Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1859-12-09


preaching to healthy tone. His hand grew
steadier, though it still trembled.
Two hours brought his regular dinner time,
when Jarvis, who began to feel the want Of
food returned home, with new and strange
feelings about his heart One impulse was
to tell his wife what he had done. and what
he was doing But then he remembered how
o0on he had mockcd hcf now springng hopes
how often he had promised amendment, and
once oven joined Temperance society, only
to relapse into lower and more degraded
condition. No, no. he said 20 himself, after
debating the question in his mind, as he walk
ed towards home. i will not tell her now; /
will first present some proof Of my repent
ance; | will give such an assurance as viii
create confidence and hope
Mrs. Jarvis did not raise her eyes TO the
face Of her husband as he entered. The sight
Of that once loved countonauco, distorted and
dsdgurod, even made her heart sick while
she looked upon it. Jarvis seated himself
quietly in a chair and held out his hands for
his youngest child, not over two years old,
who had no consciousness of his fathers deg
radiation. In a moment the happy little crca-
turo was on his knee; but the other chill
dron showed no inclination to approach; his
conduct had estranged their young hearts
purest and most innocent affections. This
was perceived and felt kcenly but he had
hope Of recloiming all he had lost, and this
compensated, in some degree, for tho present
distance and arrangement.
The frugal meal passed in silence and re-
straint Mrs Jarvis felt troubled and OPP
pressed, for the prospect before her seemed
TO grow moro and more gloomy. All the
morning she had suffered from a steady pain
in her breast and from lassitudc that she
could not overcome. Her pale. thin, care
worn face told a sad tale of suffering, priva-
ton. confinement and want of exercise. What
was 20 become Of her children she knew not.
Under such feelings Of hopeless ssness, TO have
one sitting by her side who could take much
Of her burdens from her, were he to will it,
who could call back the ligh. 90 her heart If
only true to his promise made IN earlier and
happier ycars-soured in some degree her
feelings, and obscured her perceptions. She
did not note that some change had paascd
upon him--a change that If marked would
have caused her heart to leap in her bosom.
As soon as Jarvis had risen from the table,
be took his bat, and kissing the Youngest
child. the only one there who seemed 20 re-
gard him, passed quickly from the house As
the door closed after him, his wife hcavcd a
long sigh, and then rising mechanically pro-
ceedcd 20 clear up the table. OF how many
crushed affections and disappointed hopes did
that one deep, tromulous sigh speak.
Jarvis returned 20 his work, and applied
himself steadily during the whole afternoon.
Whenever a desire for liquor returned upon
him, he quonched it in a copious drausht of
water, aud thus kept himself as free from
temptation as possible. At night hc return
ed, when the same troubled and uuea~y ,i-
lencc pervaded the little family at tine supper
table The meal WAS scanty, for Mrs. Jarvis
incossant labor could procure but poor sup
ply of food After the children had been
put 90 bed, Mrs Jarvis sat down. as usual TO
spend the evening tired as she was. and as
much as her breast panied her. in sewing. A
deep sigh involuntarily hoavcd her bosom as
she did so. 1t caught the ear of her hus-
band and smote upon his heart. He knew
that her health was feeble and that constant
labor fatigued her inccssantly.
Il wouldn't sew tonight Jane be said.
won look tired; rest for one evening"
Mrs Jarvis neither looked up nor replied.
There was something in the tones of her hus-
bands voice that stirred her feclings-somo-
thing that softened her heart towards him
But she dared not trust herself TO speak, nor
to let her eyes meet his she did not wish TO
utter harsh or rcpulsivc word, nor was she
willing to speak kindly to him, for she did
not feel kindly--and kind words and affected
chcorfulness, she had already found, but en-
couraged him in his evil ways; and so she
continued to ply her needle, without appear
ing to regard his presence. Her husband
did not make another effort to induce her TO
suspend her labors for, under existing cir
cumstances, he was particularly desrous Of
not provoking her TO use towards him the
language of rebuke and censure. After sit
ting silent for about half an hour, he rose
from his chair and walked three or four times
backward and forward across the room pre-
paratory to going out 10 a coftee-house to
spend the evening, as his wife supposed. But
much to her surprise, he retired to their
chamber in the ad Joining room. While still
under the expectation Of seeing him return,
his loud breathing caught her quick. ear--he
was asleep
Catching up the light, as she arose sud
denly to her feet, she passed with hasty step
into the chamber. He had undressed him
self. was in bed and sound asleep. She held
the candle close to his face it was calmer
than usual and somewhat paler. As she bent
over him, his breath came full in her face it
was not loaded with the disgusting fumes
that had so often sickened her. Her heart
beat quicker-the moisture dimned her eye
her whole frame trembled-then looking up
wards, she uttered single prayer for her
husband, and glided quickly from the room,
sat down to her little table, and again bent
over her work. Now she remembered that
he had said, with something unusual in his
tones. Il wouldn't sew tonight, Jane; you
look tired rest for one evening" and her
heart was agtated with a new hope but
that hope, like the dove from the ark, found
nothing on which to rest, and trembled back
again into a feeling of dependency. What
had she to hope for Surely not that her
husband would reform; She had seen too
many efforts at reformation, commenced IN
der better auspices than could now possibly
surround him, and all had failed. At each
successive failure, his state became worse
than before. 1t was past twelve o'clock when
she laid by her work. from exhaustion and
pain, and sought few hours Of troubled re
pose
On the next morning. the trembling hand
of Jarvis as he lifted his saucer to his lips at
, the breakfast table, made his wiics heart sinl,
again in her bosom. She HAD felt hope,
aN