M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1859-02-10

= Of me as sat therel 1t seemed as i
were sojourning in an enchanter
spot, and that some horror was suo
denly to break upon me. Atmy side
, nearly covering beautiful table o
letter-wood, were several costly gift
books. | took them up carefully, fol
T | have a reverence for books, and tur.
ming to the fy.leaf Of a splendidly
bound copy of Shakespeare, read
"To Mary Frances F., from heI
| devoted husband, Henry E. r.
, A tLrilLaOf surprise ard anguisl
ran tr9gi 9fs9 TO vein. My thought,
seemcs "a, iyzed. The truth haC
burst upon me with such suddenness
'itha. the blood rushed with a shock t.
my heart.
knew Henry E. F.; had known
him intimately for years, He was a
friend toward whom all my sympa.
thies had been drawn, for be had seen
such sorrow as makes the heart grow
old before its time.
His wife, whom he had loved, had
deserted him. She had taken with
her his only child. She had desolat.
ed a household; and forgetting honor,
shame, everything that pertains to
virtue and to God, had fled from the
country with the man whose arts had
won her wonton love.
How could remain under this root
that now seemed accurseG How
meet the destroyer of virtue-the fend
who had reveled in such a conquest
| could only think of the evil they
had done-not what they might suffer
through tue tortures Of remorse. 1t
was some time before the seducer
came into the room where | still set
with the child, determined to meet
him once more before left tue house.
OH how guilty! how heart-stricken
his appearance Remorse sat on his
/ forehead--looEed out from his eyes
spoke when he was silent.
"Will You come to dinner!' he ask
ed.'
Ihesitated. Should l partako OF
! lis hospitality; the hospitality Of Que
of those tiends in human shape whose
steps take hold on hclR knew his
guilt--why delay to declare it| Why
not at once, in burning words, upbraid
him for his villainy, and fee as from
a pestiIence his sin-cursod houSe!--
The man noticed my hesitation. lie
could not, ofeourse, interpret its cause.
As he repeated his request, the look
Of distress upon his face excited
feeling Of pity, which, for the mo,
ment, slightly diSarmed my resent
ment, and, under the influence Of this
feeling, almost unconsciOuSly passed
into the diuing-room.
81 am sorry little Nelly's mamma"
& was glad he did not use tue sacred
name Of wite) sis not able to sit down
with u.s." he said. at is many months
since we have had her presence at our
meals. She is suffering from the ef-
fects of slow fever, induced by the
climate" he added, gravely, as he mo-
toned me a seat before him.
The table glittered with silver.
plate. Obedient servants brought, on
the most costly servers, delicacies such
as | had never seen before. But the
skeleton sat at the feast
| could not talk, save in moEosylla-
bles. My host ate hastily--almost
carelessly--waiting upon me with
many abrupt starts and apologies
Wine came. lie drank freely. Soon
he sent the little girl and servants
from the room, and seemed striving
to nerve himself for conversation.
"You are from - city, | believe"
he said, norgously.
answered an affirmative.
"Did you ever know a gentleman
there by the name Of IL, E. ="
81 know him, sir" said sternly,
looking the man steadily in the face,
"and | know him also as a ruined,
heart broken man..
With an ejaculation of anguish he
put his handkerchief to his eyes. 1t
would have seemed hypocritical, but
the suffering on his face was unmista-
kable.
"Perhaps You have suspected then"
--he began in quivering voice.
Not calmly, but with the words of
an accuser, | told him what | had
seen, and thought, and felt.
"Sir," he said, in tones which shall
never forget, "if | have sinned, God
in Heaven knows have suffered; and
if in F.'s bereavement he has cursed
me, that curse is tearfulIy fulflltd!--
Poor Mary is dying-has been dying
for months, and have known it. 1t
has been for me to see the failing step
the dimming eve; it is for lne, now,
to see the terrible struggles of her
nearly WORKOUT frame; it is for me to
listen to her language Of remorse, that
sometimes almost drives me mad
Yes, mad-mad-mad," he said, in
frenzy, rising and crossing the floor