St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1857-01-01

find there sympathy and rest y Look
down from your blest abode in heaven
and breathe a prayer for your unhappy
child" The neglected wife rose and
tottered to the small crib where re-
posed her only child-a lovely boy
from whose innocent brow the darl
curls foated and rested upon the little
pillow, one stray lock twined around
the dimpled hand supporting tn,
crimsoned check. He slept, but un
easily. The tears were not yet dried
on his dark lashes, for he had sunk tC
slumber hungry and cold, and the
mother had not means to prevent it
She rubbed his little hands and feet
wrapped the scanty coverlet more
closely around him, and then took the
shawl from her own shivering form
laid it over him, and tucked it in or
all sides, that the piercing night wind
might not enter "God forgive my
murmuring, while I have this treasure
still left to comfort me !" and tears fell
Icopiously upon the cherub face of her
boy. Again he moved as if in pain,
so she checked her grief, and sung
to quiet him, as she had done in
happier days. Oh, the sadness of
that song ! Not such as joyful parents
sing-sHE could not say
ssSleep my babe thy food and raiment
House and home thy friends provide;
All without thy care or payment,
ALI THY WANTS ARE WELL SUPPLIED ..,.aH
No-the words would have choked
her. Alas poor Emma the mirth,
full strains with which thou once held
entranced throng of admiring listen
ers, no longer echo from thy trembling
lips :a. F..
Thou knowest not the art
To breathe joyous chord from an oerburdened heart
A step is heard-thc loud slamming
of door-and voice harsh and threat
ening in it's tones disturbs the mid
night silence. The wife-the mother
starts up, not to rush forward with
flushed cheek, sparkling eyes, and
beating heart, to welcome the1intrud-
er, but to shrink pale and shud1ering
into the farthest corner of the room,
where, with claspcd hands, her teeth
chattcring, her cheek pale as ashes,
her form covering as if from antici-
.pated violence, the young, fragile, de-
pendent creature who had becnpremis-
ed brilliant, happy life, blest by un-
changing care and tenderness, awaited
the entrance of her HUSBAND! The
door opened-hc entercd-a horrible
oath upon his lips, the fire of intoxca-
ton in his eye, and his whole appear
ance and manner denoting plainly
WHAT serpent had thus crept into the
paradise of home, and blighted the
faircst prospects.
We have no time now to go back
and trace, step by step, the progress
of ruin, in one whose manly beauty,
gifted mind, and splendid talents, had
once placed him high in the opinion of
the world. His voice had been heard
in the Scnates of our nation, his APP
pcarancc had been hailed with pride
in the saloons Of wealth and fashion.
He and his beautiful wife had been
the admired of all admirers" they
had been pointed out as singular eX-
amples of conjugai happiness and de-
votion. But a poisonous serpent en-
tered that Eden-thc husband, the
father, had become the prey Of GAW-
BLERs, and found his home in the haunts
of dissipation and vice, and the wife
yielding like crushed flower to the
sudden tempest, sunk helplessly be-
meath the dreadful blow.
What are you sitting up so late
for, Emma ?" were his first words.
:" l told you to go to bed as usual, and
not wait for me you konw since my
failure, l have had business that has
kept me out late at night Emma well
knew WHAT THAT BUSINESS was, but she
said nothing, "yet that is no reason
you should sit moping here, and look
ing like ghost" the night before he
had reproached her for NOT sitting up
for him, "but since you are up, for
mercy sake get me something to cat,
and take this cursed candle away, and
bring new one.' as.
There is not a morsel of food IN
the house, Charles" replied Emma in
a sad tone. 81 have tasted nothing
since morning, when you ate the last
rolls Our poor boy has been sick all
day, and | have been unable to pro,
cure anything, besides us you were
absent all the time"-
Well, well, En-, don't preach a
sermon. Never mind the supper, and
as you will soon go to bed you will
not want another candle. But must
so out again and-and | have a
small favor to ask of you. Come,
don't look so doleful at the idea of my
going off again it is to procure com
forts for tomorrow Now, there's a
good girl, let me have the jewels l
have more than once asked you for.
They shall not be sacrificed. You
will have them back again, and plenty
of money beside. Come, get them,
won't you?"
"Oh, Charles, dear Charles, do not
take away our only resource in case
of greater need! You know our
watches and chains are gone forever,
and you had the same hopes about
them" She would have gone on, but
seeing an angry cloud gathering on