The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1854-08-02

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not ill built, but generally stand detached
in a small garden. Their little porches
maybe seen of an evening thronged with
dirty pretty children, helping father outside
his cavern by carrying the stone away in
llittle baskets, as he brings il out to them.
Beside the Luta rivulet, which has pleas.
anter hooks, more flowery banks. and falls
more musical than any stream in Devon;
beside this brook, and parted by a little
wood of beeches and wild laurel from the
village. is very pearl Of cottages. Hon.
leysuckle, red rose and sweet briar hold il
entangled in q fragrant work; they fall
over the little windows. making twilight al
mid-noon. yet nobody has ever thought oi
cutting them away or tying up single
tendril. Grandfather arkham and his
daughter ALICE. with John Drewit, her hus.
band and -masterof the house. used TO live
There, and they had three children, Jane
Henry and Joe.
little room over the porch was espe-
cially neat IL was the best room in the
cottage, and therein was lodged old Mark
4 ham. who had. so far as the means Of his
children went, the best Of board as well
He was not very old man, but looked ten
4 years older than he was, and his hand
shook through an infrmily more grieyous
than age. lie was gin drihker. John
Drewit had TO work very hard TO keep no,
only his own household in food and cloth
ing but also his poor old fsther.in.law in
drink, as,s ss-.2 s,.s,,.t ,,,,i, j, f.,e,
John was a hale young man when first
tknew him. but he soon began to alter.
AS soon as il was light he was away to the
sand cliff by q pleasant winding path
jthseugh the bsechwood. and up the steps
which his own spade had cut. One or two
of them he had made broader than the
1 restrsi intervals.where one might willing
ly sit down 10 survey the glory sprradfo foui
beneath the low, white. straw thatched
farms cleaning like light amongst the PISS
4 'ure lands; the little towns each with it's
/ shining river. aiid the great Did city in the
ihazy distance; the high beacon hills. the
woods and far as eye could see The mis-,
l,hatAiung overthe immense Atlantic. This
resting 81. the upward path. at FIRST pleas
| are.p became soon matter of necessity,
a1d that too. long before the cough had
settled upon him. Few ttnen' in White.
knights have their lungs SO whole that they
can climb up 10 their pits without a halt
1 or two. st7as - ''.is.' S1,t 80 5
| Tho old man helped his son-in law
| sometimes. He was a good sort of old
man by nature. and not Bit more selfish
! than drunkard always must be. He
ground the rough stones into shape at
/ A. 4 4 Jx~~ II
ter' 5 abscelce and even znsed sto- pick hi.a>
self when he was sober John. too, was
for his wife's sake tolerant Of theaold
MANS infrnity. though half his earnings
went 10 crafty the old mans appetite. Al
last necessity compelled him TO be, as he
Thought, undutiiul Print after print van.
ished from the cottage walls: every little
ornament, not actually necessary furni.
ture, twas sold. and absolute wantthfeaten.
ed the Household, when John at last stated
firmly, though 4enderly, that grandfather
must give up the gin-bettle or find some
other dwelling. Alice was overcome with
tears, but when appealed TO by the old
man. pointed to her husband and bowed
her head to his wise words. him ,llEas
For two months after this time there
we're no more drunken words nor angry
i tongues to be heard within Johns pleas
ant cottage. Nothing was saidby daugh-
ter or by son.in.law of the long score al
the public house that was being paid fl
4 by instalments; the daughter looked no
longer al her father with re2roachiui eyes,
and .sthe schildren never again had to be
taken to bed before their, time-hurried
away from the sight Of their grandfather s
shame. At last, however. on one Sunday
evening in July. the ruling passion had
again the mastery. Markham came home
in ayworse state than. ever. and. in add,
liion to the usual debasement. it was eyi.
dent that he was possessed also by Some
maudlin terror that he had 10 power to
i express. isssi 4as't
i Leaving him on his bed in 4 ls,hargic
sleep. John sailed forth as usual at dawn,
his boys, Harry and Joe. carrying up fol
him his miner's spade and basket. Heavy
hearted as he was, he could not help be.
ling gladdened by the wonderful beauty oi
the landscape. His daughter told me, thai
she had never saw him stand so long look.
ing al the country-he seemed unwilling:
|Iy 10 leave the sunlight for, his dark, fat.
II WluulUR OuTI0W. OuItOW u0 udu uO
reason 10 dread. Poverty never had pres.
sed SO hard upon John Drswit as to in.
/ duce him 10 sell away the fir props tha,
assured the safety Of his life. Ottensand
often had his voice Been loud againstihose
men who, knowing of The mortal danger
TO, which they exposed their neighbors,
gave drink or money in exchange for them
Ito the fooihardy and vicious. Great there.
fore. was his horror when he went into his
cave that morning. and found that his own
4 props had been removed. They had moi
been taken from the entrance. where q
1passer.by might have observed their ab.
Esence: all was righ. for the first twenty
! yards, but beyond that distance down "a
1.-THE end Of his long toll. sworn labyrinth,
every pole was stripped away. Surely
The knew at once that il was not an en- nemy
who had done this;. he knew that the
fwretchei old man who lay supplied d,
lIhone. had stolen and sold his life defense
Ifor drink. An that the poor fellow told hi.
9|Eboys was that they should keep within the
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