The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1859-10-21
MANITOWOC, WIS, OCTOBER 21, 1859.

room adjoining, where = few minutes
before | had seen Dodge enter, and where
found that parsonage assisting blearsd
and bloated individual TO dress.
"'Mr. Dodge said /, there is little
girl in the bar.room who has come to get
her father .....
"'Tell her to 60 home said the drunk
en- wretch whom Dodge was assist
ing.
"That voice.
| "No, [ was not mistaken. Time and
intemperance had net been able wholly to
changeit. had heard it when it inspired
happier feelings, but l could be mistaken
it was the same voice still. The drunk
en- wretch, who | afterwards ascer.ained
had been dead drunk for three days, was
GEORGE DANE.
The true situation of affairs flashed upon
my mind at once. pictured to myself
Alice, the wife Of a wretched drunkard,
suffering, perhaps starving at this very mo-
ment, and SO near. | took the little girl
in my arms, and walked out into the cold
night air.
ooh, ma will be SO glad, she's so cold
and hungry; will you please, sir, give me
| something 10 carry to ma to eat Z
Il hastened back and, filing my pocket
with cakes and crackers, returned, and
taking the child in my arms, pushed thro'
the snow in the direction indicated by the
child, to her home. And such a home!
Oh, that man should stoop SO low! All
WAS dark, still, and cold. Not breath to
tell that human being inhabited the
place, no feeling Of warmth, nothing but
cold dark silence But the child ran to
one corner of the miserable hut, exclaim
ing,
"'Oh, ma, ma, wake up. The man has
brought you something to eat Ma,won't
you wake upF And she sobbed as if her
little heart would break. She continued
talking in this strain to her mother max
ing all kinds Of endearing little speeches,
and telling her they would have some
supper now.' and Ma, the good man has
come to see u.s. She kept talking and sob
bing; while |, by the aid of matches and a
jack knife, succeeded in kindIing a little
FIRE, which grew and grew, till the room
was lighted, and some degree Of warmth
impaired.
at was terrible feeling to know that
I was in that wretched abode With death
and my sister. There was nothing that
deserved the name Of furniture in the room
Not chair, not a stool, not bench even
except cupboard in one corner to indicate
that it ever was human habitation. Close
by the fire, on a nest of straw, was the
cold emaciated form of my sister Alice
What meeting WAS this, afte five years
absence! l took her by the hand; it was
cold as death. raised her up, and held
her to the fire, and rubbed my hands rap
idly over her wrists and lemples,to impair,
warmth. Is she deadi Oh, this must
not be Look at me Alice. am your
brother come to save you. | could moi
bear the thought that she was dead.
"At length came the reward Of my lab
ors. She bresthed, family, it was true, ,bu
life-no, she was not dead Calmly work
ed on; and slowl y, yet surely, my sister
was coming to life. She spoke, but he
mind evidently wandered.
"'Oh, George said she, L am 80 glst
20 have come, and you are 80 changed
thought | should die, I was 50 cold anc
hungry. sent little Alice after you, ant
you were 30 good not to beat her. | hst
such sweet dream. Oh, George, it il
growing dark, | am dying"
''1t is ], Alice, look at me-
"She swooned away, exhausted, gaspinl
for breath. Just Heaven what if sht
should die nowl No, | must save her
| went to the door and got handful O
snow, and by the warmth impaired by my
hands, succeeded in melting it, and apply
ing few drop. to her lips, and bathing
her temples she again revived.
"Her eye was clear, calm, and natura
now. There was the same sweet look as
of old. But she was white-oh, so white
and deathlike. She looked more like ar
angel from the spirit world than the flesh
and being that she really was. Extending
her hand toward me, she murmured in a
voice sweet in its softness and sadness,
"'Henry it is Henry
"'Yes, Alice, it is Henry come to take
you home to your father and mother
"'Oh, Henry is it possible? What q
horrid memoryn And she pressed her
hands over her eyes, as if to shut out some
horrid image of the past But it is over
now. | have seen the death angel am
going soon. Oh, Lord Jesus have mercy
on my child, my dear little Alice. Is not
George here?'
"'No, he has not come yet. But don t
think such thoughts Alice. You are not
going to die. Cheer up; you must 60
home with me-
"'Home, yes, am going home now
Hold me in your arms brother dear, am
so weak. I wish that George was here to
see me die-he was kind to me once, but
he was led away. Rum did it. lie did
not mean to be so bad, but the best of 50,
ciety drink here. He couldn't drink q
little without drinking too much. Tell him
| forgive him. Tell father and mother
have suffered, but l am happy nov.
longed to write and let you know all, but
I hoped for better times. | hoped every
revel would be his last But oh, the pow
er-the power of rum 1t is fearful, Hen
ry, the power of rum. George has faller
he is victim. The world will condemn
him, but the world will never know hov
bravely he strove to break the charm
The world don't know how much he ha
suffered. They know his sius-his suffer