The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-04-26
& sflffteo Calf.
THE HUSBANDS PRESENT
BY A JoURNEYMAN PRINTER

1t was.a bitter cold night on tho cath of De
csnlber. The snow lay deep upon the frozen
earth, and the bright moon, riding half way up
the heavens, enta crystalline lustre tothe scene..
In the highsroad,a a short distance from quiet
reposine village, stood the form Of ashuman be-
inp. His garments were scart and tattered-
by far insufficient to. keep out the biting frost;
his frame shook and trembied like the icebound
boughs Of the weeping willow that grew near
him, and his face, as the ,moonbeams danced up
on it, exhibited: :aE the fearful footprints of the
acknowledgements Poor, wretched and
debased; he looked-and such, in truth, ne. was.
Before him, at the. end Of a neatly-fenced and
trellised inclosufe, stood a malleottage. ltwas
elegant in<ts simple neatness, and just such a
one1as the humble lover OF true comfort and Joy,
would seek for a home. The tears rolled 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:
20, thou fond home ofmy happier days, thou
lookest like heaven.f the past. Beneath thy
roofI 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 were mine. My wife
God bless hes gentle soul-was happy then, and
my children--may heaven; protect theln-laugh-
ed and played, in gleesorue pleasure Gladness
played. upon us then, and every hour was sea-
son Of bliss. But I lost them as fool loseth
his own salvation !! Six years have past since the
demon that took to my. heart, drove us from
your sheItering roof ,Andsthose six years !
Oh, what misery, what anguish, What sorrows,
and what degradation have they not brought to
the and my poor family |, Home, health, wealth,
peace, Joy, and friends, are gone-ali, all gone !!
oh, thou fatal cup-no, Twill not blame thee.
It was II who did it! Year after year, tam
pered with thyedeadly sting, when knew that
destruction Iurked in thysmile. But, but, 2 and
the poor qIhn raised his eyes to heaven as he
spoke. 4there is room on earth for another man
and will be that man J"
Within the only apartment of a miserable and
almost broken down hove, sat a woman and
two children-a boy and a girl. The cold wind
found its entrance through y hundred crevicess,
and as its biting gusts swept through the room,
the mother and children crouched nearer to the
few embers thatstill smouldered upon the hearth
The only furniture was four stools, a rickety Ia
BILE, and a scantily covered bed; while in one
corner, nearest to the fireplace, was heap Of
straw ant tattered blankets. which served as a
resting place for the brother and sister. Part
of tallow candle was burning upon the table,
and by its dim light one might have seen that
wretched mothers countenauce. 1t was pale
and wan, and wet with tears. The faces Of her
children were both buried in her lap, and they
seemed-to sleep peacefully undersher -prayerful
guardianship.
. At length the sound of footsteps upon the
snow crust struck3upon the mothers ears, and
hastily arouslng her children, she hurried them
to their lowly bed, and hardly hadthey crouched
away beIeath the thin blankets, when the door
was .oper,ed, and the man whom We have already
seen before the pretty cottage entered the place.
With atrembEng and fearful look, the wife gazed
up into her husbands face, and seemed ready to
crouch back from his approach, when the mark
of tear-drop upon bis cheek caught her eye:
Could it be, thought she, that pearly drop was
in truth tear! No-perhaps snow flake had
fallen there and melted.
Once or twice, Thomas Wilkins seemed upon
the point of speaking some word to his wife, but
at length he turned slowly away and silently un-
dressed himself, and very soon after his weary
limbs had touched the bed, he was asleep.
Loud and earnestly did Mrs. Wilkins gaze
upon the features of her husband after he had
fallen asleep There was something strange in
his Misunderstanding naccountable-surely
he had not been drinking; for his countenance
had none Of that vacant, wild, demoniac look
that usually rested there. His features were
rather sad and thoughtful, than otherwise and
%, heavens, is it possible! smile played
about his mouth, and sound, as if of prayer,
issued from his lips while yet he slept!
A faint hope, like the misty vapor Of approach
ing morn, fitted before the heart-broken wife
But she could not grasp it, she had no founda-
ton for it !; and with deep groan she let the
rbantom pass. She went to her children, and
drew the clothes more closely about them; she
then knelt BY their side, and after imprinting on
their cheeks mothers kiss, uttered fervent
PRAYER in their behalf she sought the reposc of
the pillow.
Long ere the morning dawned, Thomas VIII
kips arose from his bed, dressed himself and left
the house. His poor wife awoke just as he was
GOING ont. and she would have called to him,
but she dared not. Sc would have told him that
she had no fuel, no bread-not anything with
which to warm and feed the children; but he
was gone, and she sank back upon her pillow
and wept
The light of morning came at length, but
Mrs. Wilkins had not risen from out her resting
place. A sound of footsteps was heard from
without, accompanied by noise, as though
light sled were being dragged through the snow.
The door opened, and the husband entered. He
laid upon the table heavy wheaton Loaf, a