The Ohio organ, of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, [Ohio]) 1853-1854, 1853-04-22

tribute to her happiness!G
Thomas, introduced by his COM
paHions to Harry Blight's eleven
o'clock free lunch, soon became a reg
ular attendant at it. He never dream.
ed Of danger, but under the guise of
seeking the lunch, he would seek the
qualification Of an appetite, that bade
fair to prove bis ruin. Eleven o o'clock
soon became too long to wait, and
nine O'Clock would find him at the
bar, with cracker in one hand and
a glass Of brandy in the other. He
made many excuses to himself, and
often tried to silence the accusing con-
science within, when it spoke in thun-
der tones to his mind. Often the face
OF his sweet uncomplaining wife,
would rise up before his mind, as he
stepped upon the threshold Of Harry's
saloon. And often, his frenzied eye
would fire with tears, as he felt the
power Of the tempter, like an anacon.
da, drawing its coils around him.
But what Of Ned ? Ahl Ned saw
the fatal dart fixed in the shaft, ready
to be sped into his heart, and like a
prudent man, he forsook the eleven
o'clock lunch and tried all his powers
of persuasion to induce Thomas to
follow his example. It was, however,
Of no avail. Thomas had become
spell-bound1-the charmer knew his
power, and well he used it. He vis-
tied regularly his old haunts, but, as,
he became seedy, or what is called a
shabby genteel loafer, his former com
panions iorsook him and declined his
Ybaa >tsa N
CHAPTER II.
Five years passed away upon the
wings Of time. Thomas has waded
through these years, days, and hours
of sorrow and his skirts have been
defiled with the gutter and the kennel.
He who had been so careful of his
person and dress, has become a dirty
sloven. Mary had often supped on
blighted hopes, and departed Joys.
her uncomplaining was the wonder Of
her friends and neighbors. Oh! they
knew not the depth Of affection in that
young hearth When expostulated
with by her friends, for living with
her husband when told that nought
had been left undone that persua-
sion, kind admonition, friendly advice
and entreaties had all failed !; and
there was no use in attempting his re-
formation, she would, with clasped
hands and lifted eyes, bend to her
knees, and taking her little daughter
,Clara's tiny fingers between her own,
raise her voice in supplication to her.
God. f adl aa
Long and patiently would she sit
over her work, to secure for her hus-
band and little one a morsel to keep
them from starving. Her labors at
night affected her eyes and her con-
slant application to her needle, and
want of exercise, had faded the rose
from her cheeks, which had, given
place to the lilly, AT this present
time she was laboring under a. cold,
contracted in going out to neighbor-
ing tavern, to seek for his insensible,
bloated form. The cold grew worse,
and soon the hectic, flush upon her
cheeks told the friends who visited her,
that the worm which eateth into the
vitals was at work upon her system.
Her disease had assumed q fatal
character and one evening as return
ing from the store whore she procured
work for her needle, she misstepped,
and fell at full length upon the sharp
cobble stones in the street. "A stream
of blood gushed from her mouth, and
all she was able to inform the bystand-
ers. was of the place of herlresidenee.
/