incur obligations which during my whole life
had studied to avoid. should be compell-
cd to relieve effectually the accusing misery
which surrounded me. Like one who secs an
abyss at his feet, recoiled at the thought
| The benevolent physician could not cOmpre-
hend my detestable selfishness, and he be-
| lieved my strange demeaAOr the effect oi
! pity Thee hesitation Of miser at The
sight of suffering he would avoid, would fly
from, he supposed the emotion Of softened
heart. A melancholy smile irradiated his
features. Approaching me more closely, be
pressed my hands in his with warmth, anC
said:
''The sight ofso much misery, see, affects
|
our duty, we must become but too familia
with such scenes; you, however, are the onl!
physician wanted here-let us go nearer"
'We went closer to the bedside. | was in
cold sweat, for shame was at work at my heart
and my mean and sordid subterfugeS tortur
ed me.
"When my sister-in law saw me so nea
her bedside, she arose with difficulty and s
up i'll the bed, leaning upon the physician
arm. There was visible in her eOuRtenanc
both pride and resignation; she would hav
commanded but she did not dare to command
aud it was a painful task to ask aid and pro
lection from the only person in the whole wOrl
she had despised. She did not, therefore
descend to solicitation, but trembling wit
emotion, she pointed with her attenuated fin
ger to her child, saying, in heart breaking
tones, "Aly poor chiia sgiU soon be mother
ke5sP' This simple but powerful appeal t
my compassion did not conquer my stubborn
heart Icarefully avoided looking at the child
for fear of relenting, and said, as cOolly as
| could "Why do YOU fOrbOde such melancholy
forebodingsf You are still young, and in the
care Of a skillful physician--We ought never to
| despair" Any other human being would have
said, "Your brother is here; he has come to
wipe away your tears, and to make you forget
his former sunwOrthiness; rely upon him,
for he will be father to your child d''--but |
said no such thing-I had but one wish, to
Ry. Oh! worship Of the golden calf, how
| flinty- hearted, how infamous it makes us,--
While thus undecided in what manner to effect
the shameful retreat l meditated, the sweet
child, who had steadily fixed her eyes upon
my iron countenance, and appeared more sur
prised than abashed, coming close to me, took
hold of my hand, pointed to the foot of her
mothers bed, and, in the most touching ac-
cent, said:
"'Sit down there, you are so tall can't
kiss you, if you don't take me in your lap"
IL sat down, and she climbed up to seat
upon nv knees. The mother Seeing this,
clasped her hands and raised her eyes to Heav-
en- as if in prayer. For myself felt that the
decisive moment had arrived, and cased my
heart in triple steel, "What is this woman
aud what is this child to mel" thought III
am under no promise to support them-they
have no legal claim upon me---they cannot
Oblige me to feed them-- my riches, so long
and SO patiently toiled for, are mine, yes, mine
alone 1.-The future is dark and uncertain; to
give away part even, would be foolish and
imprudent. In short, gave myself all the
excellant reasons which The love Of boarding
can bring SO triumphantly into the field OF
argument My resolution once taken, re-
solved to be firm, aud calling to my aid sa-
wage scowl, looked steadfastly in the face Of
the child She, too, looked in my face steadi-
ly and boldly, and appeared considering in
what way she could break through the icy
behind which was entr Ached. At
length, throwing her little armS aroung my
neck, she said in her childish manner.
"'Will you be my papa? OH | will love
you So You look Just hke my dear papa, some
times he looked cross too; but he was so good; |
if be did look cross wasn't afraid you
good, toO?''
II cannot describe to you the touching ef-
feet of this artless appeal; yet faltered not,
bnt making strong effort to retain my stern
and UnyieIding aspect, Irudely unclasped her
little arms from around my neck, and without
a word in reply, placed her on her feet beside
me. In an instant she turned deadly, fright
fullypale, then a single tear rolled slowly
down her marble cheek, and fell, yet hot, upon
my trembling hand. A change, sudden and
entire, came over me--my greedy avariee my
brutal conduct appeared before me in their re-.
voting deformity-I felt degraded in the