Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-01-11

manufactures kind husband and father In
o devil, and al happy home into hell,
where the victim can torment bis own wife
md children! Entrenched with legislation,
and Ieagued with unscrupulous demagogues,
hey have continued this fearful work against
all the efforts of the tongue and pen. Their
victims have suffered, and wept, aud died,
in vain. Human and divine laws have alike
been trampled upon, and today, while
preaching moral suakion, they are banding
to sustain the system of cruelty and wrong
at every hazard.
Moral suasion! Let the stricken moth
er 90 pray upon the slippery deck of the pi-
rate when blood leaps smoking from the
scuppers, and beg tlle'affIie y boyt Send
childhood with tear on its cheek, into the
den of the famished tigress, and with sill
very voice beseech the life of a parent. with
ing in her remorseless fangs!
For the the universe, Of God, its wealth
and its honors, we would not, in the light of
this day, have the guilt of rumselling rest
heavy on our soul.
Let us now visit the miserable tenement Of
a victim. All that the law spared has been
carried off by Watt and pawnel at the tav-
ern. The Bible of the dead wife, her only
legacy to her children, has been stolen from
the place where young Bertha Watt hid it,
as priceless treasure, and sacred with the
heart-drops which had fallen upon the worn
pages, and sold for rum.
Little Bernard Watt lay sick unto death.
With many bitter curse, she father had
turned from the door, as Bertha plead that
her sick brother might have doctor called,
and left for the tavern.
| And all within was hushed and stll-ev-
Middle WdTd-P. +. RESGTD, A-s :. r. =
cry foot fell as TgIs -. saiiihg IeaT, Tor
fear of disturbing the So be. With hot
tears upon her cheek, Bertha leaned upon
the scanty couch, the tiny and feverish hand
ciasped convulsively within her own, as if TO
hold the boy brother to earth. Though pale
and fading, the features wer eclls:ssiicallF beau
tiful; but elammy sweat had gathered nps,
on the white brow rich with the last kisses
of dying mother. The chubby cheek had
grown thin and touchingly pale; the eye
had lost its laughter, and looked languidly
4 upon the group around him. The white
teeth appeared through the half closed lips,
and the rich golden hair lay back upon the
coarse blanket pillow. On the fourth day,
as the sun was going down in the west, the
child was passing away.
Through the broken window, a broad beam
of sunshine, like ray from bliss, entered and
|, trembled for moment upon the hair, and
then burst like food upon the pale fea-
- Il L
| the sun, and smile. sweeter than the sun
t light, came over the wasted and bloodless
t lips. Upon that golden pathway the little
! one was smiling back upon kindred angels
: in Heaven!
! Bertha, do they always have sunshine in
j, Heaven ?-and will my little flower grow
e there and the birds sing ?-and will the an
Q gels you told me about last night be good
and love me 2"
It Mother is there,-she will love you,' re-
Piled the choking Bertha.
How want to die! You say I won t
e hunger there, Bertha, and I'll have clothes
S SO bright, and always feel happy. won't
il cry there, Bertha, will I9'
Al Bertha could not answer from her SWELL
e ing heart, but the tears wound their way
e down her cheeks, and fell like rain drops
r upon the gstening locks of Bernard.
IS Bertha !'-and the boy looked wildly
: out into the room, and shut his sharp, thin
) fingers tightly upon her ;.sass and in a whis-
st per continued Father won't be there to
d whip us cause we can't help crying, will he
e Oh I hope Mr.. Hermon won't 90 there
to sell any rum. The good God don't sell
e rum, does he? Why can't you die, too
d Bertha, and go, when the angels come after
le me? Sobs only answered the faint prattle
d of the innocent.
at Bertha, give me some more of tha
% toast. When get to Heaven I'll tell ms
in how good Minnie Hermon was to u.s. Ber
re tina looked, and the toast was gone, and Will
as it the loaf Of bread and the wine which
It, Minnie Hermon had brought that morning
re as she learned of their sickness and destitu
q ton. The father had robbed the dying
of and sold the loaf for two drains. There wa
st not morsel Of food for the boy, and Ber
S. tha's heart almost broke as she thought hoy
he cruel that Bernard should die hungry.
to Bertha-Im going to sleep-kiss me
Good night Bright ma Bernard is com
he ingP
to The sitting sunbeams fingered upon tn
in paid face Of the sinless sleeper, as the whis
h pers fell with crushing weight into the heart
a Of the little band. The pauper childre
,at loved each other.
To- The night of death had gathered aroun
ne the little brother. The pilgrim Of four sun
IN. mers had turned aside from cloudy path
a way, and passed directly to Heaven. II
of who loved such, led the gentle spirit throug
las the shadows of the dark valley.
ch Even in that curtainless, carpetless room
we there were gentle footsteps in the depths
Gu the night, where lay the unmatched and III
ic- shrouded dead. ConvuIsiye sobbing, an
ed, many flood of tears, and close and war;
IT. were the kisses which clustered upon Il
or chill and unanswering lirs of all that r
au- manned Of Bernard Watt.
te-
ng Early one morning Hernon met MINI
lie upon the hall steps, with her work basket
the hand aud hood on. He had, by dissipatio
ter become utterly notwithstanding, and
times ill-tempered towards all AS he b
= came degraded by his own habits and av
his cation, and blackened with guilt, he was b
his ter and revengeful. The consuming wre,
de- of his nobler nature kindled into intens
ON flame all that was mean and base. He h,
md Just received one of the singing shots
,oin Doctor Howard, in relation to his treatme
the of the Watt family, and was much exaspt
lose ated.