The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1854-10-04

mendment IN her brother. .0f course .
she argued. che will come 10 himself il
due time"
In the twilight which followed that
day. Peter Croft. pale, bent. and dirty,
the drunkard's redness in his ewes, the
drunkard's fever on his lips. tapped 4,
the door Of the room or the bar. aaici,
was more particularly Marlha's .yo.a
II was in fact her watch tower-,ae
door half-glazed. and the green curtain
about an inch from the middle division ;
over this. the sharp observant woman
might see whatever occurred. and no
one could 90 in or out without her
knowledge.
She did not say "come in" al once !;
she longed TO know what new ten.pta.
tian he had brought her. foe she felt
assured be had neither money nor ere.
dit left.
And yet she feared--" Mathew made
such worry out Of every little thing"
The next time he tapped at the window
OF the door, her eyes met his over the
curtain. and then she said. "come in"
IN penetrating sharp voice, which was
any thing but an invitation.
Il have brought you something now.
Miss Hownley. that I know you WON'T
refuse to lend me a trine on" said the
ruined tradesman; 81 am sure yeu
won't refuse. Miss HownIey. Bad as
! want the money. could not take il
to pawnbroker; and if the woman
asks Tor ii. | can say I lent it, Miss
Hownley you know | can say that"
Peter Croft laid BmLR on the IA.
Bile. and folding back the pages with
hrs trembling fingers. showed that il
was abundautly illustrated by fine en-
Martha loved "pictures !"
she had taken to pieces Pilgrim's
Progrsss. and varying the devotional
engrayings il had contained with abun.
dant cuttings out from illustrated news.
papers. and few colored caricatures,
had covered one side Of screen, which.
when finished, she considered would
be at once the comfort and amusement
Of her old age. After the drunkard had
partially exhibited its contents. he
stood by with stolid indifference, while
she measured the engravings with her
eye. looking ever and anon towards
the screen. "very,well." J" she said, ut,
tcring deliberate untruth with her
lips, while her mind was made up what
to do--"very well what did you say
you wanted for il p "He repeated
The sum she took out exactly half, and
and the shining temptation On the ta-
Die before him.
" Have you the heart, Miss Hown-
ey." he said, while lingering rather
han counting the money" you
the heart to offer me such a little tor
such great deali"
elf you have the heart to sell IL. I
nay have the heart to offer such a
,rice." she answered, with a light
augh'; "and it is only DRUSKARD's BIZ
ILR."
Peter Croft dashed the money from
lin with bitter oath.
"Oh, very WELL" she said take it
-or leave it."
She resumed her work.
The only purpose to which a drunk.
rd is firm is to his own ruin. Peter.
Q the door, returned, took up the mo-
ey--" Another shilling, Miss! 1t ,ciN
e IN The till again before morning"
Martha gave him the other shilling;
nd after he was fairly out Of the room,
rappled the book. commenced look.
~ at the pictures in right earnest,
nd congratulated herself on her good
argain. In due time the house was
leared, and she went to bed, placing
he Bible on the top Of her table, a.
longst a miscellaneous collection of
orn. out busters and tattered glass.
oths, waiting to be mended."
Thatnight the master of"the Grapes"
'uld not sleep; more than once he
ncied he smelt fire; ant after goins
Ito the unoccupied rooms, and peep
g through the keyholes and under
e doors of trose that were occupied,
, descended to the bar, and finally
lteriig the little bar-parlor, took his
y book from shelf, and placing the
ndle, sat down. listlessly turning over
J leaves; but the top OF the table
nuld not shut, and raising it to re-
Dve the obstruction, Mathew saw
rge family BIBLE pushing away the
y-book. h. opened the sacred vol.
lie.
It opened at the Esd chapter of Pro,
rbs, and. as if guided BY sacred
ht, his eyes fell upon the 29th verse.
d he read:
|" Who hath woes who hath sorrow?
10 hath contentionss who hath bab-
ng? who hath wounds without causes
10 hath redness Of eyesl
/" They that tarry long at the wine;
y that 60 to seek mixed wine.
g Look not thou upon the wine when
is red, when it giveth its color in the