Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1861-12-19

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her head and said
He'll SOW these wild oats soon. My
darling can never be bad man"
"God grant it p thought to myself;
and knew that the same prayer was on Ell
lens lips:
It was late when We retired. and we might
not done so even then had not John fallen
asleep in his chair
On the following morning, [ walked out
with my friend I told him was sorry to
see him as I saw him the night before.
"Oh," said he with laugh, THAT was
nothing but little wine party. We had a
glorious time. I wish you had been there. J"
At first I thought would say no more !;
but was it not my duty? I knew his ma
ture better than he knew it himself. His
appetites and his pleasures blinded his own
vision. [ knew how kind and generous he
was-alas too kind, too generous.
John, could you have seen Ellen's face
last evening you would have trembled. Can
you make her unhappy?'
He stopped me with
Don't be fool. Why should she be
unhappy?'
Because she fears you are going down
hill." [ told him.
"Did she say 500" he asked with flush
ed face.
"No, read it in her looks" said.
/ Perhaps reflection of your own
thoughts" he suggested.
-. ..Snraly Tho aa.,z -ser- esss.ale
home" I replied.
Never can forget the look he gave me
then, so full of reproof, Of surprise, of pain.
&C, [ forgive you, for know you
to be friend; but never speak to ME like
that. [ am going down hill ! You know
better. That can never be. [ know my
wants. My mother knows me better than
Ellen does''
All, had the 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 only seeds for
Resolving! But she loved hinl-loved him
almost too we'll, or [ should say, too blindly.
But could say no more. I only prayed
that God would guard him, and then we
conversed on other subjects. I could spend
but day with him, but we promised to cor
respond often.
Three years more passed, during which
John Anderson wrote to me at least once a
) month, oftener sometimes; but at the end
of that time his letters ceased coming, and
[ received no more for two years, when !
again found myself in his native town. Il
; was early in the afternoon when [ arrived
, and took dinner at the hotel.
7 had finished my meal, and was loung-
ing in front of the hotel, when [ saw fune-
raj procession winding into distant church.
yard [ asked the landlord whose funeral
it was.
Mrs. Anderson" he said as he spoke
e noticed a slight dropping of the head, as
S if it cut him to say SO.
"What John Anderson's wife ?" [ ven.
tured.
NO" lie said, cit is his mother" ano
: as he told me this he turned away But
| gentleman near by, who had overheard ou,
y conversation, at once took up the theme.
f 'Our host don't seem inclined to con.
verse upon that subject" he remarked with
a shrug. Inquiring, Ibid you know Johr
: Anderson ?" 'He was my schoolmate r
9 boyhood, and my bosom friend in youth,
[ told him.
Y He then led me one side, and spoke as
l follows:
3 Poor John! He was the pride of the
town six years ago. This man opened his
S hotel at that time, he sought custom by Civ.
7 ing wine suppers. John was present al
many of them-the gayest of the gay, anc
the most generous Of the party. In fact, he
paid for nearly all Of them. Then he com.
menced to 60 down hill, and has continued
in the downward path ever since At times,
true friends have prevailed on him to stop
but his stops were of short duration. A
I short season of sunshine would CLEAN upon
his home, and then the night came more
! dark and dreary than before.
'He said he never would get drunk again,
but still he would take glass of wine with
a friend That glass of wine was but the
gate to let in the food. Six years ago he
was worth sixty thousand dollars. Yester-
day he borrowed the sum of five dollars to
pay his mothers funeral expenses! The
poor mother bore up as long as she could.
She saw her son-her darling boy, as she
always called him-brought home drunk
many times. And she even bore blows
from him! But now she is at rest. Her
darling wore her life away, and brought her
gray hairs in sorrow to the grave. Oh, I
hope this may reform him.