The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1862-04-02

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
4. wild OATS which her sun Was sowing
would grow up and ripep to furnish onl,
seed for resolving! But she loved him
loved him almost too we'll. or. should say.
too blindiy.
But | could say no more. only prayed
that God would guard him, and then We
conversed on other subjects. could spend
bur day with him, but we promised to cor
respond often.
Three years more passed, during which
John Anderson wrote 10 me at least once
month, and 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.
hid finished my meal, and was loung-
ing in front Of the hotel. when saw iu
neral procession winding into distant
churchyard asked the landlord whose tu-
neral it was.
Mrs. Anderson's," he said; and as he
spoke. noticed slight dropping OF the
head, a. ii il cut him I say So
What! John Anaerspn's wife ?" ven-
tured.
NO." he said, 81 il is his mother i and
as he told me this, he turned away But
gentleman rear by, who lad overheard our
conversat On. 1t once took up the theme
g Our hast don't seem inclined toconverse
.h /, I'll
shrug, lnquirins. Dld you know John An
derson.'
9 Tie was M >choolmate in Ooyhood, and
my bosom friend in youth, told him.
He then led me to one side, and spoke Is
foll0ws
" Poor John! He was the pride Of The
town SIX years ago. This man opened his
hotel at that time. and sought custom By
giving vine suppers. John was present at
many Of them, the gayest Of The gay, and
the most generous OF the party. In fact he
paid for nearly all Of them. Then he began
10 go down bill, and has been going down
ever since. At times, true friends have
prevailed on him to stop, but his stops were
of short duration. \ short season Of sun
shine would CLEAN upon his home, and then
the night came, more dark and dreary tilan
before.
" He said he never would get drunk a.
gain but still he would take glass Of wine
with a friend! That glass Of VINE was bu;
the gate that let 10 the tiood. six years
ago he was worth sixty thousand dollars.
Yesterday, he borroaed the sum of fifty
dollars TO pay has mothers funeral expenses!
hat hos ba
could She saw her sOn-her darling boy,
as she always called him-brought home
drunken many tunes. And she even bore
blows from him! But nov she i al resi-.
Her darling wore her life away, aud
brought her gray hairs in sorrow 10 the
grave. Oh. hope this may reform him."
!" But MS wife ?" asked.
Her heavenly love held held her up
thus lar, but she j. oniy shadow Of The vile
she was si1 years az" he returned.
My informant was deeply affected. and 50
Wa | /; consequently asked no more.
During the remainder ii the afternoon
deOaed With M self ~het,er to call upon
JOnn al All. Bur finally | resolved u 10,
though VA tel till alter tea. luund john
and ~. vile alone. Tney had bplh been
~erpng, ID ugh could see at glance that
Eiien'. lace va. Deamlng si,h hope aid
love. But, VII she vas changed, sadly.
painfully 50. They Mere Gid 4 see ne.
anu ny hand was shaken warmly.
Dear c., dO DOT say word u Tie past,
John urged, soaking MS hand 4 second time.
know You spoke tie tguih i've year, ago.
was going down hnl. but haze gone y
Ar AZ | can--arre stop The foa,. r,try
.hng Is gone but ~, vile. have ssOln-
nd ny oath shall be krp,-Eilrn aud are
gong to b. happy nas.'
The pgor lelIDw burst INTO tears; Ellen
-pllo@ed sni', and ! krp, them company 4
.olid not help crying like 4 child. My
jod what sight! The once noble, true
nan, - lal.en-becOmr mere buken glass
the last fragment brightly rejecting the
mage i once bore, poor suppiisnt a. the
OOi Of nope, begging gram 81 warmth for .
nc hraft Vi tim,ei aud wife And how |
lad hOhVre,l lived that man, and hus | /
owed him siiIi Oh. nos bpped-ay, mate
han Il prb---, believed hat he su1ld BE-
ated. A 4. Al | gazed upon that wiie-so
rustiDg, - living, - the, an : hopeful,