Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1860-09-29
Charles was an industrious, ambitious

He carried this spirt-so indispensable tc
farmer beginning his career in forest
where the axe of the woodman has never
been heard-to his new home if that spol
could be called which I'd to offer him on
ly the logs for his cottage He Sc, reso
lutely to work, however; the tall oaks and
pines fell fast around him soon he had a
house-a log house, to be sure but it wa.
comfortable enough, they thought - and
Emma said, laughingiy, that they would at
least have practical illustration of that
very romantic scene, "love in cottage. "
And so they did, without so much as con.
sulting a single fashionable French novel
to learn the art.
The detailed routine of an emirrants
llte-his struggles with the giants of the
forest, upon life SO far removed from
the delights of refined society-would BE-
tedious enough. shall be excused, if
pass hastily over these matters. 1t will
suflce to say, that on the banks of the
Susquehanna, near one of those many and
glorious gorges between two contiguous
hills, that mark that noble stream in its
torturous flow toward The vale of Wyom-
ing, there soon appeared farm abund-
antiy rewardlng the labor of the husband .
man, and that farm was Charles Ran.
doiphs. More than four years had passed.
Other settlers had arrived 1t was not so
lonely in that Pennsylvania forest. God
had prospered my friend. He was happy
$50 was Emma Why should they not
be happyy Their hearts were entwned
together as closely as the tendrils of the
ivy on the oak which they had lef, near
their cottage door to bless them with its
shade, and to be a home for the robins and
the b'ueblrds. That was enough to make
them happy. But God gave them another
blessing. Oh, what JOY there was in that
cottage, as little Josephine passed sue
cesstully through the stages of frolcking
isping, creeping, walking, and-I scarcely
know what besides. Then Heaven sent
them another babe. and their cup of ioy
was full. Did Charles forget God, then,
as he pressed his boy to his heart, and as
he heard the idol of his affections-his
own Emma-call the little one Charley =?
| know not
"Charles, my dear, you will not 90 out
tonight; will you ? 1t rains very fast, and
| want you at home. Did you not know
! '
the world, Charles y So said Mrs. Ran.
dolph, perhaps less than a year after the
event just related, and as she said it, she
looked more sad than usual-for she had
observed a change in her husband a
slight ehange-but it alarmed her little
He did not love home less, - perhaps
perhaps !-bu be had learned to find
pleasure IN the bar room of a neighbor.ng
tavern, which some Yankee settler, with
M enthusiastic desire to promote the pub.
lie good, had recently erected. The low
ing, trusting wife knew that her husband
went there simply for society; but she had
a lurking, undehnable, almost prophetic
fear, that it might not be always thus.
In moment, Randolph determined that
he would stay at home that night. Bu,
then he thought Of an engagement-might
not that engagement have been in nnocently
set aside ?-and he said, tenderly, 81 thuk K
| must 60, dear, but l will not stay long
Charles Randolph take care Thou hast
already placed thy feet on one of the STEPS
TO RUIN | lake care Listen to the voice
OF thy better genius. Hark! Itwhispers
to thee now. Nay, heed not that other
voice. Le; not the tempter lure thee to
thy ruin. Stop! Thou hast even now
cause TO trembe Hast thou not already
entered the wicket gate that leads from
the path Of virtue and peace to the path
o, vice and sorrow? Take care think OF
thy wife, Charles, and Of thy dear little
babes alas he has gone and the part
ner OF his bosom is kneeling at the cradle
Of her boy, and pouring out her heart t.
| f,t,l
tears, roll down her cheeks Can it be?-
but no, no--that were impossible and
she is calm again. Thus it is with the
sorrow-Stricken woman, the victim of q
grief she cannot reveal, and OF a fear she
cannot acknowledge even to herself. Love
pure as angels and stronger than the
grave; hope lighting up the darkest nj ght
trusl that spurns every suspicion. as the
voice oi the tempter; cons,ancy, like the
everlasting hills these nerve her arm
and lmpart to her heroism thousanG
tod more worthy Of the worlds applause
than that which is exhibited on the battl,
field.
Charles Randolph, the devoted husband
and fond father, loved more and more the
excitement of the bar room. Many, many
times, when his vile teariully remonstrat
ed with him, he resolved to leave that dan
gerons path. But his resolutions were
broken. In less than seven years from
the day OF his marriage, he was confirm
ed inebrlate. Poverty stared the faml,
in the face. His grim visags entered tht
door of their cottage, and became al in
mate there.
Another year passed--two, perhaps -
One night-a bleak, cold, stormy night in
February-that poor victim of intemper
ance sought his accustomed haunt, the
tavern. Like an insect, that plays aroune
the iiame which is consuming bin, fasci.
mated by the blaze, Randolph, though
sensible that he was descending the step,
to ruin, was yet urged on by al appetite
which he nad not the power to CONTROL
That was bitter cold night; fercel,
how!cd the winds around the once happ,
home of Charles and Emma. How tn,
blast walled through the leahess bough
of the oak that stood there, like a guar
dian angel! The snow fell profusely, ant
was hurled into drifts as it reached tn,
earth Long and anxiously the wife ant
mother looked for the absent one-but h,
came net He left the inn late with
bottle in his hand. Poor man! His fat,
is soon told
-" Nor wife, nor children, more shall he behold
| Nor friends, nor sacred home"
He was found when the morning dawn
ed, lying in the road near his cottage, still
, and cold, with his dog cnressing him, ant
f striving to arouse him from the sleep o
| death