Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1854-03-30
\ GU know better than I do said Leo

No, cannot see her now and I have
no desire to eat but could drink-yes
| would gladly drown my shame and re
morse in the wine cup
Well I've promised not to get YOU
any liquor, if you asked for it. Your
friend Healy, | think they called him
will be here soon to take YOU home:
so you'd better be up, and ready
Friend fend, rather But will be
ready and the sooner | get away from
TINS place, the better. Give my respects
to Miss Aston; tell her that under other
circumstances L would have been happv
to see her; but now [ cannot
Lee gave Mary the message, ate his
breakfast, and went to the store to attend
to the customers
| Notwithstanding this forbdding mes
sage, Mary resolved to see Dana, and ex-
postalate with him upon his ruinous prac.
tees. He had done so much for her. that
she felt compelled, by sense of duty and
gratitude, to do all that was in her power.
to save him from ruin
Alter breakfast. the elder children went
out IN the garden to play, leaving little
Jenny, the youngest, with Mary, to whom
she had become much attached As soon
as Mary heard Dana come out of his
sleeping ROOM she took little Jenny by
the hand, and opened the door Qlnowing
that he would leave as soon as possible III
order to avoid her) Dana turned at the
noise, and Mary stood before him. looking
very sad and pale She came forward
and held out her hand to him. which he
took mechanically, while the flush of
shame mounted to his brow.
GU must excuse nv intrusion, Mr.
Dana, she said. after hearing your mes
sage; and attribute 1t to my strong axle
ty for the welfare Of one who has brou ght
me under the greatest obligations one hu-
man being can owe to another If as
some return for those obligations, could
persuade you-if [ possessed the power to
influence you to-to-'
Miss Alston.' said Dana, interruptinc
her. and giving her a seat; if there is
any body IN the wide world who could in
fiuence me, 1T is yourself. Would that
the memory of my disgrace could be
blotted from your mind, and my own
! But that is impossible and, hereafter.
you will think of me only as wretched
drunken vagabond whom you will des-
pise and wish to forget
:
have twice been my preserver from a ter
rible death and whatever may have been
: your faults, must ever think of you with
gratitude
But gratitude is not respect [ feel
that l have forever forfeited the respect
and esteem of all whose good opinion |
! value
If you will only strive to deserve it,
I
err, az times and those who can volun-
tarily quit their bad habits, and resist
, their most besettlng temptations, are
sometimes as much respected as those who
never have sinned'
But L cannot resist them and | am
already so deeply disgraced, that it mat
ters little what becomes of me, said Dana
despondingly. | have taruished my good
name brought sorrow to kind mothers
heart-bcen expelled from college and, as
IF this was not enough. after trying hard
tor some months to reform, | must come
TO this accursed place. gamble away nv
money, get drunk and disgrace myself
auew-not onl y with you, but my mother,
to whom [ must apply for money to pay
the rascals who enticod me here Would
that | were dead =
Oh ] do not breathe such an impious
wish as that said Mary, looking with
pity upon his hunblcd demeanor. Your
case may not be so hopeless as YOU imag-
liue. Reform is always possible and it
Is never too late TO strive for it Oh
let me beseech you. now. Mr. Dana. to
leave. forever. the evil companions aud
snares that bcset and surround you. and
aspire 10 higher life aud brighter desti-
ny than any you are new dreaming of
1ou are young-you have talent it is
plainly written upon your brow. Only
IeXert your viii in curbing all evil habits.
and use that talent which God has given
you, according to your best ability. and
you may yet win good name and it
may be, fame. You might fill whatever
station in life you chose whether it were
the pulpit, bar. or in the council halls of
the nation. There are many men now
filing those places honorably, who, at
some period in their lives. have committed
greater crimes than any [ know you to
have been guilty of. But they saw their
error as YOU HOW see yours: they re
ipented- ed-reformed-and melted by the
memory of their former disgrace, put
forth greater efforts than they were before
NAIbH9bb I'd JdD4t VI anu tHty were
crowned by success, as you may be-as
you will be, if you only make the effort
with the determination to succeed. Oh
will you not make it p said she, earnestly
| could promise anything to you now,
beautiful pleader,' said Dana gazing ad
miringly upon Nary's expressive face
now flushed by enthusiasm could
promise, but it is not SO easy to perform
when surrounded by temptation | en-
tered college with high hopes of future
success and usefulness and with an inno-
cent heart, aud correct habits; | left it
in disgrace and despair-with blanked
intellect, shattered hopes and impaired
health aud when We first met | was but
j wreck of my former self
I did not dream of such thing, then
said Mary | saw that you looked pale
aud melancholy. and [ supposed some
grief weighed upon YOUR spirits