Indiana American., 1857-01-02
BR0oKVLLE, FRANKLIN COUNTY INDIANA FRIDAY JANUARY

his heated brows-"my own Charles can
you listen TO met"
A sneer Of bitter contempt, a half-utter-
ed oath, and avolley of inarticulate abuse
followed, terminating in the deep, leaden
sleep of the drunkard. 1t was useless to
say a word. She rendered his position
safe, removed from his neck beautiful
silk stock which her own hands had put
together, wrapping him warmly, laid her
self down beside him to consider her
best plan of acting.
Morning found her awake, after troub-
led sleep with disturbed dreams. She sat
down alone to the breakfast-table, and
Charles vacant chair stood opposite.
Imust do my duty" said she, show
ever he may be wrong; ! must not, as his
wife, reproach or taunt him; and though
in his mistaken moments he talks like a
mailman, must recollect that it is not
my Charles; it is the enemy which has
crept into his head to steal away his brain,
that pours out curses and abuse. His
mind is deluded, and / must forgive his
false views as / would those of the in
sane. Meantime / will set myself steadi-
ly to try and allure him back again to the
path of peace"
Then she returned to where that inani-
mate mass of humanity lay, bound in the
chains of drunkenness. At length he
awoke. She was instantly at his side,
but not with sulky looks or passionate
rebukes. All what an object of pity is
the last evenings drunkard, when next
days repentance comes! III in body,
and with fearful collapse Of spirit, pangs
strike like arrows through his conscience.
He would fain sleep again, and forever,
but it can not be. He half remembers
the past words of unkindness spoken by
him-words too, alas which he eau not
recall, give what he would to do so.
Unimportant as our faults appear before
hand, or pleasant as they seem to us in
the act of commission, when conscience
calls us to its bar, we review them as
through magnifying glass; every min
ute circumstance then stands out clearly;
every secret of the heart is brought from
its dark recess. .4, 81
Elizabeth had no occasion to recount
her husbands faults; like lion reused
from sleep, the inward monitor stood now
ready to vent its rage upon the defense
less victim. His wife's Christian spirit
was his most severe accuser, and in un-
controllablc anguish of mind he turned
this way and that to seek relief; but there
was no physician no balm in Gilead,
sought, by poor, unhappy Charles. Had
he sought the aid of Gods Holy Spirit
in fervent prayer, the evil habit might
have been broken; but alas he did no,
do so. He rose, left his room, wandered
out Of doors to get rid of his wretched'
ness; and, ah that should say so, he re.
membered the sedative effects of the
glass, and argued thus in his owr
thoughts: ~ will never again allow my.
self to be overcome In the manner I hav,
been. 1 am now really III, depressed II
J body and mind. l will take only just SC
much rs shall restore me to comfort, anc
then l will have done with it forcver"-
: He was within sight Of the poison palac,
II the gin-shop. Should he enter I? Con
science said, No; but delusive propensi
ty pleaded strongly the motive; hc onl,
, went to relieve his bodily suferings, ant
to nerve himself to tell his wife how full
ly he felt the necessity Of abstaining a
such parties from excitement, which let
, on to all the rest. The present moment'
indulgence gained the victory; he cntere,
the bar, and the FIRST fatal link was forge,
in chain which bound both body an,
: soul, though to Charles IL seemed but lik
: casting over him a spiders thread. ii
] took another cheerful glass. He felt 1t
. cxhilarating influence, unhappy subject
4 fell into the background, fresh excuse
8 camo TO his remembrance with which b
: satisfy his angry conscience aud his un
}. complaining vito: truo he had been fool
ish, but it was at the social table; and tn
: unkind words to Lizzy were, after oil, on
: ly words. It was the liquor which spok,
not him and no would now make a
4 right, and tell her how grieved he was-
= He felt greatly relieved, and wonderc
o that little time ago he could have Judge
Is himself so harshly. tF
n On returning home, this pleasar
d change in his mood raised tho sunke
It spirit Of his wife. The evening fire wa
% burning briskly, and, closing tho shutter
l. they sat down to their usual comforts; br
n tho effects Of tho magic potion was ia,
: cbbing of, and Charles thought that Jul
l. one glass, which Elizabeth would deer
p the first. might enable him to conclud
l. his task better than tea. So pleading h
10 injured stomach's relief, another stron
is goblet was despatched. Tho wife WI
l. pleased to see the improvement In b
l. manner. though something whispered
10 her. "All this Is unreal"
Time Is required to rivet. the forcc
r habit; but by degrees, from this fatal p
?, Rod, Charles whose early virtues had p,
y forth such hopeful promise, began to 81,
10 way to drunkenness, first In secret, an
r then, alas ! openly.
I'd We must not weary the reader by d
|y failing tho numerous gradual steps |
OF which, net after act scene after scene, III
b drama Of real life was, after some 70
'g years, brought to q close. I have rolat,
,h the oncnino naoe Of the historv. tbe su