Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-10-30
AN HOURS STRUGGLE WITH POL
SON.

ID "PSuuIuS SOu6 uhySJ uOE many
years ago, in beautiful little country VII
lage. ana in a family that had more than
common attractions TO one who loves do>
nestle life as we'll as m yself. The little
circle had in it more of real interest than
1 have often seen developed in the same
number of persons.
The father of the family-almost too
young 10 feel that he was entitled to that
honorable apPellation-was fine, frank
hearted young mechanic, with a wide
world of bounding life in his veins, an en-
ergy. that when fully aroused. drove ev>
erything violently before him, and q
warmth of disposition that won him more
friendship than it had then given him of
the goods of this world. +
His wife, to whom he had been mar
ried some years, was singularly beauti-
sGi. They had two chidren-the one a
laughing brown.eyed and brown haired
little fairy of three years. Her name was
Eveleen. The second was a Growing,
laughing. blue-eyed, plump little beauty
of less than year, promising to have all
the charms of the older al her age.
was sitting one afternoon in quiet
little room with my feet upon two chairs,
reading a pleasant little book, in state
between a sleep and wake-my host
away at his shop. hundred yards off,
and my pretty little hostess engaged in
her household duties when was startled
from my Incidence by scream that
brought me to my feet like an electric
shock. 1t was ~oman's voice, and had
in it an excess Of agony that could not be
indicated by words. so loud, that it rang
over that quiet little village, and brought
every one forth to ascertain the cause.
sprang to the door that separated the
sitting room from the dining apartments,
and saw the whole at q glance. The
young mother stood at the door with her
first born-our darling Eveleen-in her
arms dying. A brief and hurried word
from the servant told me the sad story.
The little girl had accompanied child
uncle up stairs, and while the attention Of
the older child was for a moment turned
away, she seized bottle of corrosive sub
Innate in alcohol, and had taken enough
to take away twenty such lives. The it,
tie thing had tottered down stairs, and
the mother had met her at the landing
with the bottle in her hand, and the poi-
son oozing from her mouth, and the child
all unconscious of the fearful thing she
had done. Was it any wonder that ter
! rlble shrek rang out over the quiet viii
lage, and that already the occupants Of
every house near were rushing to the
spot where the mother stood?
But a few moments could possibly have
elapsed since the poison was taken, and
yet the effect was already fearful. After
| rho oh Of tarror tbo
quleted to a calm despair for the mo-
ment, and stood with the child in her
arms, making no effort for its relief, and
indeed it seemed hopeless for already the
subtle poison seemed diffused thro' the
frame; the brown eyes had lost their lus-
tre, the face was blackened as in after
death, and the teeth were tight set in a
-conyuIsiVe spasm that evidently would
rot pass away. examined the little lost
darling for moment, saw that it was
! hopeless, and then turned away, unable
to bear that mothers agony. The little
door was already half filled with villa.
gers, and sobs and moans and lamenta>
tions over the fate OF the dying child were
heard in every direction, mingled with
quick and hurried questions. as to the
manner of its occurrence, and! vain az
tempts at answering. which added an op.
pressive confusion to the sadness of the
scene. -s'. IL E'1..- .iNl =
The little fellows uncle. who had been
up stairs with the child, had run instantly
to call the father, and but few moments
elapsed before he sprang into the middle
of the, crop. He had been told all and
asked no questions. I had time to re,
nnalk that his eye was very stern and thai
his lips were firmly comipressed.f Q 9th,
ers, too, remarked It, and L knew after.
wards that murmur ran rouud of how
strange that he betrayed no feeling. q
al niFe5 tBiqso ssS ;cii Of al hfssfi ss.