The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1865-01-26
AN UNMEANT REBUKE.

happiness. He had one of the best wives
and his children were intelligent an,
comely. lie was a carpenter by trade
and no man could command better wages
and be more sure of work If any maj
attempted to build house, Charles Mel
son must "boss" the job, and for miles a
round people sought him to work fo
them. But change had come over hi!
life. y demon had met him on his way
and he had turned back with the evi
spirit. A new and experienced carpen
ter 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 a 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 stretched
a wide garden, but tall, rank grass grew
up among the choking flowers, and the
palins of the fence was broken in many
places. The house itself had once been
white, but it was dingy and dark. Bright
green blinds had once adorned the win
duws, but now these had been taken of
and sold. And the windows themselves
bespoke poverty and neglect, for in many
places the glass were gone, and shingles,
rags and old hats had taken its place
4 single look at the house and its accom-
paniments told the story. II was the
drunkari's home
Within sat woman yet IN her early
years of life and thought; she was still
handsome to lock upon, but the bloom
had gone from her cheek, and the bright
ness had faded from her eyes. Poor Ma
ry Nelson ! Once she had been the hap
piest among the happy, but now none
could he more miserable Near her sat
two ch.llren, both girls, and both beauti-
full in form and feature bat their garbs
were all patched aud worn, and their feet
were shoeicsS The eldest was thirteen
years of age, her sister few years youn-
ger. The mother was hearing them re-
cite a grammar lesson, for she had resol-
we'd that her children should never grow
up in ignorance. They could not attend d
the common school, for thoughtless chill
dren sneered at them, and made them the
object of sport and ridicule; but in this
respect they did not suffer, for their moth
er was well educated, and she devoted
such time as she could spare for their in
struction.
For more than two years Mary Nelson
had earned all the money that had been
used in the house. People hired her to
wash, iron and sew for them, and besides
the money paid, they gave her many ar
ticles of food and clothing. So she had
lived on, and TIE only joys that dwclt
with her now were teaching her children
and paying to God.
Suppertime came, and Charles Nelson
came reeling home. lie had worked the
day before at helping to move building,
and thus had earned money enough to
find himself in rum for several days. As
he stumbled into the house the children
crouched close TO their mother, and even
she shrank away, for sometimes her hus-
band was ugly when thus intoxicated.
Oh how that man had changed within
two years! Once there was not finer
looking man in the town. la frame he
had been tall, stout, compact, and perfect
ly formed, while his face bore the very
beau ideal Of manly beauty. But all was
changed now His noble form was bent,
his limbs shrunken and tremulous, and
his face all bloated and disigured. He
was not the man who had once been the
fond husband and doting father The
loving wife had prayed, and wept, and
implored, but all to no purpose the hus
band was bound to the drinking compan-
ions of the bar-room, and he would not
break tic bands.
That evening Mary Nelson ate DO sup
per, for of all the food in the house, there
was not more than enough for her hus-
band and children but when her husband
had gone, she went out and picked a few
berries, thus keeping her vital energies
alive. That night the poor woman pray
ed long and earnestly, and her little ones
prayed with her.
On the following morning Charles Mel
son sought the barroom as soon as he rose
but he was sick and faint, and the liquor
would not revive him, for it would not
stay on his stomach. lie had drank ve-
ry deeply the night before, and felt miser
able. At length, however, he mayed to
keep down few glasses of hot sling, but
the close atmosphere of the bar-room
seemed to stife him, and he 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 keep away from home SO he wander
ed not far from the village, and sank down
by a stone well and was soon in profound
slumber. When he awoke the sun was
shining down hot upon him, and raising
himself to sitting posture, he gazed about
him. He was just ON the point of rising,
when his motion was arrested by the
sound of voices near at hand. He looked
through chink in the wall, and just up
on the other side he saw his two children
picking berries, while little further off
were two more girls, the children of the