The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-04-04
sq7u-I7.q Malcolm Warren Z.
OR, THE OLD MANS STORY

-'a"Nottbis evening. Alice; hSVe promised
to meet some friends this evening snd
must keep my word. will beat home in
good season." ss 1gs. ..r.9s t-t;1E.l5-
rV"I had hoped thst I should have your
company. Come, Why cant you try and soc
II ] cannot make you a. happy as those com.
panions whom you are to meeti Just this
once. Malcolm. o., this once - BE '' '''
No. No. Alice, lam going out. What I
crying! Now what's the use Of tbat Il
Can't fellow 60 out once and swhiie wiih-
out leaving q crying wife I" cai %. ega' @.1
81 cdnh help it, Malcolm. But, here, kiss
me before you go" ..- Do. ..r.. 80.
Thus spoke Malcolm, Warren and his
young vile. Malcolm was young man
twenty seven vears Of age, aud carpenter
BY trade. His wife was one OF the sweet o.
dspos sitioned girls in town, and she made
one OF the best OF wives. She loved her
husband with the whole energy OF her pure
soul, and she knew that she wss beloved in
his heart. Her two cbildren, a boy ard a
girl. often saw her shed tears when they
we're alone with her in her snug little sitting.
room, and the boy wss old enough to ask
what made his mother cry, but she dared not
tell him.
MalcOlm Warren owned the little cottage
ia which he lived, and he had paid Tor it oil
out OF his own hard earnings, while Alice
had borne her share OF the burden by pur.
chasing oil the furniture. Malcolm wss
stout and an excellent workman, and he had
never yet seen the hour when he needed 10
10y idle for the want of work. A better
hearted youth lived not in the town, and
when he took the gentle Alice for his wife,
there was many fair maiden whose bosom
give place to kindly, wi.tful envy. They
would not have robbed Alice OF her prize,
but they only hoped that their own lot nigh,
be as fortunate. Why, then, should cloud
come upon that house! Why should Alice
weep! All, for the same resson that thou.
sands OF our foirest daughters weep-fo,
the same reason that hot tears are ever cry.
ing out their silent appeals for mercy-tears
that run until they make food that iairly
shrieks az it rolls over our land.
Malcolm Warren had q high social nature
his society was priced by all who coulc
secure ii; and he had been indulging in the
|
false smiles Of the wine cup tor the last
year, he had been allowing his appetite to
gain strength. A, first it was only an "oc-
casioDsl glass;" then "glsss or 60 once in
a while," and then "one or two glasses a
day." But lately he had gone so far as to
sp"nd his evenings from home, and for near.
ly two months past he had spent all his mo.
ney with his jovial companions. Alice saw
this, and she knew full we'll where it would
end If it was not stopped. She knew her
husbands weakness, and she knew how
surely he was falling. She had whispered
to him her iesrs and he bad tried to laugh
them of ss idle whims. She had prayed to
him to stop the fatal career while he had We,
strength, but he had been offended becsuse
she should think that he would ever become
drunkard. So Alice was a'raid to speak
all her fears. Yet she saw with clea, eve
all that was coming. She saw the bro,d
road on which her beloved wsa travelling,
and her heart was aching. She knew that
even now want was staring them in the ace
II was autumn, and she had asked MuIcOlm
Tor money to buy warmer clothes tor bersel
and children, and Re had none TO give her
Only day before he had brought home q
bucket full of four, inste d OF sending home
barrel, as he used To do. H. earned mo-
ney and where was il! Alas! poor Alice
knew too we'll MalcuIm's face, and she saw
that its manly beauty was slowly but sure y
eating away. The large blue eyes were
slowly growing dim, bIeared and blood .sho,
the once fair chez ks we're becom ing swollen
and bloa,ed, and tho lips looked dry anc
cracked. M wonder she knelt down BY hel
| Oeos'oe ano pF'yed.
"MalcoIm, O, do not wholly forget you
fond. loving Alice, when you are gone 7"
But Malcolm did not snswer. He kisset
her. not as he used to do, but merely bec,us,
che ssked him to--snd then left bis cottage
After he had gone, Alice sat down and wept
She could not help it. Her darling boy
crept BY her eide, and placed his arms abou
her neck. He asked no questions, but tolt
her not to cry. HE little mind seemed tt
have some ides Of the coming calamity. i
must hsve been vsgue but it was clea
enough to prevent him from forcing the drea,
thoughts upon his mother. Once more b.
asked her not to cry and then his own it'll
heart burst, and mother and child wept to
gether. This was another drop in the poo
wifes cup Of sflctiOn. Oh, how pslpsbl
must be the <husband's danger. But CHI
could only clasp and pVsy more fervently
And the little boy when his mother had don
praying said "Amen."
It was clear cool evening, and ss Nal
colin Warren stepped out into the street b
seemed to shske himself as though be woul
shake of the influence Of the dear place b
wss leaving. But be could not wholly do Il
He could not drive from his mind the feariu
counsenance Of his fond and faithful wife
nor could he forget the look Of earnes
4 simple snguish be had noticed on the face {
hin child, Yet he tried to crush the thouOh,