Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1858-06-04

OLUeEs. IKE FAiHs
The old man brushed one from his
own eye, and continued: ::
"Men and Christians. You have Just
heard that / am vagrant fanatic. am
not. As God knows my own sad heart,
1 came here to do good. Hear me and
be Just, for / am no mans enemy.
81 am an old man, standing alone At
the end of Hfe's journey. There is a
deep sorrow in my heart, and there are
tears in my eyes. / have journeyed over
dark and beaconless ocean, and life's
hopes have been wrecked. | am with
out friends, home or kindred upon earth
and look with longing eyes to the rest OF
death. Without friends, kindred or
home II was not once So"
No one could withstand the touching
pathos of tee old man. noticed tear
trembling on the lid OF my fathers eye.
and no more ielt ashamed of my own.
"No, friends, it was not once so.-
Away over the dark waves which have
wrecked my hopes, there is the blessed
! light of home and happiness. ] reach
again convulsiyely for the shrine of their
household idols that were once mine
now no more"
The old man seemed looking away
through fancy upon some bright vision +;
his lips apart and his finger extended
| iuvoluntarily turned in the direction
where he pointed, dreading to see some
shadow, invoked by the magic move
ment,
81 once mad a mother. With her old
heart crushed and sorrowful, she went
down to the grave. | once had wife,
a fair angel-hearted creature as ever smil-
ed in an earthly home. Her eyes were
as mild as summers sky, and her heart
as faithful and true as ever guarded a
husbands love. Her blue eyes grew
dim as the floods of sorrow washed away
its brightness, and the living heart !
wrung until every fibre was broken
Once | had noble, brave, a beautiful
, boy but he was driven out from the
ruins of his home, and my own hear
yearns to know if he yet lives. once
had a babe, sweet, tender blossom; bu
} these hands destroyed it, and it livetl
5 with one who loveth children.
"Do not be startled, friends. ! an
not murderer, in the common acceptq.
ton Of the term Yet there is light in
my evening sky. A spirit mother re
: joices over the return of her prodiga
| son. The wife smiles on him who agar
: turns back to virtue and honor. The an
gel child visits me at night-fall, and fee
the hallowed touch ola tiny palm upor
= my feverish cheek. My brave boy, j
= he yet lives, would forgive the sorrowns
2 old man for treatment which drove bin
5 into the world, and the blow that maine,
: him for life. God forgive me for the
1 ruin ! have brought upon me and mine.
Z. He again wiped q tear from his eye
/ My father watched him with a strang,
a intensity, and a countenance unusually
= pale and excited by some strong emo
e ton,
l was once fanatic, and madly fol
;, lowed the maIign light that led me tt
!, ruin. was fanatic when | sacrifice,
t my wife, children, happiness and homr
to the accursed demon of the bowl.
= once adored the gentle being whom
n injured so deeply.
g l was a drunkard. From respecta
: bility and afiluence plunged into degra
: dation and poverty. / dragged my wifi
e down with me. For years l saw he
| cheek grow pale, and her step groV
y weary. left her alone amid her hom
Y idols and rioted at the tavern. Sh
0 never complained, yet she and the ehil
d drcn went hungry for bread.
e One New Years night | returne
late to the hut where charity had give
e US roof She was yet up, and shiyer
a ing over the Goals. ] demanded foot
/ but she burst into tears and told me ther
r was none. She turned her eyes sadl
upon me, and tears fell over her check
e At this moment the child in the cradI
n awcke, and sent up a furnishing wall thi
y startled the despairing mother like
? serpent's sting.
+ We have no food James-haye ha
is none for several days. / have nothin
g for the bade. My once kind busbanl
r must we starye?
Is That sad, pleading face, and thos
streaming eyes, and the feeble wall
n the child, maddened me, and yes +
struck her a fierce blow in the face, an
t, she fell forward on the hearth. The Il
e, ries Of hell boiled in my bosom, an
at with the deeper intensity as / felt | he
IS committed a wrong. bad never struC
E, Mary before, but now some terrible iu
y pulse bore me on, and STOPPING down
m well as could in my drunken state,
/ clinched both hands in her hair.
i God Of mercy, Jamesr exclaimr
ID my wife, as she looked up into my fen
As ish countenance, you will not kill 4
you will not harm Willie, and s.
If sprang TO the cradle, and gsasped him
Is her embrace.
le ! caught her again by the hair, al
Ill dragged her to the door, and as ] lift
a the latch the wind burst in with clol
k Of snow. With a yell Ike fend
- dragged her on, and hurled her out
n the darkness and storm. With a wi
n, ha ha / closed the door and turn
as the key, her pleading moans mingl
IN, with the wall Of the blast, and the sha
nd cry Of the babe. But my work was n
at yet complete.
%, turned to the little bed where j
nd ..,, sIder aon suotcbed him from