The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1857-10-22
An Hours Struggle with Poison.

was spending some davs. not many
years ago, in beautiful little country vii.
lase, and in family that hai more than
common attractions 10 one who luveS do.
mestic life as well rs myself. The little
circle had in it more Of rea! uieres, than
have often seen Developed in the same mum.
Der of persons.
The father OF the lamiv-almo,, too
young 10 feel yet lha, he was entitled to
lnat honorable appelation-wa fine,
irank-hearted young mechanic, with wide
world OF life bounding in his veins, an en-
ergy that, when falIy aroused, drove every
thing violently before him, and a warmth
OF disposition that won him mDrc friendship
than 1t had then given him the goods OF
this world.
HIS wife, to whom lie hal been married
some four years, was singularly beautiful.
They had two chilrdren-lhe one n lanoh
ing, browned-eyed and brown haired little
fairy OF three years Her name was Eve
leen. The second was n Growing, lanpb
ms, bIue-eyed, plump little beauty, of less
lhan year, promising TO have all the
charms of the older at her age.
was sitting one afternoon in Quiet
little room, with my feet upon two chairs
reading pleasant little book. in state be.
tween asleep and awake-my hos, away at
his shop, hundred yards of, and my pretty
ht'Ie hostess engaged in her household la
bors-when | was thrown out of my indo.
lence by scream that brought me 10 NV
feet like an electric shock. 1t was a wo.
mans voice, and had in it an excess of
agony that cannot be indicated in words
so loud that it rung over that quiet little
village, and brought every one forth to as
certain the cause.
| sprang to the door that separated the
sitting room from the dining apartments,
and saw the whole at glance. The young
mother stood at the door with her iirst-born.
our dariag Eveleen, in her arma. diving. \
biet and hurried word from the servant
told me the sad story. The little girl had
accompanied child uncle np stairs. and
while the attention of the older child was
for a moment turned away, she seized a
bottle Of corrosive sublimate i'm alcohol. and
had taken enough TO have taken away
twenty such lives The little thing had
tottered down stairs and the mother met
her at the landing with the empty bottle
in her hand, and the poison oozing from
her mouth, and the child all unconscious Of
the thing she had done Was it any won
der that terrible shrek rang out over the
quiet village, and that already the occu-
pants OF every house near were rushing TO-
wards the spot where the mother stood!
But few moments could possibly have
elapsed since the poison was taken, and
yet the effect was already fearful. After
the first shrek Of terror the mother had
quieted to calm despair for the moment,
and stood with the child in her arms, ma
king no effort for its relief; and indeed, it
seemed hopeless. for already the subtle poi
son seemed diffused through the frame; the
brown eyes had lost their lustre, tho face was
blackened as in after death, and the teeth
were tightly set in convulsive spasm that
evidently would not pass away. I exam.
med the little lost darling for n moment,
saw that it was hopeless, and then turned
away, unable to bear that mothers agony.