Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-11-16

once belonged to Henry Iceland, but now the
property OF his numerous creditors. A few
months after his daughters marriage Mr.. Lee
became bankrupt, having engaged in the
ruinous speculation of land, in which so many
lost their all. Poverty he could not endure,
and in less than one short month from the day
OF his failure he was carried to that bourne
from whence no traveller returns. But a few
weeks elapsed, aud Mrs. Lee, who had for
many years enjoyed but feeble health, followed
her husband to the grave. Henry could not
stand the awful shock; the blow almost entirely
unnamed him. A habit which had long been
fixed upon him, that of indulging in the free
use OF intoxicating liquors, and which had been
profound secret to all except his wife, now
broke out in all its fury, subservient to no re-
straints, and he, with giant strides, began the
downward road to ruin. Now, not day
passed over his head that did not find him in
toxicated. His creditors seized the whole Of
his property, and now they are selling it to pay
his debts.
In that low, mean howell, which you see
standing near the mansion, lies the wife of
Henry Leland, now listening to the cry of the
auctioneer, death knells to the soul-now
writhing in the agonies of devouring fever.
In her wild delirium she calls upon Henry to
rush from the brink of an awful precipice
which she sees before him: then in accents of
suppressed grief begs him to abandon the
deadly wine. AS she lay there upon the brink
OF eternity Henry entered in state Of beastly
intoxication. For moment the once beauti-
full, but now emaciated and sorrow-worn Caro-
Lee rested calmly; but it was only for mo-
ment and she called upon Henry, in terrible
screams, to fly from the destroyer, to leave his
cups. Oil how tervently she prayed, in her
wildness, for the angels to come from Heaven
and save her husband-her Henry, from de-
struction. The stoutest soul bled as the dy-
ing girl prayed.
At this moment the inhuman brute rushed
to the bed side, breathed terrible oath into the
ear of his wife, then, with clenched fist, struck
that aoife-struck that dying woman, her whom
only one short year ago he swore to love and
protect Yes, the fend, the rum-soaked wretch
struck his dying wife In the twinkling of on
eye Caro- was in the full possession her senses,
and equally soon was the beastly wretch sober
man. Oh! what horrors filled that mans
bosom! What hell consumed his soul! He
approached the bedside of his wife; he at
tempted to place his lips upon her cold brow,
but she waved her hand for him to leave her,
and Caro- Lees spirit winged its fight to the
bright realms ofeternal day. That George was
the life and end of Caro-, the Caro- of the wan
derer's dreams"
"But what has become Of Henry Leland ~
/ asked
Just then the old gentleman pointed down
street, and directed my attention to the meanest,
flthiest, and most degraded being that eyes
ever rested upon. 1t was the wreck Of the
once beautiful Henry Leland. He was an in
mate of the alms-house, a poor miserable drunk
ard. / had heard and seen enough: the next
morning l took my little pack, left the home of
my boyhood, and have never seen it since.
Waperley Nag.