The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-01-04
!hs Last Visit to the Tavern

Late in the evening Of Que Of the most Bit
ter days Of the winter Of 1855, Il light might
still have been seen cleaning from the case
ment Of lonely habitaton, situated near the
beautiful yillsgo Of Binghsmton, in the west
srn part Of he state Of New York. The
night WAS ntensc'y cold, and the low moan
iuys Of the wind we're the only sounds to be
herd around the dwelling, while occasionally,
at the uncurtainsd wi dow, or The half opened
door, appeared the face Of :ha pale and any
ious woman.
She could sec tie light, Of the village aad
she watched until they all gradually disap.
peared--un,ii the last star which twinkled
from the windows of the farmhouse beneath
Ter had been txtingushed, until darkness sci.
tied on every object, and she could no longer
catch the glinlmering ligh. Of distant hab.
isatoa. She must ther have felt more d
and lonely (; lut still she hcaped her fire. and
the pnotorch shed its bright aud warm light
around the rocm. Tomorrow would De the
Sabbath and how many wives and mothers
around and below her had sunk into peaceful
slumb.r, and would awake to all the sacred
snjoymen,s u its holy hours and as such
thong hts passed through her breast, she tur.
ned to the bsd Of her little ones, and then
fastened and ~atched-yot Still drcading the
return of tho husband and father
! hat husband was drunksrd, and the
wifa knew as he staggered homs, his mouth
would De filled wish imprecations, and, unlike
the patriarch Of old who returned TO bless his
dwelling, is he entered his home, curses and
revihDg would be poured upon his family.
1t WAS not unusual for him to be absent
late at night, or through sse night; ye. still
she was required TO watch his hearth, and
trim his FIRE, while he was engaged in drunk
Ct" reveling and angry brawls. Once Or
, twice she thought she heard him. and her
head sank, AMI her breath samo thick in
dread Of his sbase; yet when Ae did hot ap.
pear. and she remembered his probable ex.
p.surc to tho piercing eo'd-og the danger
OF his !tst 'ia-b, ~ be ~sldeied like
maaaic over bleak hills-she ioygot all his
brssaiity she shought Of him saly as the
husorsnd OF her ysuth, the father Of her child.
rem; and lett inspellcd to venture forth atd
try ts seek and save him. Fear and pru.
cpcc still withheld her, and morning o.,
length dawned upon the slcepess and aux.
ious VIDE.
With the light 81 the morning the children
rose, assl when the oldest boy lett the house
to fodder the few sheep, his eye fel upon the
oily 81 his prostate lathe, The man had
persisted ia sight OF his own dweliny-in sight
oil the lire he required his wife 10 kecp-aud
perhaps with his eyes liked on that illuminated
easement. There he lay, with the ground
beaten tor many feet around him his
hands scnched, AND filled with SNOW, as if he
had psrished like strong man in agony-hi,
limbs frozen, his face purple, his eyes glariup
and open.
his tale was soon told. When the last vii.
lage grocery WAS closed, he started for his
distant ard solitary home. lis was traced
by his oaths until he passed. the last hsbi,a.
t'on GU his way,and some benevolent ;pdivid
Ha's who heard him, fearing that he nigh,
lose himself and perish in tina. bitter r;,It
rose from their beds and watched his .tsn,
until he was within shor. distance OF h,
house. AS the path was direct, and 10 seem
Cd moro sane, they then returned "a tho;,
homes. He probably became bewildsrcJ avn
chilled aud exhausted, sunk down and All
as he had lived--a jruukard, and ,dd;,a nn'
more to the long list OF those who peri e -,
their return irom the groggery.
UNION PuDulNc A., 4 .