Amador weekly ledger., 1858-07-10


know better. That can never be- / know
my power l know my own wants NY
motherknows me much better than Ellen
doesn
All had that mother been as wise as she
was loving, she would have seen that the
wild oats" which her son was sowing would
surely grow and ripen, only to furnish seed
for resolving. But she loved him, loved him
almost too well-or, as should say too
blindly.
But l could say no more. | only prayed
that God would guard him. and we conversed
upon other subjects. | could spend but one
day with him, but we promised to correspond
often. 80
Three years more passed, during, which
John Anderson wrote to me al least,o once a
month, and sometimes oftener but at the
end of Ahst time his. letters ceased coming
and | received>no. more for two years, when |
again found myself in his native town. 1t
was early in II afternoon when arrived,
and | took diA4s; at the hotel.
| had finished'my meal and was loungng
in front OF the hotel, when | saw funeral
procession winding into distant churchyard
| then asked the landlord whose funeral it
was.
Mrs. Anderson's," he said, and as he
spoke l noticed slight dropping OF the head,
as though it cut him to say So
What-John Anderson's wife 2"
NO" he replied it is his mother" and
as he said this he turned away but gen
tleman who stood near, and had overheard
our conversation, Immediately took the theme
himself
Our host don't.seem inclined to converse
upon that subject he remarked with a
shrug of the shoulders Did you ever
know John Anderson 2"
He was my school-mate in boyhood, and
my bosom friend in youth"
He led me to one side, and then spoke as
follows
Poor John he was the pride of this
town six years ago This man opened ho-
tel at that time And sought custom by Civ
ing wine suppers John was present at the
most of them-the gayest of the gay and
the most generous Of the party. In fact, he
paid for nearly every one Of them. Then he
began to go down hill, aud he has been 60
ing down ever since At times true friends
have prevailed upon him to stop, but his
stops were of short duration. A short sea-
son Of sunshine would CLEAN upon his home,
and then the night came, more dark and drear
than before. He said he never would get
drunk again, yet he would take glass of
wine with friend That glass of wine was
the gate to let in the flood. Six years ago
1 he was worth sixty thousand dollars. Yes
terday he borrowed fifty dollars to pay his
mothers funeral expenses That poor moth.
er bore up as long as she could. She saw
her son-her darling boy she always called
him-brought home drunk many times, and
she even bore blows from him But she's
at rest now Her darling wore her life
away and brought her gray hairs in sorrow
to the grave Oh, hope and trust this
may reform him !"
But his wife ?" | asked.
Her heavenly love has held her up thus
far but she is only shadow of the wife that
blessed his home six years ago."
My informant was deeply affected and so
was J. and asked him no more.
During the remainder of the afternoon
debated with myself whether to call upon
| John at all. But finally / resolved to go,
though waited till after tea. / found John
and his wife alone. They had both been
weeping, though could see at glance that
!. Ellen's face was beaming with love and hope.
: But, oh she was changed-sadly, painfully
So They were glad to see me, and my hand
was shaken warmly
Dear c., don't say word of the
past" John urged, taking my hand second
time. II know you spoke the truth to me
FIVE years ago. was going down hill. But
I've got as far as can. stop here at the
foot. Everything is gone but my wife.
have sworn, and my oath shall be kept. El.
len / am going to be happy now"
The poor fellow burst into tears here. Hi:
wife followed suit and kept them company
could not help crying like child My
God, what a sight The once noble, true
man, so falIen-become a mere broken glass
the last fragment only rejecting che image il
once bore--a poor suppant at the feet o.
, Hope, begging a grain OF warmth for the
hearts of himself and wife. Apd how | had
honored and loved that man, and how loved
him still Oh, hoped, aye, more thar
| believed he would be saved. And as
gazed upon that wife-so trusting, so loving
SO true, and so hopeful still, and even in tn,
midst of living death-I prayed more fer
ventIy than ever, that God would hold hin
up, and lead him back to the top of the hill
In the morning / saw the children, nov
grown up to intelligent boys, and thougl
they looked pale and wan, they smiled anC
seemed happy when their father kissed them
When was going away, John took m
q by the hand and said
Trust me- Believe me now. | will be
n man henceforth while life lasts"
i A little over two years more had passed
when read in a newsprint the death of Ellie