The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1858-04-23
LOUIS O. CowAN, Editor & Proprietor.
WISo,sMNANEGTS0
What q Curse.

which made great impression when pub
lished some twenty year ago.
Johnny Hodges was blacksmith, good,
hard-working nan. but he had drunken
wife, and was often forced TO exclaim,
"What curse can nothing be done ~
What n curse! cried |, the other MORN
ing, after few hours spent in various calls.
Can nothing be done to put stop to this
intemperance
had promised to give q man employ
meni, and as he did not come at the appoint
ed time. and had few moments to spare,
! determined to 20 and see for myself If all
were true that he had told Of his want and
struggles and "doing his best" y,
| followed the direction to the second
story Of a crowded tenement house, and as
| knocked at the door, observed that the
place was decent, and an effort at cleanli-
ness seemed to have been made.
NY knock repeated, finally brought a
gruff "Come in !" and entered a room IN
tolerable good order, and as tidy as circum-
stances would permit. In chair near the
FIRE sat the master Of the house, with dull
complexion and bleared and watery eye,
drunk.
II was the old story. Here was the Sc
cret Of the mournful tale Of trying day after
day to find employment, without success.
Just as was turning to leave, saying IN
my mind "what curse" |" his wife came
in with bundle Of coarse work on her arm,
and leading little child by the hand. A
glance told my business and the state OF
things. She tried, woman-like, to excuse
him, ..there could not be kinder or bet
ter man than when he was himself, but he
had no work, and a friend asked him to
take a glass, and he had not strength to re-
fuse" This was the end; the insatiate
devil was awakened, and shrewdly sus-
pected that bruise on his wife's face had
some connection with the drop he had tax.
en-. Ii was useless to talk with him, so
left word for him to come to me when he
was sober.
Having call to make in the next street,
went on musing, when my attention was
arrested by sounds Of uproar and confusion,
and from the door | was about entering,
rushed forth the terrified wife and children
Of man who in drunken fury was breaking
all before him, and pelting them with tho
fragments. Fortunately police officer
was at hand, who kindly took care OF him,
and marched him off to more quiet place.
Another day had occasion to call upon
a poor woman to have some work done,
(poor, lone bachelor that AMI and found
her looking pale and woe.begone, but doing
her best TO make things tidy and decent in
the midst Of half dozen children. There
are no more discouraged looking beings IN
these northern States, than a poor woman
with drinking husband and a family Of
children. Past, present and future are alike
dark.
She looked up eagerly at the mention Of
work, as If she thought only Of the reward,
and not at all Of the toll and the midnight
labor to get il finished. "You see, sir, |
must do something for the children, to put
bread into their mouths" "But where is
your husband-does he not support youi"
AYES, sir, when he can get work but,
like most Of the men, he is little unsteady"
ayes, little unsteady thought, "Sorks
half the time to buy rum to be drunk with
the other halfw
The next call was but an echo Of this
The poor woman had just come in from a
hard DAYS work. having left three little
children alone all day, while she was earn
ing dollar to buy them bread. The same
old story.
AYES, sir, John is little unsteady"
"Does he do nothing for you?"
"No sir, Of late nothing; he has got
among bad set, and they have led him
away"
"0h 7" thought I, "is he led or leader z"
"But why do you live with him."
"Why, sir, he will come home; ! can't
keep him away" :.
"Then move of, and leave him."
"But, sir, he follows me, and can't hide
away from him. The last time he was so
mad, that when he found me, he came in
when Vas out looking for a bit Of work,
and drove the poor children into the street,
and broke the glass and all the plates and
Dishes"
On another day, in one Of my calls, |
found man quietly ut home, having actual
ly brought all his wages, and looking toler-
ably mlortable, as his wife was preparing
him some supper she had Just bought. The
children looked up, half afraid, as if they
were not sure in what mood they might find
him.
IL seemed a good opportunity to reach
him, and when was alone with him for
moment, | spoke Of steady work and Of the
comfort to himself and family that steadi-
ness would bring.
He listened with interest, and his eye
glistened as he promised fair that he would
never drink again. Alas! | knew how
many times he had made that resolution
and broken it. So | tried once more, "Will
you not sign promise with me not TO touch
a drop 2" | did not say pledge, knew he
would take alarm at the very word.
"Oh, no ~ he shrunk back, he "woud not
sign away his liberty" In va n did | ex-
postulate; il was but TO give him the
strength Of written resolution IN the hour
Of temptation. No; the master OF evil had
spread his snare but too certainly, and the
poor man was unmoved.
With a sigh turned away. lwould give
him employment so long as he would refrain,
but what power has q nsn against the de-
mon within him, in the shape OF diseased
nerves and craving appetite.
Sol went away crying with Jonny Hodges
"What curse! Can nothing be done to
put stop to this in,emperance "-We look
with peculiar compassion upon man with
drunken wife, and it is pitiable. There
Is something so unnatural in woman's be-
ing slave TO so vile an appetite, there Is
something so cheerless and forbidding IN
such home. Yet the man has one re-
source, he can leave il, and leave her, but
alas! still worse for the woman with a
drunken husband. she cannot 60, or II she
try, he may follow and claim his home the
law gives oil to him-wiie end children-and
she has no redress.
.what cursel Can nothing be done y
After an absence, need not say precisely