The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1860-04-25
No. I read Il in her looks" | said.

never IooA IiE ave INC iiiCity
so fall of rcproof Of surprise, of pain.
"C-, forgive You. for | know you to
be my friend but never speak to me like
that. going down hill lou know bet
ter. hat can never be. | know my own
power, and l know my wants. My mother
knows me better than Ellen does
All had that mother been as wise as she
was loving. she would have seen that the wild
oats which her son was sowing would grow
| up and ripen to furnish seed only for re-sow-
ing Dit she loved him--loved him almost
too well. or | sholi say too blindly.
But could say no morc-I only prayed
that God would Guard him, and then We CON
versed on other subjects. / could spend
but one day with him, but We promised TO
spond often.
Three years more passed, during which
john Anderson wrote to me at least once a
month. and oftener something's; but at the
end Of that time his letters cea sed coming, and
[ received no more for two years, when |
again found myself in his native town. 1t was
carly in the afternoon when arrived, and L
took dinner at the hotel.
had finished my meal and was longing
in front ofthe hot,l, when | saw a funeral
procession winding into a distant church,
yard. / asked the landlord whose funeral it
was,
Mrs Anderson's," he said. As he spoke I
noticed slight dropping of the head as if it
cut him to say SO.
"What, John AuGersons wife p I ven tur-
ell.
"No." he said at is his mother" and rs he
told me this he turned away: but Il gentleman
near by who overheard our conversation at
once took up the theme.
"0ur host don't seem inclined TO converse
on that subject" lie remarked with a shrag !;
enquiring, did vou know John AnIersom?'
Gle was my schoomate in boyhood and
my bosom friend in V, uth / told him.
lie then led me one side, and spoke as fol-
low:
Poor John ! lie was the pride Of the town
six years ago. This man opened the no Il at
that time, and sought custom by giving wine
suppcrs John was present at many OF them,
the gaycst OF the gay. ana the most generous
oftha part. In fact, he paid for nearly al Of
them Then he began 70 50 down hill. Since
true friends have prevailed on hiiI 10 stop, but
his stops were Of short duration. 4 short sea-
son OF sunshine would CLEAN uUou his home
and then the night would come more dark and
drcarv than before, lie aid he would never
gel drunk again, but still he would take glass
Of wine with friend. That glass OF wine was
but the gate that let in the food. Six years
AGO his property was worth sixty thousand
dollars.
Yesterday he borrowed the sum of fifty dol
lars 10 pay his mothers funeral expenses
But now she rests. Her darling wore" her
life away. and brought her gray hairs in sor
row to the grave. Oh l hope this may re-
form him.
But his wife :" ] asked,
Her heavenly love was held up thus far
but she is only a shadow of the wife she was
six Yeas . o.
My informant was deeply affected, so 1 as
lxeu no more.
During he remainder of the afternoon [
debated with myself whether 10 call upon
John at all Bqtfnallv resolved to go, tho
/ waite :. Il after tea. found john aud his
wife alone. They had both been weeping,
though | could see at glance that EI.en's
she was clanged-sadly. paiHtuljy 81. They
were glad to see me, and my hand Was shaken
warmly.
Dear G, don't say a word Of TIE
past" John urged, shaking my hand SEC
| ond time. Il know you spoke the truth five
years ago. ! was going down hill. But |
have gone as far as | can here stopped al the
| foot. Everything is gone but nay vile. I've
81 orn and my oath shall be kept-Elen and
| are going TO be happy now"
The poor fellow burst into tears. Ellen
followed suit, and kept their company,
| could NOT help CRYING Ike a child. My God,
! what sight. The once noble true man-so
/ failed; become mere broken glass-the last
| fragment only rejecting The image it once bore
! IA suppliant At the loot of hope. begging Il
! grain Of warmth for TIE hearts of himself and
! wife! And how / had hanored and loved that
| man And how loved him sill Oh ho-
/ ped-ay, more than hoped believed that he
| you'd be saved. And as / g4zed upon that
/ Wite-so trusting, so loving, So true, AMI 50
! hopeful even IN the midst Of living DEATH
| prayed more ftrv"ntly than ever prayed be-
! fore, that God would hold him up-lead him
! back to the top Of the hill.
! In the morning saw tha chiIdrcn-rrown
! TO two Intelligent boys and though thoy look
! ed pale and wan, yet they smiled and looked
| happy when their father kissed them, When
! | went away, John took me BY the hand and
| The last words he said, were:
"Trus me- believe me now. | will be a
man henceforh."
! A little oYcrtwo years had passed, when
read in the newspaper the death Of Ellen An
| dcrson. / started for the town where they had
| lived as soon as possible thinking L might
help some one. A fearful prescntment posses
! sed my mind
! ~ here IS John AndeTson?" was my first
| question.
"Don't know, he's been gone these last three
months. His wife died in The mad house last
| week
"And the children ?"
"Uh. they both died before she did,"
! staggered back and hurried from the place
| | hardly knew which way went, but instinct
led me to the churchyard. | found four ora
YES which had been made in three years The
mother, wife, and two children slept in them.
"Bnt what has done this / asked myself.
And voice answered from their lowly resting
| Places
"The demon of the wine table,
But this was not all the work No. No !
The next saw was in the city court roo4.-
| But it was the last.
| saw my legal friend on the day following
the trial. He said John Anderson was in iail,
so hastened to see HIM. The turnkey con-
Quoted me to his cell. The key turned in the
| large lock, the ponderous door swung upon its
creaking hinges, and | saw dead boiy sus-
pended by the neck from a grated window.
| could hardly believe that this was all that re-
manned of him whom had so loved
And this was the last ofthe demons worl,
| the last act in the terrible drama. All from
the first sparkle of the red wine it had been
down, down, down, until the foot of the hill
had been reached
When turned away from the cell and once
more walked amid the flashing saloons and
revel halls, wished that my voice had power
to thunder the life-story of which had beer
a witness iuto the ears of all living nenl