The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1858-07-15
THE RASH WISH /;
OR,
LOVE AMI PASSION

"I wish be we're dead-I do; hope b.
may never enter this house again aliyel
and even as the rash words were spoken
the lips that gave them utterance quiver
ed, half suppressed fear that the dread
full wish might he realized, and the little
pale, nervous woman, sank down upon
chair, aud gave vent to burst of pas
sionate tears half of anger and half o
penitence.
Adela Raymond was neither so young
nor beautiful now, as ten years ago wheI
she stood, proud, happy bride, beside
him who had won her pure, girlsh heart
and pronounced those solemn VOWS, tha,
through veal or voc, were to bind to him
alone through life; yet down deep in her
heart there rem mained green spot, where
love still grew as bright and fresh as in
her sunniest days, save when the rank
weeds of passion strove for a brief season
to root out the more gentle and unassum-
ing. but deeply rooted plant.
And if the disappointment, trials and
vexations of lille eCef render woman par.
donabe for irritabilIty or iii-humor, sure
ly Adela Raymond could claim the ex-
cu.e. Scarcely had two years of welded
bliss had been enjaye5, ere William Ray
mond-under the peruiciouS influences OF
those with whom bis business obliged him
to associate-began to tread the down
ward path, which sooner or later leads to
irrefrieVable ruin.
When first the fatal truth burst upon
Al Il l. l. - 4
sensitive nature to bear, and her heart
appeared utterly crushed beneath its
weight of woe. Bat life's thread is some
tunes very tenacious-it will stretch on,
through long years Of sorrow, ere it snaps
assunder.
And so Aiela, when. the first shock
had passed. ueryed her soul to bear With
strength and fortitude the impending fate
that she feared awaited her, and then 10
earnest, fearful accents, besought Der low
ed husband to shun the willy temper that
was fast winding his iosiduous coils a.
round the poor, deuded, unresisting VIC
tim.
Days and months heightened into long,
weary years, and still Adea continued
her pleadings, ana not harsh nor un-
kind werd escaped her lips; she under
stood enough OF human nature to know
that what loves persuasive eloquence can.
not overcome, severity can never conquer.
But William Raymond needed not the
tears and eutrestcs of her whom be had
pledged himself to love and cherish. and
each succeeding year saw bin sink lower
and still lower in that pit of degre dation,
at the bottom Of which yawns drunk
ards grave. Business was neglected, ac-
counts forgotten, and work of any kind
abandoned for the tavern and the gamb-
ling house, where alternate day and night
found him with his even more dissolute
aud wretched companions. Poverty soon
came stridiug apace over his threshold;
their gaunt grim want, until all that re.
manned of former iuxury-and almost of
comsort-had gone to satisfy the demands
Of hunger.
Then it was that Adela's long tried pa
ticDce gave way, and frequent aud violent
we're the storms of passion that burst
from those lips which bad never breathed
C0gut out love ana GeuueTOeSS.
All! she had forgotten to ask for pa
tieDce and wisdom to bear the heavy bur-
dens of her affections. She had ever been
a fragile fower-wholly untitled By na-
ture to bear the chill, rough winds that
poverty now slept mercilessly over her;
and get for many long months the toll of
her delicate bands, had been the only
means of support for herself aud three
helpless little ones, aye, and had oft times
(through sesr) furnished her unfeeling
husband with the means of procuring the
exciting beverage, the effects of which
sank him beneath the brute. 1t was af-
ter one Of these cruel demands upon her
slender earnings had been made by the
unfeeling husband that Adola gave vent
TO the exclam alton which opens this little
sketch. Raymond had just left the room
where his wife was pursuing her weari
some toll with half the proceeds OF her
last weeks labor in bis own indolent hand
but had not reached the outer door ere /
those rash bitter words fell upon his ear.
Had he been intoxicated then, be would
have turned back aud retorted-perhaps
with blows; but for once he happened to be
perfectly sober, and sudden and stern
purpose istanty entered his mind, which
q logged resolution enabled him 10 carry
into effect.
Her wish shall be grati6ed-I meuer
soM 'enter this house again alive SO
help me God, and with this oath upon his
lips, and a curse in bis heart for her
whom be had driven to the utterauee of
that terrible wish, William Raymond
turned bis feet from the home which bis
,wn vile passions had made wretcbed,