Indiana American., 1857-01-16

sion upon tho most erring OF carth's chill
drcn, / thank thee that brazen SER
pont has been lifted, upon which the
drunken can look and bo helped; that
beacon has burst out upon tho darkness
that surrounds him, which shall guide
back to honor and heaven tho bruised and
weary wandcrer"
II is strange what power there Is in
some voices. The speaker was slow and
unmoved, but tear trembled in every
eye, and before knew why, tear drop
ped upon my hand, followed by others
like rain drops. The old man brushed
one from his own eyes and continued -
"Mon and christians You have just
heard that | am vagrant and fanatic
| am not AS God knows my own sad
heart, came here to do good. Hear me,
and oe just:
IL am an old man standing alone, at
the end Of lifo's journey; there Is deep
sorrow in my heart and tears in my eyes.
I have journeyed over dark and beacon
less ocean, and all lifc's hopes have been
wrecked. / am without friends, homo
or kindred upon earth, and look with Ion
ging to the rest Of the night Of DEATH
Without friends, kindred or home! 1t
was not so once"
No one could withstand the touching
pathos Of the old man. noticed tear
trembling on the lid of my fathers eye,
and / was no more ashamed Of my own.
"No, my friends, ii was not so once
Away over the dark waves which have
wrecked my hopes, there is blessed
light Of happiness and home reach
again convulsively for the shrines Of the
household idols that once were, now mine
no more"
The old man seemed looking through
fancy upon somo bright vision, his lips
apart and fingers extended. / involunta-
rily turned in the direction where it was
pointed, dreading to sec some shadow in
voked by its movements.
IL once had mother. With her heart
crushed with sorrow, she went down ia
the grave. / once had a wife-a fair an.
gel creature as ever smiled in an earthly
home. Her eyes as mild as q summer
sky, and her heart as faithful and true a,
ever guarded and cherished a husbands
love. Her blue eyes grew dim as til,
floods Of sorrow washed away thci
brightness, and the living heart was wruns
until every fiber was broken. l once haC
noble, brave and beautiful boy, but h
was driven out from the ruins Of his hom
and my old heart yearns to know If he ye
lives. I once had babe--a sweet, ten
der blossom, but my own hand destroyed
it. and It liveth with one who loves chill
dren.
"Do not be startled friends am no
a murderer in the common acceptation o
the term. Yet there is a light in m.
evening sky. A spirit mother rejoice
over the return Of her prodigal son. TIL
wife smiles upon him who again turns bacl
to virtue and honor The child angel Wis
its me at nightfall. and feel the hallow
ing touch Of tiny palm upon my fever
ish cheek. Ny brave boy, if he yet lives
would forgive the sorrowing old man 70
the treatment. which drove him into tn
world, aud the blow that manned him 70
life. God forgive me for the ruin hav
brought upon me and NINE"
He again wiped tear from his eye.-
Ny father watched him with q strange in
terest, aud countenance unusually pal
and excited by some strange emotion.
81 was once fanatic, and madly fol
lowed the malgn light which led me +
ruin. was fanatic when I sacrifice,
my wife, children, happiness and home
to the accused demon of the bowl.
once adored the gentle being whom l in
Ijured SO deeply.
"Iwas drunkard. From respectable
ty and aiflucnce, plunged into degrade
ton and poverty. / dragged my famil
down with me. For years / saw her chez
pale, and her step grow weary. left he
alone amid the wreck Of her home idol
and rioted at the tavern. She never com
planned, yet she and the children wer
hungry for bread.
Zone new-year's night I returned lat
to the hut where charity had given us
roof. She was yet up and shivering ove
the Goals. l demanded food, but sh
burst into tears, and told me there wa
none. fiercely ordered her to get som,
She turned her eyes sadly upon me, tn
tears falling fast over her pale cheek. A
this moment the child in the cradle awok
and sent up furnishing wall, startling th
dcsparing mother like serpcnrs sting"
ave have no food James; | have ha
none for several days. / have nothin
for the babe. My once kind husban,
| must we starvc ?'
"That sad, pleading face, and thol
streaming eyes, and the feeble wall Of ii
child maddened me, and I-yes I-struc
her fierce blow in the face, and she fe
, forward upon the hearth. The furies
hell boiled in my bosom, and with dec
er intensity as l felt l had committed
wrong. / had never struck Mary bcfor
, but now some terrible impulse bore n
| on, and stopped as we'll as could in m
dru nlen state, and clenched both han,
, in her hair"
!. "God of mercy, James!' exclaim,
! my wife, as she looked up into my fen
d ish countenance, "you will not kill US. "
] will not harm Willie." And she spral
to the cradle, and grasped him to her or
brace. II caught her again by the ha
and dragged her to the door, and as Iii