The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1853-02-08

| h'o oie'poiiuS Palthei, anu thcil
nearly the whole of the little money ]
had left behind; since which violence
he had not returned, Again I sup
piled the poor creatures with re-
freshment, and attempted to soothe
the only one whom food could not
| alone satisfy-the hcartbrokcn moth
| or.
| She briefly told me her story. II
was indeed piteous one.
She was we'll connected; and, at
the time of her marriage, living with
her parents in comfort and affluencc
! in New York. They wished her to
connect herself with man with
whom she felt she never could be
happy, and she refused. She was
| secretly plighted to another,-sc.
crctly, for he was forbidden even her
fathers house! Her father COM
mandcd, her mother persuaded; but
it was in vain. Hers was q passion
that neither threat nor argument
could weaken. She married, and
was rcnounccd, they told her, for,
ever! She turned to the chosen of
her heart; and, though the daught-
cr wept, the wife triumphcd! But
alas! she lcant upon a broken reed.
Her love had CLOSED over faults
nay, vices which calmcr judges had
detected, and she had fancied per-
fcction where all was frail. Her
husband cruelty neglected; her; she
was a married widow! Children
came about her; they were father.
less! Her mother tendcrly loved
her, and this wrctchcdncss broke her
heart Her father was OF stcrncr
stuff. In tho loss of his own partner,
he said, murder had been com
mittcd, and he doqbly stcclcd him
self against it's unnatural author.
Then it was thay in utter despair she
left her country, long urged to the
step by her husband, who said he
could get employment here; and who
soleDnly promised that in ncw
"a ~ u = r.a ct:f ~ r. \; :: :
that, once removed from his haunts
Of ruin and dissipation, be would
forswear them for ever, and strive to
keep holy that sacred VOW which
bound him to 'forsakc all others, and
cling only unto her.
On his arrival in England he sue.
cccdcd in obtaining lucrative situ-
alton, and for a brief period all was
well; but soon the demon, Drunken
ness, again had hold upon him, and
he was lost forever.
Fricndlcss, and alone, she strug-
glcd against the stream of adversely;
her health and strength soon failed
her, and she fell into utter dcstitu-
tion,-in utter destitution I had in.
deed found her!
This was slight outline of her
sad history. At its conclusion she
burst into violent paroxysm of
tears. II such moments words of
consolation are but caustics, keep
ing open wounds they cannot cure:
attempted them not. The violence
Of this ft had in some degree cx.
haustcd itself, and l was about to
speak Of doing something for her
children, when a knocking at the
door, accompanied by several voices
talking in a suppressed tone, made
me start from my seat. I undid
the latch, and three men entered,
bearing III their arms a fourth in 4
scnsclcss state.
They laid their burden on the
floor with but little ceremony, and
would have departed without a word.
'Stayn said !, scizing the arm of
one of the party. who is this? and
what is the mattcr?'
1T is my husband!' my poor hus.
band' exclaimed the wrctchcd wife,
springing forward.
Yes; and drunk as usual added
the man in a brutal manner as he
slammed the door after him.
! cast hut one look at the face of
the lost being at my feet. 1t was
enough: distortion was in every feat
urc!
For Gods sake" said 7, pursuing
and coming up with the party who
had just left us, fetch nc medical
man. Here is money; and I will
pay you better by and by
Money made them Samaritans-
they hurried off to obey me. l re.
turned. On the floor, and in a
state of inscnsidility, lay stretched
tho long;ncgl Letting, degraded hus.
band; and, hanging oyer him in
all the agony Of doubt and fear, the
neglected, longcnduring wife. 1t
was picture that touched mo to
the quick.
sUenry! IIenryl' she shrieked. OH