North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1864-06-01
The Unmeant Rebuke.

| P'SoH VI hOi tdlS, dllo fp DISSoluS was "duteN
to complete the sum of his happiness. He
had one of the best Of wives, and his chill
dren were intelligent and con.ely. He was
a carpenter by trade, and no man could
command better wages, or be more sure Of
work. Ifany man attempted to build a
house, Charles Nelson must boss" the job
and for miles around people came to him TO
work for them. But change came over his
| life. demon Lad met him on his way ,and he
had turned back, with the evil spirit. A new
and experienced carpenter had been sent for
by those who could no longer depend upon
Nelson, and he had settled in the village, and
now took Nelson's place.
On back street, where the great trees
threw their green branches over the way,
stood small cottage, which had been the
pride of the inmates. Before it stood a wide
garden, but tall, rank grass grew up among
the choking flowers, and the railing of the
fence was broken in many places. The house
itself had once been white, but it was now
drngy and dark. Bright green blinds had
once adorned the windows, but now they
! had been taken down and sold. And The
windows themselves bespoke poverty and
neglect for in many places the glass was
gone, and shingles, rags and old hats had
taken its place. A single look at the house
and its companions, told the story. 1t was
The drunkard's home.
Within sat a woman yet in her early year s
of life and thought, she was still hand
some to look upon, the bloom had gone from
her cheek, and the brightness had faded fro m
her eyes Poor Mary Nelson! Once she
had been tie happiest among the happy, but
uow none cDuld be more miserable. Near
her sat two children, both girls, and both
garbs wcEe ali patched and worn, and their
| fee were shocless. The eldest was thirteen
years of age. her sister few years younger.
The mother was hearing them reci'e gram
mar lessnn, for she had resolved that huT
children should never grow up in ignorance
| They could not attend the common school,
for thougt!ess children sneered at them,
aud made them the object of sport and rid
/ IcuIe but IN this respect they did not suf-
fer, fpr their mother was we'll educated, and
she devoted such time as she could spare to
their INSTRUCTION.
Far more than two years Mary Nelson
had earned all the money that had been us
cd in the house. People hired her to wash,
iron and sew for them, and besides the ~ on
ey paid, they gave he. many articles of cloth
ing and fool. So she lived on, and the only
! io; S that dwelt with her now were teaching
her children and praying to God.
| Snppcr time came, and Charles Nelson
came reelng home. He had worked the
| day before at helping to move a building
and this bad earned enough to find himself
| in rum for several days. As he stumbled
| INTO the house the chill lren crouched close t.
their mother, and even she shran& away, f'ti
sometimes her husband was ugly when thus
| intoxicated.
o. how that man had changed within two
years Once there was not finer look ng
man in town. In frame he had been tall
stout, compact, and perfect formed, while his
face bore tie very beau ideal of manly beau
ty But all was changed now. His noble
form was btnt, his limbs shrunken and trem
| ulous, and his face bloated and dlsfgured.-
| He was not the man who had once been the
fond husband and dotirg father The loving
wife had prayed, and wept, and implored,
but all to NO. purpose the husband was
bound to the drinking companions of the
bar. room, and he would not break the bands
That evening Mary Nelson ate no supper
for Of all the food in the house, there was
/, not more than enough for her husband and
children but when her husband had gone
she went out and picked few berries, and
thus kept her vital energies alive. That
night the poor woman prayed long and ear
ntsuy, and her little ones prayed with her.
On the following morning Charles Nelson
sought the bar-room as he arose, but he was
sick and faint, and the liquor would not re-
viyc him. for it would not remain on his
stomach. lie drank very deeply the night
before, and felt miserable. At length, how
ever, he managed to keep down few glass
es of hot sling, but the close atmosphere OF
the bar room seemed to stfe him, and ne
went out.
The poor man had sense enough to know
that If he could sleep he should feel better
and he had just feeling enough to wish TO
keep away from home SO he wandered OIL
to a wood not far from the village, and sank
down by stone wall, and was soon buried
in profound slumber When he awoke tie
sun was shining down hot upon him, and
raising himself to a sitting posture he gazed
about him. He was just on the point of ris
ing, when his motion was arrested by the
sound Of voices near at hand. He looked