Monmouth weekly herald., 1858-08-12
fauilg Girtle.
Edward Armstrong
OR THE
BANTSEEEsD som.
IR a. 0, ungrateful wretch, go and
V4nneve rpollute this house with
BY JAMES SCARBOROUGH.

Wk 90 0, ungrateful wretch go and
VYhneve rpollute this house with
Ss& thy vile presence. You have
disgraced your family, broken your fond
mothers heart, and have caused me bit
terly to regret the day you were born"
These words were addressed by stern
faced man OF forty, to a TALL pale and
detected looking youth, of about eigh-
teen summers, who stood nervousIy
crushing straw hat between his thin
palms. He made no reply to the stern
mandate, but kept his eye fixed upon the
hat.
GO, boy, and finish your career of
crime! You have already made good
progress in the road that leads to ruin.
60, Edward Armstrong Go at once
continued the enraged parent.
Still the youth spoke ot,-stirred not,
but the constantly changing color of his
face, and the slight quivering of his thin,
pale lips revealed the emotions that were
struggling within.
Why do you wait, idiot! Is money
your wish | think you will sink fast
enough without that to drag you down"
At the conclusion of this singing and
unbehtting speech, the whole manner of
the youth seemed changed. A deeper
flush suffused each smooth cheek, and
with his dark piercing eye fairly emitting
sparks of fire, he drew his tall figure up
to its full height, and in clear, ringing
tones, thus replied to his almost inhuman
parent:
Not upon me, sir, but upon You, I'M
relenting parent, will rest my ruin, if I
am ruined at all You know you never
spared me, even when boy all nv
faults were punished with the greatest
severity, and often when kind, forgiv-
ing word from you would have melted
my wild spirit to repentance, and saved
me from farther sin, you have frozen my
better nature by your cold, harsh treat
ment, and now | AIN afraid that | shall
go down, down to perdition and misery"
Here the excited youth paused, and
removed his dark, burning eyes from
the face of his father, and again pressed
the yielding hat, He had never before
presumed to speak in reply to his fathers
lreproaches, but he was now goaded so
severely, that the words scould not be
forced back-the tongue would utter the
hearts prompting.
And you were waiting to add insult
to your other sins ?" muttered the father,
in deep kissing tones, and regarded the
boy with a look of hatred Go, vile
reprobatel Begonel There's the door r
Again the youths manner changed
and his face became pale and paler. A
mournful look subdued the glare of def
ance which had just cleaned from his
eyes, and two bright tear drops fell upon
| the crushed hat.
God knows | waited not for that
But, sir, Ill wish to see my mother
once more before I 60" said he, raising
his face with an imploring look.
Mr.. Armstrong mused moment, and
then in half relentling tone, said
1t is but natural, boy, that you should
wish to see her, though grief for your
bad conduct has laid her on her death
bed. The door of her room is slightly
adjar, you may look in, but don't pre-
sumo to speak to her, she is now sleep
ing"
"Ohl father p
Call me not by that name; you
have forfeited all right to address ne
by SO endearing a title" was the fierce
interruption.
No, by the Eternall Yon shall no
more wiring her poor heart. Go, now,
from this house forever, and carry with
you the conviction that you brought your
poor mother in sorrow to the grave"
Edward looked again into the wrath.
! full darkening face turued upon him, and
again his daring, all defying spirit broke
its bounds, and casting look of terrible
meaning upon his unnatural father, turn.
ed upon his heel and left the room, fully
resolving never to enter that house
again.
Was not that unhappy parent wrong
in the course he pursued toward his err
ing boy? Surely it was. But the time
was at hand when he would bewail his
hastiness in sackcloth and ashes.
The youth possessed much of his faith
er's impetuous nature, though it was
softened by some Of his mothers more
gentle qualities. and if properly trained,
be would have made noble, high mind
ed fellow but here was the fault: His
impulse had not been trained to take
proper course and his fathers brutal
treatment toward him in childhood, had
so completely hardened him as to render
his reformation almost entirely hopeless.
Consequently he became desperate and
reckless in the extreme. He was sent
to college, and at the age Of eighteen,
expelled, given over as perfectly incor
rigible, and sent home in disgrace.
We have introduced him to our read
ers at the time OF his return home after
his college disgrace. This would seem
small circumstance to change fathers
love into such bitter hatred but it was
even 50. The naughty spirit Of Mr..
Armstrong was touched in tender spot,
and his mothers very susceptible heart
was really almost broken.
1t was in the spring of the year, near
the sunset hour, Edward run down the
stairs and out Of the open door, and
paused not until he had reached the
green, messy bank of a quiet ripping
stream that wound its course through the
pleasant fields, at short distance from
the princely mansion of Mr.. Armstrong. |
Here he threw himself upon the green
sward, and for time terrible thoughts
and resolves held dominion over his
clouded mind. All at once, a new idea,
a desnnrata rnsolva-toOk nossession of |