The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-09-09

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Without stopping to reflect, left th
apartment and hurried down to the par
lor. I found a man walking the floor il
a very excited manner.
Il wish to see Mr.. w. said he
abruptly, and in an imperative way.
He is very i'll, sir replied, and can
not be seem
Il must see him, sick or WE'LL Hi
manner was excited.
Impossible, SIR
The dcor-bell rung again at this mo
ment, and with some violence. paused
and stood listening until the servant an
.swered the summons, while the mar
strobe twice the full length of the par
lor
Il wish to see Mr.. W Itwa.
the voice of a man.
He is sick,' the servant replied.
Give him my name--Mr. Walton
and say that must see him for just q
moment And this new visitor came in
past the waiter and entered the pa.lor
'Mr. Arnold J. he CALCULATED, in con-
siderable surprise.
'Humph This is nice business J.
said the first visitor, in rude way, en-
tirely Indifferent to my presence or feel
ings. "A nice business, must confess =
Have you seen Mr.. W. was in
quired..
No. They sag he is sick
There was an unconcealed doubt in
the voice that uttered this.
Gentlemen J said I, stung into indig
pant courage, this is an outrage! What
do you mean by it p
I'VE wish to SEQ your father said the
last conner, his manner changing, and
his voice respectful.
You have been told, was my firm re-
ply, that my father is too i'll to be seem
1t isn't an hour, as am told, since
he left his store said the first visitor,
and I hardly think that his illness has
progressed SO rapidly up to this time as
to make an interview dangerous: We
do not wish to be rude or uncourteous,
Miss W, but our business with your
father is imperative, and we must see
him. 1, fer one, do not intend leaving
the house until meet him face to face
will you walk up stairs p I had the
and 1 moved from the parlor into the
passage. The men followed, and I led
them up to the chamber where our dis
tressed family were gathered around my
father. AS we entered the hushed apart
ment the men pressed forward somewhat
eagerly, but their steps were suddenly
arrested. The sight was one to make
its own impression. Fathers face,
deathly in its hue, was turned toward the
door, and from his barred arm stream
of dark blood was flowing sluggishlyi
the physician had just opened vein.
Come. This is no place for U.S. 1
heard one of the men whisper to the
other, and they withdrew as unceremo-
niously as they had entered. Scarcely
had they gone when the loud ringing of
the door bell sounded through the house
again.
What does all this mean p whispered
my distressed mother.
Il cannot tell. Something is wrong
was all 1 could answer; and vague,
terrible fear took possession of my heart.
In the midst of our confusion and un-
certainty, the only relative of my mother
arrived, and from him we learned the
crushing fact that my fathers paper had
that day been dishonored at bank. In
other words, that e had failed in bust
ness.
The blow, long suspended over his
h kead-as 1 afterwards learned-long
dreaded, and long averted by the most
desperate expedients to save himself from
ruin, when it did fall, was too heavy for
him. 1t crushed the life out of his en-
feebled system. That fearful night he
died
It is not my purpose to draw towards
the Survivors any sympathy by picturing |
the changes in their fortunes and modes
of life that followed this sad eveLt.-
They thave all endured much and suf-
ferod much. But how light has it been
to what my father must have endured
and suffered in his long struggle to sus-
tain the thoughtless extravaganza of his
family, to supply them with comforts
and luxuries, none of which he could
himself enjoy. Ever before me was the
image of his gradual wasting form, and
pale, sober, anxious face. His voice, al
ways mild, now comes to my ears in
memory burned with a most touching
sadness. What could we have been
sinking about ? Oh, youth how blind
" selfish thou art How unjust in thy
What would nol
give to have my father back again J.
This daily toll for bread those hours of
abor, prolonged often far into the night
cheerful would I be if
hey ministered to my fathers comfort.
Ah if we had been loving and just to
him, we might have had him still. But
Il