The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-09-07
then, 90 full of reproOf, Of surprise, and Of

i
be my friend but never speak to me like
that. going down hill You know bet
ter than that. Thst can never be. l know
my own power, and l know my wants. My
mother knows me better than Ellen does"
All, had that mother been 90 wise ss she
was loving, she would have seen that the
"wiId oats" which her son was sowing, would !
grow up and ripen, to furnish only seed for !
Resolving! But she loved him-loved him
almost too we'll, or should say, too blindly.
But could say no more. only prayed
that God would guard him, and then we con.
versed on other subjects. could spend but
day with him, but we promised to cores
pond often.
Three years more passed, during which
John Anderson wrote to me at least once o
month, and oftener sometimes but at the
end of that time his letters ceased coming,
and received no more for two years, when
again found myself in his native town. 1t
was early in the afternoon when arrived
|
had finished my meal, and was longing
in front of the hotel, when saw a funeral
procession winding into distant churChyard.
l asked the landlord whose funeral it was.
"Mrs. Anderson's," he suid and as he
spoke, noticed slight dropping Of the
head, as if it cut him to say 80.
| TIL So u,if
tured.
"No," he said, ait is his mother )" and as
he told me this, he turned away. But gen.
tleman near by, overheard our conversation,
and at once took up the theme.
"Our host don't seem inclined to converse
upon that subject" he remarked with shrug.
Inquirng, "Did you know John Anderson o.
"He was my schoolmate in boyhooe, and
my bosom friend in YOUTH" told him.
He then led me to one side, and spoke as
follows
"Poor John He wos the pride Of the
F town six years ego. This man opened his
hotel at that time, and sought custom by
giving wine suppers. John was present at
! many of them-the gayest Of the gay, and
the most generous of the party. In fact he
paid for nearly all Of them. Then he began
to 90 down hill ever since. At times true
friends prevailed upon him to stop, but his
r stops were of short Duration. A short sea-
son of sunshine would CLEAN upon his home
p and then the night came more dark and
, dreary than before.
"He said he never would get drunk again
{, but still he would take glass of wine with
4 q friend This glass Of wine was but the
gate that let in the flood. Six years ago he
was worth sixty thousand dollars. Yester.
day he borrowed the sum Of fifty dollars to
pay his mothers funeral expenses That
h poor mother bore up as long as she could
She saw her son--her "darIing boy" as sht
always called Aim-brought home drunk
many times. And-she even bore blowt
from him But now she is at rest. Hel
j.. "darliug" wore her life away, and brough
her gruy hairs in sorrow to the grave Oh
hope this may reform him I"
i, "But his wife I" asked.
4 "Her heavenly love has held her up thus
far, but she is only q shadow Of the wife sh'
4 was six years ago." he returned.
My informant was deeply affected, and 81
was consequently l asked no more.
q During the remainder OF the afternoon
q debated with myself whether to call upol
- John at all. But finally resolved to 60
# though I waited till after tea. found Joh
and his wife alone. They had both beel
e weeping, though could see at glance tho
d ElleD's face was beaming with hope an
n love. But oh she was changed-sadly, pain
# fully SO. They were glad to see me, an
my hand was shaken warmly.
70 "Dear c., don't say q word of tn
"a past" John urged, shaking my hand sec
d ond time. 81 know you spoke the truth fiv
,e years ago. l was going down hill. But
q. have gone as far as can-here I stop at th
9, foot. Everything is gone but my wife.
have sworn-a my oath shall be kept
" Ellen and are going to be happy now."
The poor fellow burst into tears; Ellie
I'd followed suit, and kept them compan!
J.. I could not help crying like child. M
God, what sight The once noble, trr
ht man, go fallen-become mere broken gla
en the last fragment only rejecting the imal
it once bore; a poor suppliant at the foot
ut hope, begging grain Of warmth for II
to hearts of himself and wife And how
- honored and loved that man, and how / low
as him still Oh how l hoped-aye, mo
ad than hoped-I believed that he would
saved. And as ! gazed upon that wife
.e, trusting, so loving, so true, and so hopefr
IRE even in the midst Of living death-I pray
70. more fervently than I ever prayed befor
~. that God would hold him up-lsad him ba'
10, to the top of the hill.
In the morning saw the chldren-grov
cs to two intelligent boys; and though tn
Il looked pale and wan, they smiled and seeI
ed happy when their father kissed them.
When I went away, John took me by t
be hand, and the last words he said were
"Trust me. Believe me now; I will be
en man henceforth while life lasts "
A little over two more years had passe
h. when read 10 newspaper the death of ELI
Anderson. 2 started for the town whe
I thew lived as soon az pussibfey thinking