The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1853-10-13
5rlcttc0.
THE HUSBANDS PRESENT
BY A JoURNEYMAN PRINTER.

1t was a bitter cold night on the 25tl
of December. The snow lay deep upor
the frozen earth, aud the bright moon
riding half way up the heavens, lent ;
crystalline lustre to the scene. In tn,
high road, a short distance from a quiet
reposing village, stood the form of a hu
man being His garments was scan
and tattered-by far insufficient to keeE
out the bitter frost his frame shook anC
trembled like the ice bound boughs o
the w,ei eiing-willow that grew near hin
and his face, as the moonbeams danced
upon it, exhibited all the fearful foot
prints of the acknowledgements
Poor, wretched and debased, he looked
and such in truth he was.
Before him, at the end of a neatly
fenced and trellised inclosure, stood a
small cottage. 1t was elegant in its SIM
pie neatness, and just such one as Il
humble lover of true comfort aud JOY
would seek for home. The tears roll :
ed down the bloated cheeks Of the poor
inebriate as he gazed upon the cottage,
and at length, as he clasped his hands
in agony, he murmured
%, thou fond home of my happier
days, thou lookest like heaven OF the
past. Beneath thy-roof was married
to the idol of my soul, and within thy
peaceful walls, God gave me two blessed
children There peace and plenty were
mine, and love and joy. My wite-God
bless her gentle soul-was happy then,
and my children-may heaven protect
them-laughed and played in gleesome
pleasure. Gladness played upon us then
and every hour season of bliss. But
L lost them US fool loseth his own sal
vation Six years have passed since the
demon that | took to my heart drove us
from our sheltering roof. And those six
years Oh what misery, what anguish,
what sorrows, anu what degradation have
they not brought to me and my family !!
Home health, wealth, peace, JOY and
friends, are gone-all, all gone Oh,
thou fatal cup-no | will not blame thee.
1t was who did it Year after year
tampered with thy deadly sting, when
knew that destruction lurked in thy
smile But, but and the poor man
raised his eyes to heaven as be spoke, .
there is still room enough on earth for
another man-and | will be that man :
Within the only apartment OF m'ser
able and almost broken down howell, sat
a woman aud two children-a boy and
a girl. The cold wind found entrance
through hundred crevices, and as Its
biting gusts swept through the room the
mother and childre,. crOuched nearer to
the few embers that still smouldered up
on the hearth. The only furniture was
four poor stools, rickety table, and a
scanty covered bed, while in one corner
nearest to the replace, was heap of
straw aud tAttered blankets, which serv-
ed as a resting place for the brother
and sister. Part of a tallow candle was
burning upon the table, and by its dim
light, one might have seen the wretched
mothers countenance. 1t was pale and
wan, and wet with tears. The faces O!
the children were both buried In her lap.
and they seemed to sleep peacefully un-
der her prayerful ldiansbip.
At length the sound of footsteps upon
the snow crust struck upon the mothers
ears, and ba astily arousing her children,
she hurried them to their lowly bed, and
hardly had they crouched away beneath
the thin blankets, when the door was
opened, and the man whom we have
seen before the pretty cottage entered
the place. With a trembling and fearful
look the wife gazed up into her husbands
face and seemed ready to crouch back
from bis approch, when the mark of a
tear-drop upon his check caught her eye.
Could it be, thought she that pearly
drop was in truth tear! No-perhaps
a snow fake had fallen there and mel
ted.
Once or twice, Thomas wilkins scem-l