New Oregon plaindealer. (New Oregon, Iowa) 1859-1866, 1860-04-13
Our Story
THE OLD MANS LESSON.
BY AUSTIN c. BURDlcK.

rMilcolm, l wouldn't 60 out tonight
Come stay with me this evening"
".Not this evening, Alice, l have prom
isel to meets some friends this evening.
and | must keep my word. I will be at
home in COOL season"
II had hoped that I should have you,
company this evening. C,ine, why
can't you try and see if I cannot make
you as happy as those companions whom
you are to meet? Just this once, Mall
colin. 0, this oace!"
"No, no, Alice. I am going out. =
What, crying! Now what's the use of
that1 Can't a fellow go out once in a
while without leaving a crying wife"
Il can't helpit. Malcolm. But here
kiss me before you 60"
Thus spoke Malcolm Warren and
his young wife. Malcolm was a young
man, twenty-yeven years Of ag', AMI 4
carpenter by trade. His wife was one
ofthe sweetest dispositioned girls in the
town, and she ma lc one Of the bes,
wives. She loved her husband with tbs
whole energy other pure soul, and she
was beloved in return. AMI yet there
was child upon her heart. Her two
little children, boy and a girl, often
saw her shell tears when they were
alone within their snug little sitting
room, and tae boy was old enough to
ask what made his mother cry. But
she dared not tell him.
Malcolm Warren ownel the little
cottage in which he lived, AMI he had
paid for it all with his own hard earn
ings, while Alice had borne her share
by purchasing all the furniture. M4l-
colin was stout AMI healthy, and an ex-
cel'clt workman, and he had never yet
seen the hour when he nee le to lay
Idle for want of work. A better heart
el youth livel not in the tasn, an
when he took the g,atle Alice for his
wife there WAS many fair maiden
whose bosom gave WY t. kindly
wistful envy. They woull not have
rosbe Alice of her prize, bat they only
hoped that tllcr ow, lots might be as
fortunate. Why, then, should a cl .u,l
come upon taat house? Why shoull
Alice weep! All, for the same reason
that thousands of our lairest daughters
weep. For the same reason that hot
tears are ever crying out their silent
appeals for mercy-tears that run, and
run, until they n.ke u DBL thl; fairly
shrieks as ii rolls over our land.
Mule, 4 n w.rren hi a highly social
nature --his s,;icty was prizel by all
who could secure it--anl | he hal been
indulged in the false smile of tho wine
cnp. F5r the last year he had been
allowing his appetite to gain strength
At first it was only an ;occa ,ional glass.
then it was "a glass Or so, in while"
and tone or two glasses a day" But
lately he had gone so far as to spend
his earnings away from h,me, and for
nearly two m ,nths past he hal spent
Ill his m,asy with his ':j)vi.l" compln-
ions. Alice saw all this, and she knew
full we'll where it woull end if it was
not st,ppcl. Shs knew her hu'and's
nature, and she knew how surely he
was falling. She had whispered to
him her fears, and he had triel to laugh
them off as lille wllims. She hal pray
ed to him to stop the fatal career while
he yet hal strength, but he hal been
because she could think that
he would ever become drunkard. So
Alice was afraid to speak all her fears.
Yet she saw with a clear eye all that
was coming. She saw the broad road
upon which her dear beloved was travel
ing, and her heart was aching. She
knew that even now want was start. g
them in the face! 1t was autumn, and
she had asked Malcolm for money to
buy warm clothes for herself and chill
dren, and he had none to give her..
Only dav before he albrousht homo