The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1857-12-30
Irrom the American Agriculturalist. ]
An Hours Stuggle With Poison.

\ A0As INV <AhAVthSoA "A
An Hours Stuggle With Poison.
| / was spending some days, not many
years ago, in beautiful little country viii
tlage, aud in family that had more than
common attractions to one who loves do
mestic life as well as myself The little
circle had in it mere of real interest than
have often seen developed in the same
number Of persons.
The father of the family-almost too
young to feel yet that he was entitled to
that honorable appellation-was fine,
frarikhearaed young mechanic, with wide
world of bounding life in his veins and
energy that, whom fully aroused, drove
leverything before him, and warmth of
disposition that won him more friendship
than it had then given him Of the goods
OF the world
His wife, to whom he had been married
some four years, was singularly beautiful.
They had two ehildren-the one a laughing
brown-eyed ard brown-haired little fairy
Of three years. Her name was Eveleen.
| The second was growing, laughing
olue-eyed, plump little beauty of less than
u year, promising 20 have all the charms
of the older at her age.
/ was sitting one afternoon in q quiet
little room, with my feet upon two chairs,
reading pleasant little book, in o state
between asleep and awake-my host away
at his shop. hundred yards of, aud my
hostess engaged in her household labors-
when l was thrown out of my iudolence by
y scream that brought me to my feet like
an electric shock. II wssa womaI 3 voice,
and had in it an excess of agony that can
uot be indicated iu words. 40 loud that i,
rang over that quiet little village, and
brought every one. forth to ASCERTAIN the
cause.
Isprang to the door that separated the
sitting. groom from the dining apartments,
and saw the whole at glance. The young
mother stood At the door with her fire,
boru-our darling Evelsen in her arms
dying. A brief and hurried word from
the servsnt told me the sad story.
The little girl had accompanied child
uncle up stairs, and while the attention o
| the older child was for moment turned
away, she seized bottle OF ofcorrosivs sub
Innate in alcohol, preps ed for bug poison
and swallowed enough to take away TWEEN
" such lives.
L. The little thing, had tottered down stairs
and the mother had met her at the Ian d
ting with the empty bottle in her hand. ant
:he poison ooziag from her mouth, ant
the child all unconscious of the fearfu
thing the had done. Was it any wonder
that fearful shriek rang ont over the qui
ct village, aud that already the occupant
of every house near were rushing tsward
the spot where the mother stood.
| But few moments, could possihl,
have elapsed since the poison WAS taken
aid yet the effect was already fearful
After the drst shrek ofterror, the mothe
had quieted to a calm despair for the mo
nsnt, and stood with the child in her arms
making no efforts for its relief; and in
decd it seemed hopeless, for already tn
subtitle poison seemed diffused throug
the frame; the brown eyes had lost thei
lustre, the face was blackensd as if afte
Q death, and the teeth was tight set in
convulsive spasm that would not pas
AWAY. I examined the little lost da
ling for moment, saw that it was hop,
: less, and then turned away, unable to be.
that mothers agony. The little door W.
: already nalf filled with villagers, and sob
and means, and lamentations ever tt
fate of the dying child were heard in evel
: direction. minglsd wife quick and hurrie
questions as to the manner of its sccu
y renee, and vain attempts at answerin
;, which added an expressing confusion
+. the sadness of the scene.
II The little play fellows uncle, who b,
been up stairs with the, child, had run j
:. stsntly to call the father, and but a +.
moments elapsed before he sprang into i
middle of the group. He had been to
all, and asked no questions. had time
remark that his eye was very stern 81
that his lip was very hrmly compresse
4 tOthers, too, remarked il, and kuew ,
i,srwards that q murnur ran round, I
e circle Of hew strange it was that he b
ltrsyed no fesling. oi .baIhss 1aa al
y Hsreached out his hands, and to
the child from its mother. Its eyes We
now closed, and . white ooze coning fre
= between the blacksned lips Was sy
death t1.ore aassured? / saw him op
r the sye-lids and heard him give sigh
4 relief He told me afterwards that I
eye was net shrsuken, and so death b
uot begun. He then attempted to op
her mouth, but the teeth were tight s
n and they resisted his efforts. But with
ne lorce that seemed almost brutal, he wrent
ra ed the teeth apart, and opened the mou
Shame, cried one of the bystAI
srs. 80 - s.
q The father did not heed shem, but !
tieled to neighbor to take the child
ais arms. He did so
Bring me the egg basket" be spe
sery sternly, almost without opening
:. seeth, to the servant
what do you want of it!" wi
.an you do with it," "He's crazy!" q