The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-02-27
owhy didn't hoy Hold Mo ?"
TLam lhs 80 Y.LL TILbuns.

III
on through q Gim passage, had glimpse
through half open door at scene that has
impressed Itself upon 10y memory indellhly'
why didn't they hold me- were words ut
tered in such ire and anguish, that tNey
lhriled 10 nay ear when the stage had borne
me far away from that great city and IT, sins
aud sorrows and determined 10 ding them
as an plarum ON the winds, until statesman
and people, mother and teacher, should set
about forging hands 10 hold thosp lhat f1l-
tiw IN me footsteps ~ thut dreadful sufferer
4 halfdozen fns-lookIng men surrounded
his bed. the thrifty growth Of hair on their
faces and the glitter Of ieWcly about their
persons, indicated a. plainly ~ their haggard
features and wary eyes the order to which
they belonged, They were Of that mysteri-
Gus order Of knighlhood, who seem to have
found the alchrmist's coveted power, or at
least 10 enjoy ia coveted results They live
IN Grst-elaa hotels, and wear GRl-elass
clothes, gold Rbounds with them, and yet
they hold labor practically at least, In SUI
prcmc contempt knew the object Of their
care was one Of their uumbar, who the night
before In III Of dehrium tremens had
thrown himself from the window In the upper
story Of the hotel, lie did not toss from
side 10 ,idc as men do usually when
a burning fever RACES upon them, for head,
spine, limbs, had oil been rendered useless
by the fan but his whole frame quiyercd
with agony, aud from underneath the matter
ready wan and wasted with suffering, hts
eyes glared ont dereely as q wounded tigers,
WHY didn't they hold me p he muttercd :
and with his groans hc mingled reproaehc'
and horrid curscs on the careless watcher
that had let him make that terrible leap.
why didn't theyhold him? Whyhey did
not realize the fcarfulncss Of tho terrors that
encompased himi they have" never had
drlirium trcmens-not yet The hcnd that
brnndishcd that naked sword over his de-
fcucclcss head wa, invisible to their eyes.
They did not hear the hiss of the scrpents
that coicd and Nrithcd their Shiny folds
about his shrinking form, Oh no they did
not see them, aud It was such rare sport, TO
see that swaggcring clustering bully cover
and crouch before his imaginary tormcntor,'
SO they Knocked and iecrcd, and melted him
on to coFhat with his phaQyam foes, until
the window caught his eye as hope for
escape, and so with a yell aud a bound, he
made that desperate leap. and tho next mo-
mcut there was taken up from amid the mire
and blood and shiyerod glass in the street,
shrinking and manglcd wreck OF humanity,
Whether that reckless and restless spirit
has gone up to give it, awful account Of mis-.
spent time, or has vet TO beat out It's weary
life against the prison-hars Of crippled
frame, know not. God be mcrcirul, and
heal if he fingers, both soyl and body. Why
didn't they hold him Not those careless
watchers Of tho othcrnighlj The demon Of
drink was IN him then too strong for mortal
control, but long long ago, when he was
- nLer-Liin- -iLln-
his mother might have held him in the bonds
Of good habits, and trained him as she did
those fragrant vines about her door and his
virtues might have rendered another home
IS fair as did those clustering branches her
own sweet cottage. remember that house
hold well. The father was u man of high
,tant ing, filling responsible and respectable
office. The mother, gay indulgcnt and ancc-
iionate, surrounded by band Of rosy girls
and frollicking boys. Fashion entered the
holy ciiclo first, with ITS bancrul habits of
dlcness and extravaganza. With it came the
custom of drinking because Of fog or frost,
because they were merry, or because they
we're sad. The wind was sown there; long
.ears. they have been rcaping the whirlwind T.
A taste for drinking rendered useful occu-
,atons distastcful: gaming afforded at once .
and the promise of living without .
ahor. The boys drifed off into vagrancy
he father was degraded from his station,
md died in disgrace and perjury. The girls
lroppcd like cankcrcd flowers, and God, in
lily Took Them. The homestead has passed +
nto strangers hands, and now the poor old +
mother sits alone in n comfortlcss cabin, be-
ide the same stream which rolled by the
lomc of her early happiness, and doubtless,
IS it wandcrs by, it often whispers Of the
inc when she might have heidi them all
Jack by her counsel and example from their
uin
Why did they not hold him long, long
60, when tcochabe, truatful boy, the
oblest of the group that played in the grand
Id forest shade that sheltered our lowly
We were cncompussed with noble assoca-
Cumberland range lihed its blue
eaks in the distance, and the winds bore us
he anthem of its great cataract An old
,rt was mouldering in ruins beside us, and
le church and graveyard we're close by
he teacher often babe us heed how many
tile ohildrsn's graves were there, and told
& many legends Of the Indians and old !
onoOrs who slumber now 80 dreamless IN
'eir rest. Why did he not tell us that we
nd all bcitor fll little .grnyea than grow up
manhood and boa walking postilencc in
4 4.