The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1857-10-10

with it, that her children were kept in -
comfortable condition - they were, while
attending school, q her husband had long
since lost all pride in the appearance Of his
family. The little Mary now cleared the
table, and placed the coarse, scant furni-
ture in order around the room, and then she,
took her needle and seated herself beside her
mother, and with An expression half merry
and half in fear, said: d ny
And do yQR really intend to do 50, moth
q do, child; but hush! you must not speak
so loud, for your brothers and sisters might
here and they are not old enough to trust
with important secrets
Mary drew nearer to her mothers side,
and together they talked and sewed-the
latter on garments for the family, and the
other toiled on cheap slop-work that she
hight obtain pair Of shop-worn shoes for
next Sabbath's wear, at an exhorbitant
price; now lying on the shopman's shelves.
And then when the sun withdrew for the
night, and an artificial light was needed, the
drunkard'e children sought their humble
beds, while the wife and mother waited at
the window in darkness to listen for the
coming of him she wished, yet dreaded to
see; for she knew not whether his footsteps
would be steady. She heard the city clock
strike nine, ten and then eleven, and her
heart grew faint, for every moment seemed
to bring the time nearer when she should see
her husband reeling in, and hear the foul
oaths that would come from his lips, and in
imagination she felt his heavy hand fall with
ponderous weight on her defenceless should
| thn nhs s,~
by, when awakened at midnight, shrieking
with fear, and then pass the night in sleep
less misery. And now distant footsteps
echoed up the street and neared the door,
and the latch was lifted. 1t was he! Nelson
Brewer stood within his little kitchen, and
with kind words inquired of his wife, why
she sat so late and waited. az,-.'I 49,
sThat might know if the bottle had been
filed answered the wife with frmness.
sAnd do you indeed, Kitty, mean to put
poison in that bottle if bring it home FILL
ed?' az
q do, Nelson;' and the same look of de-
termination accompanied her words.
sWell,' said the husband, sthere it is emp
ty;;' and he drew from his outside pocket a
large black bottle and turned the bottom
upward. sBut lean get drink and will; so
you might as well be peaceable and let me
bring It home and drink it, or shall reel
through the streets after l have drank it
elsewhere .....s s.. .--=.
'No matter,' said the wife, sternly, syou
cannot always evade me, and when you feel
the death pangs shooting through your veins
you will remember my Words And she
arose and went to her room. ,-.-,-.f +
Mr.. Brewer took the seat his wife left at
the window, and with the cool night breeze
blowing on his heated brow, his mind went
back to former years when she first became
the sharer of his home-how beautiful she
looked when he brought her from the home-
stead away up among the trees and flowers,
and what happy prospect was his the first
year or two of his ma rried life-for his bu-
siness was prosperous and his Kitty proved
to be all that he thought she was, faithful,
loving and prudent. But temptation came,
and be had yielded in spite Of the tears and
entreaties Of her he had promised to love
cherish and protect-notwithstand that
the little flock which increased around him,
needed his active exertions to make them
what society required; and he contrasted
those years of manhood with the last few of
his life. What changes seemed to have been
wrought in everything! IN his wife's love
and in peoples respect towards him-and
he began to believe now, what had been
ninted to him by neighbor, that his wife
was growing insane, for she seemed SO
strang ge-so different from her former self,
that he felt frightened at her threat, and
felt too, that her determined manner was
proof sufficient that she meant what she said.
So Us the drunkard sat and thought, ills
seemed to thicken, in his Imagination at
least, till, with troubled brow he arose,
closed the window, and sought his pillow.
Mrs. Brewer was sleeping and the hus-
band tried to sleep too; but he could not,
for he remembered in his dreams the fear
full threat of poisoning made by his wife,
and he saw over again the mental exagera-
ton her wild expression and pale cheeks as
she spoke, and he resolved that he would
drink no more, but try to soothe her mind
and restore it to its former state.
| And the next day came and Mr.. Brewer
was sober, and the empty bottle stood in the
cupboard untouched. A week went by and
then month or more, and still Mr.. Brew
er stunned his former haunts and went dai-
ly to his shop, for now his wife began to
hope that the fetters that once bound her
husband was broken, and there would be no
more misery in their home; SO the old smile
of other days came back again, and when he
playfully caressed her, she did not turn cold
" away, but spoke words of encouragement
even stronger than she felt, and pictured
happy days in the future. Her manner
pleased her husband, for it rid him Of his
care for her intellect; but with ease of mind
came longing after old companions, and
once more he fell. ....
Tie contrast to the wife was dreadful, as
he again reeled into his home, but there was
no renewal of the former conversation
about poisoning. And thus several weeks
went by, when Mr.. Brewer, forgetting his
wife's threat and his former fears, stagger-
ed into his miserable home with a well I'LL
ed bottle secreted in his pocket. Going
slyly to the closet, he pushed it far back in
to the corner of a shelf, and then crept
along to his room and laid his head on pill
low to take drunkard's troubled sleep
Though Mrs. Brewer did not apparently
look up from her work, she noticed every
movement Of her husband. But she made
no remark; and when he was gone, she told
Mary to put the younger children to bed,
for she had business out. Then wrapping
shawl around her shoulders, she sought
the street. .t# F@ z- ~-'.-. 'f
The children were soundly sleeping when
Mrs. Brewer returned. Even Mary, who
was left as housekeeper, had leaned her head
back in the rocking chair and closed her
eyes, and when her mother awoke her, she
sprang suddenly up, and with wild ex-
preston, inquired if she had been to get the
poison. n ''
$50 to bed, child said the mother, sfor
it is late.' And Mary, with a bewildered
air, obeyed. sS5t ss1H
When Mary had retired, her mother took
from her pocket q folded paper, and taking
the bottle from the shelf, poured the con.
tents of the paper powder into the liquid
within, and replaced it in the corner. The
next morning she aroused the children ear
ly, and after due preparation, told them to
60 the Common and play till school-time,
and then from there 90 to the school-house.
Mr.. Brewers potations seemed to have
been deeper than usual the previous night,
for he did not waken from his lethargic
sleep until after the school-bell sounded,
when, with . feyered and misty brain, he
crawled from his bed and half staggered In
to his comfortless kitchen. There Was no
one present; SO going to the cupboard, ne