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

90 Sood'
II am an old man, standing at the end of
kfe's journey. There is deep sorrow in my
heart, and tears in my eyes. journeyed over
dark and beaconless ocean, and all lIfe'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 J"
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 and
home. reach again convusivey for the shrines
of the household idols that once were mine, now
no more"
The old man seemed looking away through
fancy upon some brgh: vision his lips apart and
his finger extended. in.oluntarily turned in
the direction where it was pointed dreading 10
see some shadow invoked by its magic more-
mcnts
al once had mother who with her old heart
crushed with sorrow, went down into the grave.
once had wife, Il fair angel creature, as ever
smiled in an earthly home. Her eye as mild as
summer sky and her heart as faithful and true
as ever guarded and cherished husbands love.
Her blue eyes grew dim us the floods of sorrow
washed away their brightness, and the living
heart wrung until every fibre was broken.
once had noble, brave and beautiful by, but
he was driven out from the ruins Of his home,
and my old heart yearns to know il lie yet lives.
| once had 4 babe, Il sweet, tender blossom, but
| these hands DESTROYED it and it lives with one
who loveth children.
"Do not be startled my friendS-I am not
murdcrcr in the common acreptaiion oft 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 chid-angcl Wis
it's me ut night-fall and feel the halluwing
touch of tiny palm upon my feverish 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 OIL me and mine.
81 was once fanatic and madly followed
| the malign light which led me 20 ruin. | was
fanatic. when sacrificed wife, children, happ.
ness, and home 10 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. 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 rioted 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 roof-She Was ye
ND and slivering over the Goals. / demanded
food, but she burst into tears and said there WIS
none. fiercely ordered her to get some. She
turned her eyes sadly upon me, the tears falling
fast over her pale checks. But this moment the
child in the cradle awokc and sent up tamisIicd
wall, siarllin,, the despairny mother like ser
pcnt's sting.
awe have no food, James-have had none
for several days. have had nothing for The
babe My once kind husband, must We
starvc.
sThat sad pleading face and those streaming
eyes, and the feeble vail Of the child. maddened
me, and E-yes, struck her = fierce blow in the
face, and she fell forward upon the hearth. 'rh"
furics of hell builed in my bosom, and with
greater intensity, as felt had committed
wrong. had never struck Mary before. but now
some terrible impulse bore Inc on, and stopped
down rs well as could in my drunken state,
and cenched both hands in her hair.
"God of mercy, james, exclaimed my wife,
as she looked up in my ficndish counicnance.
"you will not kill us-you will not harm Will
lie :" and she sprang TO the cradle and graspcd
him in her embrace. | caught her again by Tie
hair and dragged her 10 the door, and AZ lifted
the latch the wind burst in wilha cloud Of snow.
With the yell of tiend dragged her on, and
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 s,ached him from his slumbrrs, open
ed the door and thrust him out in agony of fear,
ha called me by q name was no longer fit 10
bear, and locked his fingers into my side pocket.
could not wrench the ircncied grasp away, and
with the coolness of the devil, as was, shut the
door upon the arm, and with my knife, severed
il 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 heaved like storm
ut sea- Ny father had arisen from his scat the
large drops standing upon his forehead. ChilIs
crept back to my young heart, and | wished
was at home. The old nan looked up, and
never have since belcld such mortal agony pic
tured on Il 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-
rbe nightmare began to dawn upon my wander
ing mind thought had a terrible dream, but
invountarily opened the outside door with a
shulderinr dread AS the door opened tie
snow burst in followed by the fall Of something
across the Threshold, scattering the snow, and
striking the floor with sharp bad sound.
"NIy blood shot like red-hot arrows thro' my
veins, and rubbed my eyes to shut out the
sight 1t was--it--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 ail 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 scet had frozen il 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 wept
My father sobbcd like child In tones of low
and heart-broken pathos, the old man concluded:
Il was arrested, and for long months raved in
derium. | woke was sentenced to prison for
ten years, but no tortures could have been like
those endured within my own bosom. Oh, God,
III! ! am not Il fanatic. | wish 10 injure no
one But while live let me strive TO warn others
not to enter the path which has been so dark
and fearful one to me. would see my wife