The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-08-18
CHAP. w.

Chhf. Nv.
Famine is in thy cheeks;
Need and oppression stareth in thine eyes;
Upon thy back hangs ragged misery;
The world is not thy friend, nor the worlds law"
While bis wife was yet very feeble, Sneeks
went to the city, and spent several days in dis
sipation and nights in rioting. At that time
he played largely and incurred heavy debts.
Soon after his return he proposed to sell a
greater part of the farm, and urged as reason,
that should they do 80, there would be less hard
work in the house.
Mrs Sneeks was then very weak, both in
body and mind, and she had no one to advise
her.
Anything, anything" thought she, $50 that
need not be such a drudge, and work 80 much
beyond my strength"
A few days only elapsed before she was call
ed upon to sign deed, and she placed her
name to the document wholly unconscious of
the poverty to which she was reducing herself
The magistrate received her testimony that it
was done of her own free will and yet he saw
that she was incapable of having any intelli-
gent will about it.
The following winter Mrs Sneeks passed
nearly alone. A man. near by, was employed
to get wood and take care of what little stock
they had left. This man was very unfaithful,
and she often sufered for fuel, and -four, and
other necessaries Sneeks spent most Of his
time in the city, and before spring he became
a shameless prohgate. One evening, in
drunken revel, he fell intoss quarrel. The
combatants weTe separated, Lst the memory Of
the difficulty ranked in the bosoms of both.
The next time they met, they drew their dirks,
and Sneeks was pierced to tbs heart. He died
r ALL hat Sa~A s~Rs a.,
and cruelty toward her whsm he had sworn to
love and cherish--what mountain of crime
he carried up to the throne Of the Eternal
Mrs. Godfrey went to the city and buried
her father She apologized for his reckless
conduct by saying
ellis wife was very inefficient and had no
power to make home agreeable. We're it other.
wise, he might have been different"
Base detractor Mrs. Sueeks was genial,
loving, faithful woman, and one in every way
calculated to make domestic life attractive II
is bad enough TO have the trouble, without
being charged with the crime. She did not 90
to see his remains consigned to their last rest.
ing place her wardrobe was too scanty Had
she attempted to appear abroad, she would have
looked like beggar. Neither did ehe make
great show of grief; STILL she felt the be.
reavement--she was shocked, she was unutter-
ably desolate Even broken reed, that can
give no support, we cling to- we would not
have it taken away. We shudder even when
the tie that bound us to a faithless wretch is
rudely broken. Her heart had been rent with
many SORROWS. The current of her life, that
once flowed harmoniously onward, through the
howery fields Of love and joy, had been turned
away backward, and forced to channel its way
through dark and thorny labyrinth, down
ward and downward to utter hopelessness and
misery. And now oh how chilling and re-
pulsve and solitary appeared the way.
Legal proceedings were entered into for the
settlement of the estate, and of all Mrs Sneeks's
property there remained only the house and
twenty acres Of land, valued altogether at two
thousand dollars This would have yielded
Mrs Sneeks quite a comfortable living, as her
wants were few, and she might have spent her
old age 10 comparative peace but, greatly 10
her surprise, Mrs Godfrey was the legal heir,
for thus reddeth The iaw. An interest, simply,
in one third of the estate, was the scanty pit
lance allowed her, whose funds had bought it
all.
Should you leave the place, said lawyer,
whom she was consultiDg-"and | suppose you
could not live there alone, and attend to the
farming department - you will receive your
share Of the income from Mrs. Godfrey
aFrom Mrs Godfreyi IL my bread to como
prudep civ from the hand Of that false womnn!
God forbid that should ever est it! This is
the last act of humiliation to which had ever
thought of being subjected. Her father has
souandered nv means /; he has wrung out my
hearts blood, and exhausted q fonntain Of
tears and that is not enough, but the law
takes my last dollar, and gives it to her, who
would gladly Cypress and grind me into the
earth, a. he has done. brought TO him youth,
hope, affection all spotless and true; brought
a competence ; and they are all, all gone.
Hopes are blasted, affection crushed, premature
age is upon me. for even now tremble as one
under the weight of wears, and the scanty rem
nant that ia left of nv means the law fches
from ma ard v;y.s IN nv worst eneov. and