The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1860-04-11

she was changed-sadly, painfully So
They were glad to see me, and my hand
was shaken warmly.
"Dear c., don't say a word of
the past" John urged, shaking my hand
second time. 81 know you spoke the
truth five years ago. l acas going down
bill. But have gone as far as | can
here stop at the foot. Everything is
gone but my wife. | have sworn, and
my oath shall be kept-Ellen and l are
going to be happy now."
The poor fellow burst into tears, Ell
len followed suit, and | kept their com
pany. l could not help crying like a
child. My God, what a sight The
once noble, true man so fallen-become
mere broken glass--the last fragment
only rejecting the image it once bore );
a suppliant at the foot of hope, begging
a grain Of warmth for the hearts of him
self and wife And how l had honored
and loved that man And how | loved
him still Oh | hoped-ay, more than
hoped-I believed that he would be
saved. As | gazed upon that wite-so
trusting SO loving, SO true, and SO hope
full, even ir the midst Of living death-I
prayed more fervently than l ever pray
ed before, that God would hold him up
and lead him back to the top Of the
hill.
In the morning I saw the children
grown to two intelligent boys; and
though they looked pale and wan, yet
they smiled and seemed happy when
their father kissed them. When | went
away John took me by the hand and the
last words he said were
"Trust me ; believe me now. | will
be man henceforth while life lasts"
A little over two years had passed,
when l read in newspaper the death of
Ellen Anderson. | started for the town
where they had lived as soon as possible,
thinking | might help some one a
fearful presentment possessed my mind.
Where is John Anderson?" 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
"Oh 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 graves which had been made
in three years. The mother. wife, and
two children slept in them.
And what has done this ?" | asked
myself. And voice answered from the
lowly resting places
1.-The demon of the wine table,
But this was not all the work. No
no The next | saw-oh, God, was far
more terrible saw in the city court
room. But that was the last.
| saw my legal friend on the day fol-
lowing the trial. lie said John Ander-
son was in prison. | FASTENED to see
him. The turnkey conducted me TO his
CELL The key turned in the large lock,
the ponderous door with 4 sharp creak
swung upon lis hinges, and saw a dead
body suspended by the neck from a gra-
ting window looked upon the horri.
bic face | could see nothing of John
Anderson there, but the face | had seen
in the court room was sufficient 10 cor
meet the two and | knew that this VAS
all that remained of him | so loved.
And this was the last of the demons
work-the last act in the terrible drama.
All from the first sparkle of the red
wine il had been down, down, down
until the foot of the hill had been finally
reached.
When | turned away from the cell and
once more walked amid the flashing sa-
looms and revel halls, | wished my voice
had power TO thunder the life story of
which | had been a witness into the ears
Of all living men.