Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1853-12-21

II am nm old man, standing at the end of
| lifes journey. There is deep sorrow in my
heart, and tears in my eyes. journeyed over
dark and beaconless ocean, and all lite's hopes
| have been wrecked am without friends, home
or kindred on earth, and look with longing to the
rest of the night of death. Without friends,
/ kindred or home 1t was not once so !"
No one could withstand the touching pathos
of the old man. noticed 4 tear trembling on
the lid of my fathers eye and | no more felt
ashamed Of my own.
"No, my friends, it was not 40 once.-Away
over the dark waves, which have wrecked my
hopes, there is the blessed light of happiness aud
home. reach again convulsively for the shrines
| of the household idols that once were mine, now
no more"
The old man seemed looking away through
fancy upon some brigh: vision his lips apart and
his finger extended. involunlarily turned in
the direction where it was pointed dreading 10
see some shadow invoked by its magic move
| ments.
81 once had mother, who with her old heart
crushed with sorrow, went down into the grave.
I once had wife, fair, angel creature, rs ever
smiled in an earthly home. Her eye mild as
summer sky and her heart as faithful and true
rs ever guarded and cherished husbands love.
| UlIt eyes HTGW Ullli us lIic louuS VI SOIlUW
washed away their brightness, and the living
heart | .wrung until every fibre was broken. |
once had a noble, brave and beautiful by, but
he was driven out from the ruins of his home,
and nv old heart yearns to know if he yet lives.
| once had babe, sweet, tender BLOSSOM, but
these hands destroyed it and it lives with one
who luvcth children.
"Do not be startled my friends-I am not
murderer in the common acceptaton of the term.
Yet there is light in my evening sky. A spirit
mother rcjoices over the return of her prodigal
son The wife smiles upon him who again turns
back to virtue and honor. The chd-angcl Wis
its me at night-fall and feel the hallowing
touch of 4 tiny palm upon my fererish check.
NV brave boy, if he vet lives, would forgive the
sorrowing old man for the blow that manned
him for life, and the treatment that drove him
into the world.-God forgive me for The ruin
that have brought on me and mine.
81 was once 4 fanatic, ad madIy followed
the malign light which led me 20 ruin was
fanatic, when sacrificed wife, children, happi
ness, and home TO the accurscd demon of the
bowl once adorcd the gentle being whom
injured so deeply.
81 was once Il drunkard. From responsibility
and afflucnce. | plunged into degradation and
poverty. l dragged my family down with me.
For years | saw her cheek pale, and her step
grow weary ! left her alone amid the wreck of
h,r home and her home idols, and roed ut the
tavern She never complained, yet she and the
children were hungry for bread"
"One New Years night, went late to the hut
where charity had given US rnof-She WAS yet
up and shivering over tho Goals. demanded
food, but she burst into tears and said there was
nouu fercely ordered her to get some. She
turned her eyes sadly upon me, the tears falling
fast over her pale cheeks. But this moment the
child in the cradle awokc and sent up 4 furnished
wall, startling the despariny mother like u ser
pcnts sting.
ave have no food, Jamcs-have had none
for several days. have had nothing for the
babe. My once kind husband, must We
starvc.
"That sad pleading face and those streaming
eyes, and the feeble vail Of the child. maddcned
me, and Yves, struck her fierce blow in the
face, and she fell forward upon the hearth. 'rh"
ftircs of hell boiled in my bosom, and with
greater intensity, as felt ! had committed 4
wrong had never struck Mary before. but now
some terrible impulse bore me on, and stopped
down rs well as could in my drunken state,
and clenched both hands in her hair.
God of mercy, James," exclaimed my wife,
rs she looked up in my icndish counicnhnce
"you will not kill us-you will not harm Will
lic:' and she sprang to the cradle and graspcd
| him in her embrace. | caught her again by Tie
hair and dragged her TO the door, and as lifted
the latch the wind burst in wilha cloud Of SNOW
With the yell of tiend, | dragged her on, aud
hurled her out into the darkness and storm.
With 4 wild ha ha! [ closed the door and
turned the button, her pleading moans mingled
with The wall Of the blast, and the sharp cry Of
the babe. But my work was not complete.
81 turned TO the little bed where lay my elder
son, and snatched him from his sumbcrs, OPEN
ed the door and thrust him out in agony of fear,
he called me by name was no longer fit TO
bear, and locked his fingers into my side pocket
could not wrench the irencied grasp away, and
with the GOODNESS of the devil, as was, shut the
door upon the arm, and with my knife, severed
| it at the wrist"
The speaker ceased 4 moment, and buried his
face in his hands, as if 10 shut out some fearful
dream, and his deep chest heavcd like storm
at sea- My father had arisen from his seat, the
f.! large drops standing upon his forehead. Chills
crept back to my young heart, and | wished
was at home. The old man looked up, and
never have since behcld such mortal agony pic
ured on human face as there was on mis-.
1T was morning when awoke, and the storm
had ceased, but the cold WAS intense. first Sc
cured drink of water, and then looked in the
accustomed place for Mary.--As missed her,
for the first time 4 shadowy sense of some hor-
rible nightmare began to dawn upon my wander
ing mind.-I thought had a terrible dream, but
involuntarily opened the outside door with
shudderng dread AS the door opened, tie
snow burst iu, followed by the fall of something
across the Threshold, scattering the snow, and
striking The floor with Il sharp, bad sound.
"My blood shot like red-hot arrows lllro my
veins, and rubbed my eyes to shut out the
sight 1t was--i;-Oh! God how horrible! it
was my own injured Mary and her babe frozen
to ice! The ever true mother had bowed herself
over the child to shield it. wrapped nil her cloth
ing around it, leaving her own person naked to
to the storm. She had placed her hair over the
face of the child and the seet had frozen i: to the
white cheek. The frost was white on lis half
opened eyes, and upon its tiny fingers knew
not what became of my brave boy"
Again the old man bowed his head and wepi.
Ny father sobbed like Il child In tones of low
aud heart-broken pathos, the old man concluded
Il was arrested, and for long months raved in
deliriunl. woke, was sentenced to prison for
ten years, but no torures could have been like
those endured within my own bosom. Oh, God,
| no | am not Il fanatic. wish 10 injure no
one But while live let me strive 10 warn others
not to enter the path which has been so dark
and fearful one to me. would see my wife
"A b.vond ia; ,1a of