The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1859-11-24

alarmed about myself, and wondered how
any one could be SO foolish us to thinl
me In danger, yet my wife had Otter
begged me to abstain totally. No Other
human being seemed to think of such
! thing as my becoming too strongly at
taehed to my cups. My wife though,
very foolish little love of woman, and
myself 4 very strong,nindel man, capa
bic of drinking bottle of brandy aow
aud then, without becoming drunkard
On the present occasion, found no diff
Guilty in disposing Of the brandy, withou,
the assistance of my staid companion. -
Nhcn We arrived at Dodge's, had
drank the last drop, and drew rein fol
the purpose of repleuishing my flask
-" Not here, not here, friend! for
Heavens sake, have respect enough for
my feelings not to enter this miserable
place. Drive on; l lave something to
tell YOU
-" lie gr.spod the rein as he spoke, md
Old sorrel shot by in an instant, and
went trotsIng on toward Richford lie
had got something to tell me What in
the name OF nature could it be Was il
possible that 50 stupid compan;on had
had romance in his life? Nothing of
the kind, | was sure Perhaps he mean.
to rega!e me with some hackneyed TEN.
perance lecture. | consoled myself with
the thought that ia the course of two
hours | should be back o Dodge's again
Do you see that ruin yonder, like the
remains of one Of the primitive log
houses .'
Plainly said I.
" ",l, sir, ten years ago this winter,
found dear sister thcre---found her,
sir-/ouad her, Rum did it . aud
must tell you the tale | was one Of a
family OF eight children, brought up
IN the good old State Of CUunecticut.-
My brothers and sisters were aIl dear to
me-but not alike dear. Alice, younger
than myself, tae companion of nay youth
iui hopes and struggles, VS. dearest of
all to me. AmiabIe aud .eutIc, she
seemed pure as the beings of my iulagin-
ation---a concentration Of all that was
good aud lov,Iy. Oh, how | loved our
Alice. Too vel, too veil She was my
Idol. ron omber how | aim ut wished
to chldc her for giving part Of her love
to George Dane, the village lawyer. |
wished TO be all that was dear to her, as
she was all that was dear to me
George was manly and intellectual,
and had 40 reason to oppose her choice.
Neither did |, only that l regretted to
lose from the home society one SO dear
They were married and life of happi.
ness seemed sure reward for their pur-
lty and devotion. For two years--ycars,
l have reason to believe, Of unsullicd
joys to then.-they lived in the same viii
lase with Us. 1t the end Of that time,
George determined to 90 to northern
Vermont They moved to 7, and,
fer time, loag aud endeariug letters of
their condition and prospects in their
new home were received aud eagerly read
in the home circle. But, after time,
they grew less frequent, less oncourag-
ing, and, at the end Of a year and half,
ceased altogether. There was cloud in
our old hoAc--a shadow on the hearth
stone Fearful forebodings were felt by
tha. band Of loving hearts Again aad
again we wrote, but months rolled, aud
no tidings came. But one resource re-
mained-l must seek my lost sister
Permit me to observe here, my
friend. that my seruples were n opposed
to spirit drinking. | was not Il drunk
ard, but carricd bottle with he at times
drank when ! wanted it, and was al,
ways in for a jolly time | was. in COM
.noh parlance, IA moderate drinker, as the
most debauched are, previous to bcconi-
ing druakards II there were no mod
crate drinkers, there would be no drunk
ards.
- In due course Of time, l arrived at
my destination in T. | was SUR
priscd at the thriftloss and general woe
bcgonc appearance Of the place. There
was not respectable looking house in
the place, no appearance Of enterprise and
business, bat look of wretchcdness and
poverty, that made me shudd for the
fate of my dear Alice. But Alice was
gone, In answer to NY inquiries, as
certaincd that they had lived for while
in comparative comfort and respectable
ty, but that latterly they had come to
want, aud left the village Nothing more
satisfactory could be elected no clue to
their whereabouts. They had disappear
ed-no one knew where.
81 spent week in visiting the neigh,
boring villages, and then returned home
The joy of our household had departed
forever
"About year afterward, an opportu,
nifty occurred for engaging in business,
as agent for manufacturing company,
which required travel in Vermont and
Canada In the course Of this tour, one
cold day, in winter--so cold and stormy
that travelling was imprac,lcablc-I found
myself laid up at Dodge's, with fai,
prospect of weeks stay ;and, to tell tho
truth, | rather liked the dea. l had in
my travels become addicted to the ar
dent; and, as was the lion of the place
the rich stranger who was 50 liberia
with his treats, found time pass swiftly
and--I blush to own it now, sir pleas
anty. The storm continued for three
days without intermission-- one OF those
cold, north west blows and snow storms
that leave the snow piled in huge drifts
or vreathed fancifully into shapes Of won
drous beauty.
"In the evening of the third day,
little girl, thinly clad, and bcnunbec
with cold, came softly into the bar-room
and smuggled in between the great stow
and the wall. | was not, as yet, thanl
Heaven hardened to look upon the suf
fering unmoved; and | instiuctively fel
an interest in the little stranger from tn
moment that l saw her, aud my interes
was greatly enhanced when | notice,