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

in his lifel Nothing Of the kind, l was
sure. Perhaps he meant to regale me
with some hscknsyed temperance lecture.
| consoled myself with the thought that in
the course Of two hours | should be back
to Dodge's again.
do you see that ruin yonder, like the
remains of one Of the primitive log
! houses q
"Plainly," said I.
"Well, sir, ten years ago this winter,
found dear sister there-found her. sir
-tound her Rum did it and 1 must
tell you the tale. was one Of a family of
eight children, brough up in the good old
State of Connecticut. My brothers and
sisters were all dear to me-but not alike
dear. Alice, younger than myself, the
companion ofmy youthful hopes and strug-
giles, was dearest of all to ne. Amiable
and gentle, she seemed pure as the beings
of my imagination-a concentration of all
that was good and lovely. Oh, how
loved our Alice. Too well, too we'll, She
was my idol. [ remember how [ almost
wished to chide 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 no reason to oppose her choice,
Neither did I, only that L regretted to
lose from the home society one 50 dear
They were married, and life of happiness
seemed a cure reward for their pnrity and
devotion. For two years-years, L have
reason to believe, of unsulied Joys to
tLem--they lived in the same village with
US. At the end of that time, Gerge deter
mined to go to northern Vermont. They
moved 10 T, and, for time, long
and endearing letters of their condition and
prospects in their new home were received
and eagerly read in the home circle. But,
after time, they grew less frequent, less
encouraging, and at the end of year aud
a half ceased altogether There was q
cloud in our old home-a shadow on the
hearthstone. Fearful forebodings were
felt by that band of loving hearts. Again
and again we wrote, but months rolled
around, and no tidings came But one
resource remained-I must seek my lost
sister
Permit me TO observe here, my friend,
that my scruples were not opposed to spir-
it drinking. Twas not drunkard. but
carried bottle with me at times-drank
when wanted It, and was always in for a
Jolly mood. ! was, in common parlance
a moderate drinker, as the most debauched
are previous to becoming drunkards. If
there were no moderate drinkers, there
would be no drunkards
In due course Of time, I arrived at my
destination in =. | was surprised at
the thriItless and general woe-begone ap-
pearance Of the place. There was not a
| respectable looking house in the place, no
appearance ofenterprise and business, but
a look of wretchedness and poverty, that
made me shudder for the fate Of my dear
Alice. But Alice was gone. In answer
to my inquiries, | sscertaned that they
had lived for a while in comparative COM
fort and respectability, but that latterly
they had come to want, and left the vii
lage. Nothing more satisfactory could be
elicited-no clue to their where abouts.--
They had disappesred-no one knew
where.
Il spent week in visiting the neighbor-
ing villages, and then returned home -
The Joy of our household had departed
forever.
about year afterward an opportunity
occurred Cor engaging in business, as agent
tor manufacturing company, which re-
,quired travel in Vermont and Canada. In
the course of this tour, one cold day in
wlnter-so cold and stormy that travelling
was impracticabe-I found myself laid up
at Dodge's, with fair prospect Of week S
stay; and, to tell the truth, | rather liked
the idea. had in my travels become sd-
dicted to the ardent; and as | was the lion
of the plsce, the rich stranger who was
so liberal in his treats, | found time pass
swiftly, and blush to own it now, sir
pleasantly. The storm continued for three
days without intermissicn-one Of those
cold northwest blows and snow storms, that
leave the snow piled in huge drifts, or
wreathed fancifully into shapes of wond-
rous beauty.
"ln the evening ofthe third day. little
| girl, thinly clad, and benumbed with cold,
came soft Y into the bar-room, and snugged
IN between the great stove and the wall. |
was not, as yet, thank Heaven. hardened
to look upon the suffering unmoved; and |
lnstinctively felt an interest in the little
stranger from the moment that | saw her,
and my interest was greatly enhanced when
l noticed that she timidly shrank from OBJ
servatlon, and seemed intently watching
for some one. l OWNED at once that she
was an angel of mercy, sent by some lonely
suffering mother, to persuode home some
drunken reveller from this miserable den
of death. Drawing my chair close to the
stove, and speaking kindly as possible, L
asked her to come to me.
" Don't, don't, please don't whip me,
sir, said the little one sobbing.
No, my dear, I wish to help you.
What are you here for, this cold nightl ~
Please, sir, to find pa
lis your pa here, my little one? Tell
me which is your pa
"'l can't see him, sir; but ma told me
to come and tell him she was DYING
"'lour mother dying-where does your
mother live' when did your pa go away
from homer
"'Oh, great while ago, sir. | don't
know how long. But going back. We've