The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1866-01-31
THE DRusKaRD's WIFE.


10 come heme night aller night, cannot
bear il mach longer--l will nut bear it,
Then the man addressed lifted up his
heavy eyes, a he asked with curse and q
silly smile
"Well. what are you going to do abou,
III"
Elm going to do something, Hen-y, and
that before long. I've tried TO be iaiih-
iul and loving wife To you-I have striven
Ia keep ysur house in order, and TO wei.
cene you here-but my spirit is breaking
down. shalt have to give up soon."
"Pho! don't you know you're going tC
reform mes Isn't il the duty Of vile u
stay BY her husband through good and
1vll?"
Yes, where the evil does mt come
through yielding 10 vice. debauching SOU
and body. IL God sent you sickness. OF
II through your own miscalculation or heed.
lessne.s, you became suffering and poor,
would 90 with yor hand in hand. were the
path ever 80 rugged. But as il is. you ara
defling what loved, and yourself destroy
ing every spark Of affection that ever pos.
srssed. am tao proud 10 perlnrm mrnia
ofices fur drunksrd. l freely confess
Were YOU poor wandering beggar, sick
and staggering weakly To NV door enuid
wash your very feet. and willingly do whal
lay IN my power TO save you-but canno
and will not bear your staggering drunk
enly 10 your bed. sitting up till mernin.
daans, hali-craxed with apprehension.--
seeing you in This OF that danger, and Ii
do oificrs that are too revolving 10 be though
&c. WAS educated TO habits Of neatness
and when married yuu. thought should
20 with one who would aid me in being
psre--who would keep me from coming ID
contact with anything gross or demsraliz
ing. Instead of that married but bu,
81 mans statue" she added bitterly
with weaker than rhiid mind--lei b,
the nod Of drunksrd aud the drsmseller
and respecting his wife so litsle that h,
dGrss To Come reeling inta her presenc,
with words that no wife should hear
You are aick OF me then, eh 70 mur
murrd the dI unken man, drowsily.
81 am sick Il your ways. Henry. an.
have been for years. NV better nature re
face aud fGtld breath. "Oh Henry
she cried passionatcly 1--we have beer
married ten years, aud as view that re
la,ion, we should be ten times happier an,
lave each alher ten times more than whei
We FIRST promised that which united ou
,lesiinies. Instead Of that find mysel
wishing 1 had never seen you."
You do, ehf"
YES. do. never said this before
but am desperate. have tried all mean
my woman's ingenuity could invent to re
form Won. For years never met you bu
with smiles--no matter what your condi
zion. I thought. surely my gentleness vii
reproye him. and in time reform him
When I demonstrated IL was not with an
ger-yuu can testify TO that, and. oh. Hen
~. how often you promised TO reform.
.,en forgave you what weman seldom TO-
gives, a blow. because you were not con
scious, through drink. Of what you did.
was patient alter laid two oI ~, darling
under the sud. because their blood brln
poisoned by your vile habits. ihes had NJ
The strength To- rally when disease came
And even when your occasional sprees, q
you call them. became weekly, nightly,
was paiicnt--but that was the patience a
dispair. Now I have decided. will n
langer sit BY adrunkafl's heafthsiune --aLl
declare TO you that i would be happ
hour 10 me I" ieel that you have gone o,e
that dusr.sill Tor Tie last time"
The woman's face was pale--pale As ,ha
of a corpse. II was evident that passio
IA deep. whl,e.heat passion, had master
ed her better mood. IL glowed aud fism
cd 10 her sunken eyes-it trsmbled in he
singers, eonvulsively working; 1t swelle
in her veins that stood out an her broa
iorehead, and in corded masses sprang frot
her delicate wrists.
The man all this time was locking dowt