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

We will put aside the stern,
Sad teachings Of our life 5,s a..@
Quench the fires that inly burn, g.. e.,
OF selhshness and strife;
We will wait in prayerful silence,
That they may come again; #s-0t g5Ees5
And will opc our spirits portals, .tt gaE
| To the angels Of the rain. ss -#
| So "N"1
POISONING A HUSBAND. E.ss
sIf you ever take glass of brandy in thi
house, Nelson" said his wife, 'believe me
it shall contain poison; for | have lived
drunkard's wife long enough, and ! car
not how quick the world is rid Of me-"
sNot if they despatch you from platform
with rope, kitty?' a5 49,
sNo, not if they despatch me from plat
form with rope; for / repeat with empha
sis, am tired Of being drunkard's wife
cannot walk the streets but there seems tt
be mark set upon me more fatal than tn
one God caused to inAict Cain. hear j
whispered from almost every corner, sther'
goes U drunkard's wife!'' and then our chill
dren are pointed at as the children of q sot
Let me try as hard rs l may to keep then
clothed and sent regularly to school, the,
meet with nothing but jeers and SCOTS; Will
|, for the last ten years, have been victim
to your brutal appetite. So now war;
you in season, that | will endure it no Ion
ger. If you place another bottle of brand,
in that closet, and afterwards attempt Il
drink of it, you shall die! for ! am despe
rate, nor care how soon the scenes of lif,
close, if there is to be no end to your beast
ial habits
And the wife's cheek was almost ghastly
pale, and there was an unnatural expression
in her eye which made her husband quai
beneath her wild glance; but he tried t.
laughter he was sober now, and he wish
ed to make his home pleasant until i
suited his purpose to go out again and spent
what rightly belonged to his family, to en-
rich the rum seller. The wife had known
him too long to indulge the delusve hop
that kindness would bring about his reform
threat that caused her husband to quail
though he tried to appear jovial and un
concerned. But the wife had a piercing
eye, and with one keen glance, she read hi!
thoughts; but she did not falter or swery'
from what she had spoken.
80, Kitty, you wouldn't poison your hus
band, would you?' continued he, with {
shade of anxiety on his face.
ASK me no more questions,o said the
wife, with no smile on her lips; syou hav,
heard what l said, and now wait to set the
issue.' .
80 come, kitty-don't be so hard with me
YOU know, after all, | am the best friend yo,
have, and that love you and the children.
Eyes, but you love the bottle better thar
either, Nelson, and have borne with meek.
ness too many hard words from you-ay
even hlows in your heats Of intoxication, te
expect now that shall ever have pleasant
home again. When you are sober for q
few hours, as you are now, your intellect ii
covered with such mist that you are the
Nelson Brewer that l married years ago nc
longer; so | cannot transfer to you the love
which bore him when the flush of you'll
was on my cheek, for you are drunkard
and do not merit the love of wife ant
children. When you lifted tho cup so Of
ten to your lips, his spirit left your bloatcd
body, and since that time, my life has been
worse than widowhood, though for my
chiIdren's sake, and that they might have
bread-though at times scantiiy fed-l have
renamed in your miserable home, and some
times, when in hopeful mood, have
Ahoug hit perchance you might reform; but
have given it all up now! Hope has fed
and see nought but the alms-house and Il
drunkard's grave in the futurc.'
Mr.. Brewer made no further remarks
lie sat in silence little while looking ou,
into the narrow court, seeing his pale, mea-
gre children playing with the children of the
neirhborhood-as miserable as themselves
and n sigh half escaped him; but he tried
4 A. en,- re
ed of his wife if she would soon have sup
per ready.
'There is not an ounce Of food in the
house, said his wife with a mournful air.
We'll, it sban't be SO long; Kitty retrrn-
cd the husband, pleasantly. And rs he rose
and went out, he stopped On his way and
encirclcd his wife's neck with his arm and
piayfully gave her kiss.
The wife for moment forgot hec serious
mood, but ere she could give a response, he
dartcd through tho outer door and was
gone. With "a heavy sigh, she resumed her
needle and listened to the voice OF the chill
dren as they came in at the open window;
nor did she expect to see her husband again
till he came reelins in, as usual, at late
hour of the night. But scarcely half an
hour passed ere she heard his footsteps in
the entry, and in another moment he enter
ed, bearing in his hands sufficient food,
when cooked, to provide comfortable sup
per. Mrs. Brewer did not utter any excla-
nation of Joy at what she saw; she only
arose quickly, put away her sewing and went
about preparing the meal. And when it was
ready, it was eaten in silence by the parents;
but the children could not restrain their Joy,
nor did their mother chide them for their
manifestations of delight as their father
reached them cake after cake, and served
them literally.
kiss me, Kitty said the husband, pleas
antly, as he arose from the table and pass
ing around to where she was sitting, pre-
sented his cheek near her lips.
The wife was silent for moment, and
there seemed to be a struggle going on in
her bosom, for tear was in her eye and q
changing expression on her face; but in an
instant more, they passed away, and look
ing sternly into her husbands face, she said:
mo Nelson, will never kiss a drunk
ards cheek again. say
q am not drunk now, Kitty
well keep sober long enough to give me
confidence that you will reform permanently,
and then perhaps l may feel some Of the
tenderness for you felt in other days, but
not now should wish to bestow caress
on you.' And Mrs. Brewer pushed her chair
from the table while her husband turned
away and went out.
Don't be cross to father" !" said the eldest
born, a beautiful child Of twelve years, for
he has not been drinking to-day. So speak
pleasant to him, and maybe he won't drink
any more"
The mother drew her child nearer, and
hitting the heavy chestnut curls that cluster
ed around her neck and occasionally shad-
ed her face, whispered in her ear something
that pleased the child, and she broke into a
hearty laugh, which brought others Of the
group to their side with loud protestations
that they, too, must have whispered in their
ears that which made their sister Mary laugh
SO. Mrs. Brewer again pressed her lips to
ears, but her words brought no
although they seemed to satisfy
the children.
Mrs. Brewer now resumed her needle,