The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1858-07-16
Written for the True Northerner.
THE INEBRIATE'S DAUGHTER.
BY MRS. C. ID. WEEKS.

The winter-king was out IN his chariot
of snow, his wind -stecds, untiring in their
course, had traversed many league. Yet
onward, onward was still the shriIl cry OF
the bearded monarch, and he rushed along
in his all-conquering course, made furious
by his long confinement in the far north
At his presence the little brooilets ceased
their merry laughter, his breath chilled
their gushing spirits, and very soon ne
had their nimble dancing feet bound with
chains Of ice. And as he extended his
frozen sceptre Ger giant rivers and
mighty lakes, their Struggling gradually
subsided, their bosoms ceased to hea' e,
they too were imprisoned, and the triumph
of the old winter tyrant was walled forth
by the spirits that ride upon the Northern
blast
And there were human forms too
whom nature had endowed with her best
gifts--a capacity loving with natural
gushing joyousness like the summer
streamlet - upon whose ears came the
wailing blast like the sigh of death
Times recording angel had pointed to
the hour of midnight. Awful solemn
hour, when spirits are said to visit mortals
homes; either as accusing or ministering
angels Of mercy But though midnight
has cast its solemn shadow over the earth,
no ministering angel had been commission
ed to enter the log cabin, where sat shiv-
ering with cold, trembling with fear, and
faint for want of food, pale blue-eyed
mother and dark haired dark-eycd little
girl They had counted the moments
freighted with agony as they were borne
upon the bowling wind to mingle with
the eternal past No blazing faggots shed
a cheerful glow around the cold and cheer
less room. A few embers only remained
to cast the pale expiring light upon, those
."V ps.iO MN ss...-, s5S iv,- rozss, -
Neither had uttered aword for some min
utes. The fearful subject of their thoughts
was too agonizing to be formed into words.
At length the trembling child, with quiv-
ering lip, broke the silence.
'Dear, dear mother we shall freeze
Brother cannot get home tonight, | am
so afraid he may have made the attempt,
and if he did mother is he dead, do you
think? but the people at the mill would
not let him como away, would they moth
er ?" and the afTrightened one gazed into
her mothers face as if in search of some
feeble ray of light upon which to found
hope. But from that despairing face no
light emanated. Agony, but not hope,
was depicted there. She knew that no
power of persuasion could induce her
noble boy to rcposc in the house Of plenty
and comfort, while they, his mother and
sister,wer suffering with hunger and cold
And yet she almost wished for once he
had been less selfsacrifcing, had possess
ed Ekss noble spirit "Dear mother"
exclaimed the weak child "shall l 90 for
him ?" and those arms were twlned
around her mothers neck as tho she would
soothe back the mighty sorrow that swept
like an avalanche over her spirit. A fear
full shrek from the wind-god, caus-
ed the mother to start from her seat, and,
disengagng herself from the embrace of
the little one, she rushed to the door and
gazed as far as her vision could pierce
the binding storm. The piercing cold
penetrated her thinly clad form, but she
needed it not as she groanod forth, 80
God 0 God my noble boy you too
must be offered sacrifice upou the altar
of Bacchus, already reeking with the
blood of my more than murdered hus-
band )" 90 rumseller this too is your
work" Lost lost . my husband, my
noblsSoyr'
o that the bowling midnight wind, that
bore that groan of anguish to the throne
Of God, had been commissioned by Him
to bear also the spirits of the mother and
daughter beyond the tumult of earthly
storms, then one less crushed and bleed
ing heart would have been destined to send
forth its groan Of deathless agony upon
every midnight hour, for many years of
lonely wandering on friendless Shore
But DER the storm of earthly elements
and the rough sea of human life presides
a power Infinite aud good His eye
never slumbers, never sleeps. And his
" thus far shalt thou 20 and no farther"
must be obeyed no matter upon what