The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1854-10-06
q Graf Galf.
The Wieo 10 $ Wili.
By REV. A. N. SCOTT.

lr was bitter night. The snow had
been falling in feecy flights during the great.
er portion of the day, and the cold was so
intense that no business of any kind had
been prosecuted by the industrious and in
terprising citizens of the village Night had
succeeded day. The snow and sleet were
still descending, and the spirit of the storm
seemed to howl around the house. and through
the fields and orchards and forests, and A.
mong the distant mountains.
Mr.. Rowland had returned from tho
counting-house at an earlier hour than usu-
al. Supper had been served and the family
had gathered around the sparkling fire
The children had been put to bed in an ad
joining apartment and the infant was sleep
ing in the cradel under the immediate notice
of its mother. Mr.. Rowland was reading a
newspaper. and as the ftful blast moaned
round his commodious dwelling he would
make some remarks relative to the severity
OF the weather. Mrs. II. was parting the
fiaxen curls upon the head of the sleeping
babe, and occasionally she imprinted the
warm kiss of maternal affection upon its rud-
dy cheek.
Suddenly some one raped at the door.
Ii was opened, when a little girl of about
seven years old was admitted Her scanty
dress were tattered and torn, ragged Quilt
thrown around her slender shoulders. and a
pair of miserable old shoes upon her feet
She was almost frozen
"fou are the widow Watkins little dauch-
ter I" said Mrs. Rowland, imqui.ingly.
The little girl answered in the affirma
tive, and added that her mother was sick.
and wished Mr.. Rowland to step over and
see her, for she thought she would surely
die. .. ....
Mr.. Rowland owned the place on which
the sick woman resided. She was very in
dignant, and but poorly able to pay the cx-
travagant rent which the unfeeling owner
exacted. The property was once her hus-
bands, or rether her own; being a gift from
her father on the very day of her wedding.
MIR. Watkins was wealthy when a Young man.
and educated for the bar, and no one seem
ed more likely to be successful in his profes-
sion. lie and Mr.. Rowland were early as
sociates- The latter, few years before the
period at which we now find him, had COM
menced the nefarious trafic in ardent spirits
had grown rich-had induced Watkins to
drink-made him drunk, and by the degrees,
drunkdrd;; and when the poor besotted
victim was unable to pay his debts, con-
tracked mostly for rum, but partly by neg
Letting his professional duties, he, his former
associate, his pretended friend, his destroyer.
was the first to decry and oppress him. His
horses and oxen were sold by the sheriff.
next his household and kitchen furniture
were seized, and finally, a mortgage was
given to Rowland upon the homestead of
the drunkard, to secure the rum dealer in the
payment ola pitiful balance in his favor.
This calamity did not check the prodieal
career of the inabriate. He still quaffed the
liquid poison, and still did the heartless deal
er hold out inducements to prevail upon him
to sink lower into wretchedness and shame.
A few weeks after he was one mourning
found dead in the street. He had left the
grocery at late hour the preceding night,
IN state of intoxication. The night was
dark, and he probably missed his way-fell
into the gutter--found himself unable to get
out--and being stupifed with rum, he went
to sleep and froze to death.
Rowland in short time foreclosed the
mortgage, and the home of the drunkard's
wife became the legal property of the man
who had destroyed her peace, and reduced
her to beggary and want. He permitted
her to remain on the premises, exacting an
extravagant rate Of rent Mental anguish.
excessive labor, want of proper nourishment
and exposure, had well nigh worn her out,
and she was fast sinking into the grave.
where the very are at rest. No one had
been near her; no one seemed to care for
her; in fact it was not known even to her
nearest neighbors, that she was sick.
Mr.. Rowland felt only anxious only for
his rent, there being at that time a small
sum due. And perhaps it was owing to this
circumstance, that he so readily consented to
accompany the little girl to the room of her
sick mother. He drew on his overcoat, tied
a woolen comforter round his neck, drew on
his gloves, and taking his umbrella, so. out
through the drifting snow and sleet, and
went his way TO the widows uncomfortable
home. 1e ....
He found her lying on her miserable bed
OF straw, with her heaad slightly elevated,
the only chair belonging to the house being
placed under her pillow She was pale and
ghastly, and evidently near the hour of disso.
luton. Mr.. Rowland being seated on a rude
wooden stool, she said in feeble, bat deci.
ded tone of voice: . .....
II have sent for you, sir, to pay me a
4 Wait that I p,ay ,,,.l,o ~