New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-05-28

JoSs
His better feeling turned with proud contempt
from such picture, and met-the cold sneer,
the taunts and ridicule OF his evil genius
Hawkins. How true it is that
There is time-we know not when,
A point-we know not where
That marks the destiny Of men
And leads to glory despair .
Henry Irving destiny was poised on such q
point His moral integrity had become par
TALLY deadened under the influence of vicious
associations, and now when the hour had come
in which he was to choose his future, he was
wanting in that strength of soul that would
have enabled him to rise above those influences
that hung like an incubus about him.
If he had then possessed what every young
man so much needs in the hour of trial and
temptation-the counsel and sympathy Of vir-
tuous friendship, bow different would have been
his fate, but he did not. He sought counsel and
sympathy from Hawkins.
''Why Irving" said Hawkins, one evening az
they sat in their room talking the matter over,
sc it isn't possible you'd make such id fool
Of yourself as to give up to the whining of q
school girl; A pretty how-dy'e do, indeed,
when n man must renounce his manhood, ac-
| knowledge his inability to govern himself, and
| all for woman's caprice These sanity phi
lanthropists must have an exalted opinion of our
selfrespect and rirtue, as they term it, they
generously offer to prop us with written con-
tracts and pledges Are we to have our social
intercourse eircumscribed, cut and cornered to
meet the views of every stiff -nccked religionist
What a most exemplary pattern of human meek
ness you would make, Irving, to place your
leading strings into the hands of Emma Carson,
surrender all claims to Independence and say
Emma, dear, | sheerfully submit to your su-
perior wisdom and experience; whatever you
say is right!' What in the devil is there in
that girl to make such fuss about There's
plenty as good looking, as smart, and not trou-
bled with such sanity notions"
And thus, with ridicule and sneers was the
last hope of reformation destroyed. That night
Irving and Hawkins attended an oyster supper
at the ''Globe Coffee-house,'' where they met
some half dozen boon companions, Wine and
wit flowed freely. Irving drank deep to drown
the voice Of conscience and the conflicting emo
tions that stirred his soul, and that night, for
the first time in his life, Henry Irving ,cas put
| to bed drUk
From that hour his career was downward
His visits at Mr.. Carsons was soon discontinued
At the last interview Emma urged him by all
he held dear and sacred-by his hopes for time
and eternity-by every argument and induce
ment that a warm and earnest heart could COM
mand-to change his course of life and for q
moment it raised the remains of manhood within
him, but there was chain of infuences-a
power of indulgence that even the eloquence of
his hearts love could not sever. He left her
with a promise Of reformation, and shortly after
left P for the south.
About six years after the foregoing incidents,
two merchants from P were returning from
NewOrleans, where they had been purchasing
groceries. The day before the boat arrived at
Louisville, as they were seated on the guards
engaged in conversation. an unusual commotion
was observed among the hands the main
| deck.
The two gentlemen alluded to, with several
others, went below to ascertain the cause of the
disturbance They were told that one of the
| fremen had u fit of delirium tremens, and that
the hands were trying to conine him. They
stepped back into the engine room, and there,
reader, lay Henry Irrtng, tied to a bale of cot
ton, writhing and foaming in all the agonies Of
that dreadful malady When the boat reached
Louisville he was placed on dray and conveyed
to the hospital where, the next day, he ended
his life, calling down the most bitter curses or
him whose ridieule and sneers had silenced ths
pleadings of virtue and love, and drove him on
to ruin. Iroled' Blade.