Eaton Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1843-1856, 1855-02-22
Mistellallcolls
THE DARK HOUR.
~ REV. II. HASTINGS WELD.

alone in an humble apartment. Alone,-and
vet moi alone: for although there were none
with whom she could exchange thoughtful
basket-cradle at her foot she tered little be-
ing, which made Mary Irvine feel that, what
ever the world might think, still she was not
alone. Nor was she companlOnleSS what
mother isl To the stranger and the indltier-
ent, the infant may seem, If not cypher,
trouble, and a weariSOme charge. But she
whose own blood flows in It's veins, never ior-
gets, and never wearles.
We have said Mary was still in the bloom
OF YOUTH But the bloom was sadly laued'-
Care, suffering, W mt, had -blnnched The roses
on her cheeks. A few days before you might
have discerUed feverlSh anxiety there bul
now, all tha. had passed. The expression Ol
her face was lhoughlfu,; but sillit spake rest.
She had drank Of Ne cup Of bitterness TO l's
very dreps; but He who hears the Sorr wfui
Siubinp of the wretched, had comfor'ed her
The crisis had passed. and she felt that natn-
raj compoSure that steals on the soul, when
all Ia done, and all is SufeTed,-ihe rest with
which Heaven rewards the patient and the
dutiful.
Her story was not remarkable one; if by
remarkable we mean 10 say unusual. The
pnnesrance Of The house indicated S0nrthlng
OF II. for we imagine ihere is always sig.
nifrsnce in the aspect of the dwelling which
one Of its late inmates has just lef' 10 60 to
the "nsrrow house." MMy's husband had
been consigned 10 The grave. The neigh5orS
and friends who had aided in the melancholy
hustle of the last Offices, hod returned 10 their
homes, and Mary sat with her babe IN the 81
lent room.
The husband whom she had buried out Of
her sight was her choice, her wluh choice
made in spite Of the rem0nSlrances, tue cbJec
tio,S. and the fore holdings Of her relatNes.-
For n short time after her union, 1t seemed as
ifhis life and prosperity were to prove tn
umphant answers to their objections. All was
sunpy. cheerful, promising. Aud the very
friends Who had warned and expos,ulated with
her. were willing to believe that they had
been wrong, and Mary right; and that affection
bad not unerrlngly pointed out 10 her eXcel'en'
cies of character which hey had not percelv-
ed As il willing to atone for past enmiiy by
warm friendship, they crowded advantages
and facilities Upon him, and Literally opened
the way to wealth For time, all succeeded
that undertook, and no young man in the city
seemed more cerainly assured of competence
than he. Ana Mary, how happy she was E
We can pardon her short period OF exuilauor
for she bitterly suffered for il.
Some men cannot bear prosperity; and
Henry irvine was one Of these. Give them
dIscoutoeements to meet, and unpropnlou'
circumstances t0 combat, and they hew ihel
wav with a silent pride and resoln'e peTSr
verance viii h couquers sll Obstacles. bu
ct the sun shine on them, then pride sooI
ifnds outrageous uterancc, and Their resol'i
ton tegenerates ino oPIniona'e obSiahcy'--
They take pleasure in concerning good ad
vice. and will do wilially wrong, and aGa'ns
their own conviction, TO mark their lncepenu
ence. Heury Irvine took early occasion Il
re,alisie upon his wifr's friends Tor "ha' III
affected 10 regard as their unwarran'so'e OPP
position. He accused them, while they were
in no small degree, the aNthots OF hlS pros
nerity. as being drawn to him byN; and mt
mated that se6Shness WAS the origin OF ibe'
tardy friendship, no less than it had been o
their former enmity
Mary was ,rue wife. She saw the inlus
tice of her husband, but declined 10 acknowl
edre il. even 10 herself. At length, the cool
ness became more and more chilling, until
resulted in irrepsrsble estrangenent betweel
Irvine and the friends Of his wife. He gorI
ed in what he considered comp etc, and Ell
deavoret to persuade himself was rieheou
revenge He made his former opponents suit
ors for his friendship. and proudly spurne
them. Such was his impression. Theirs wa
that they had overlooked the dissereeabl
character of their tavole's husbands and strl
wing 10 befiiend him; but tina, true TO his nat
ural low instincts, he had refused. Nel'he
marty was entirely right. When the hrtac
became final, Mary Irvine deserted her fathe
.and mother, and kindred. for her husband an
identified herself with him, so far rs lnger,n
first affections would permit. But, if he
heart yearned over the dear first friends {
her youth, She never sunered her conhuct i
betray what she accounted weakness Du
clung 10 her husband with madness Of al
fectlon, which deserved better return thh
ghe received.
Henry Irvine, as we have said, could no
bear prosperity. secret reason hardly &C
knowledged TO himself, why he diSllsed h
wife's connections was because they perceiv
ed his dangers, and venured TO warn HIM
His sensitive pride took captious alarm and
gloried in mock ing rep;ooi, by persiStlng
indiscreiion. The end Of such course
easily ptophesied. He Tell among thieves
and fr wounds of friends exchanged the Sc
fish flattery OF knaves. Piucked Of none,
and bankrupt in credit and character, h
awakened al last 10 find himself ruined mar
with meek, uncompaining wife dependel
on him, an] feeling twice es keenlS as
did, all his ruin and degradation. The tenn
tation which hos ruined many, came III
complete his destruction. He sought obvlo
ofhis degradation in the wine'cnp, and ihe
lost the last redeeming trace or hope OF mai
hood. II is fearful fall, when the applli't
triumph, and The reason is de:hrored wbe
The man wakes only 10 misery, and rush'
back to inebriation again, in the vain hope
forget himself
A lower depth still remained; and Henry !
wine found even that. His jaundced though
dared to suspect her who, for love of him hi
surrendered friends, home, happiness, hope
Because she did no;.snd could not rail again
her own, as he did; because she was NEE
and quiet, and accomplishing, he Quarellt
with her also. He charged that she hated hir
and regretted that her fate was coupled wi
his. The last she could not deny; the frsl
~ saw in his own heart, and judged that it mu
f be in hers also. II is their own faneied col
/ cealed reflection in the good thet the wick
2 hate,
s And he dared, moreover, to accuse his wi
nsthe cause OF all his misfortunes. He SO
she lriumphed in them Can we wonder tn
she would no. say she did not7 ltmlght ha
been that she thought such chareet too vic
edly piepostefous TO answer; or it might ha
been that she was wearied into hate at la!