The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1860-07-27


wasted and everything about him was entan-
gled. Piece after piece of his property went
to satisfy demands that crowded thckly upon
him. The more his affairs became embar-
rasSed, the more deeply did he seek to drown
his sensibi,ilies and his conscience in the in
toXicating bowl.
Often would his fond wife demonstrate
with him, and beg him for her sake and the
chii,ren's, to quit his cups and companions
once forever and often did he with many
tears promise that he would never again en-
ter that den of :niquity-the grog-shop. But
long since every promise of this kind had
been broken and forgotten, and he who was
the kind father had become the infurate
tiend.
Even the tears of his wife and the fears of
his children maddened him with rage. Moth
ing at home would please him, but oil went
the wrong way. The more guilty he was
himself, the mere sure he was to be angry
with every one bf his household. So it was
on the night in question, and such was the
mood in which he entered his miserable
dwelling.
Tie first object which met his eyes were
the tear, of his wife, and the clinsing of the
boy to the side OF his mother. He was just
tull enough Of drink to be the demon with
cut the imbecility Of the drunkard
"D-n You, you sneaking, Sinking, mis-
creant, as lie approached with lion bound,
and seized up his trembling boy. I'll teach
YOU to be always flying from the face of your
father. What are YOU doing, you Internal
rascal. to be always hiding behind your moth
er when come There, take that and that,
and that too" as he cutitd him on one side
of the head and then on the other, till, with
the last blow, he relinquished his hold and
sent him reeiing against the opposite wall
where he fell, and lay greving and moaning
upon the floor.
The mother had raised her imploring eyes
TO her husband to spare her boy, while the
hig tears were rolling down her checks
though She could not utter syllable.
Those tears maddened him. Wife," said
he with the voice of a tiend, Il have seen e.
a"uch Of tbs everlasting sniveling, and now
G-n Yen. you shall 20 after your bow" and
he lcy,lcd at her a blow which laid her pros
;rate upoa the io9r. "And now," said tn,
1cnl, III. nave d general clearance and a still
house io. o"cc.' SO SAVING he laid hold Of
his vie and dragging her to the door, h,
threw her INTO the deep snow then sezins
the infant which had fallen to the floor, b,
one arm, he hurled that after her; then ,afte
giving hi> almost unconscious boy cuff o.
two. !.c dragged him by orc leg to the doc
and Siung him with all his Nigh, into the
dark distance without then. followed in
moment. one after the other the little sleep
Ing boys in the corner reused in a twinklins
and hurlet! abroad upon the cold snow. Thu.
the house Was cleared. and the moment this
was done the door was fastened and all with
in waS still.
The poor mother as soon as Possible gath
cred around he: her outcast family-the in
tInt in her bosom-;he little boys clingin.
20 her on either side. But when she went t,
her iil>t born. the noble boy that would new
Ct leave his mothers side, nor close an eve t,
sleep while she sat waiting the return of he
brutal hu>band-she found him still uncons
clouS and unable to rise. kneeling, sh
cla>ped her darling, dying boy, and raise'
him to her bosom-she called him bv name
but he awoke not. The pulse was still faint
ly beating. and that was all.
Something must be done to save her owr
lie and the lives of her children. She ar
preached the door from which she had bee
so forcioly elected, not to seek an entrance
but to know if any deed OF self-destructio
might be going on within. Her spirit wa
broken and she did not seek to go farther
and then she turned away to her neare,
nei@hbor. She and her children were house
fer the night, and everything done for immt
t.late relief.
Morning came, and with it returning re;
tn fE.. hrrf,1 i'll, Gel L.,
| band.
He remembered some of the scenes of tn
5 preuons night But he remembered thel
. only with pain and dismav. Where wei
Il his wife and children =? Tossed out in tt
+ nclement night What had his cruel blow
done. bestowed in the heat of madness an
5 passion, and with what force he could not r
e member
o His first dreamy impression of the even
e of the night were of a nature that filled h
d mind with remorse land the more he refiec
Il ed, the more intense his remorse became, t
o at last reflection and solitude became intole
II able. He sailed forth to find his wife al
children !; he had never so much abused the
Y before-never had he driven them from h
+. dwelling, though he had often treated the
IS with great neglect, unkindness, and oft
e with violence.
The place where his family had found IT
IL uge was soon found he appeared befo
them like culprit. But oh what were b
d emotions when he saw the mere wreck of h
v yet unconscious boy laying before him, al
J. his pale, weeping mother hanging over hi