Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1866-03-16
The Drunkard's Wife.

The man thus addressed lifted his
heavy eyes, as he asked, with a curse
and a silly smile
well, what are YOU going to do
about it ?"
I'm going to do something, Harry
and that before long. I've tried to
be loving and faithful wife to you
[ have striven to keep our home ii
order, and to welcome YOU here-but
my spirits are breaking down. shall
have to give up soon"
"Pho don't you know you're going
to reform me? Isn't it the duty of 8
wife to stay by her husband through
good and evil p
'|Yes, where the evil does not come
/ through Welding to 5ice. and debauch
/ mo soul and body. If God sent yol
illness. or if, through your own mis-
calculation or heedIessnesS, You be
came suffering and poor, | would %
with you. hand in hand, were the patti
ever so rugged. But as it is, You arr
dcliling what l loved, and yourself de
sroying every spark Of affection tina
/ | ever possessed. | am too proud It
perform mental Offices for a drunkard
/ freely confess. We're you a poo
wandering beg9ar, sick, and stagger
inc weakly to my door, ! could wasI
your very feet, aud willingly do wha
lay in my power to save you-but
cannot and will not bear your staggel
inc drunkeuly toyow bed, sit up til
the morning dawns. halfcrazcd wit
apprehepsi0n-seeing you in this 0
that danger, and do Offices that ar
too reyoIting to be thought of. wa
educated to habits Of neatness an
cleanliness: and when | married yol
! thought | should 90 with one VIII
would aid me in being pure-wh
would keep me from contact with an
thing gross and demoEaHzing. In
stead OF that | married but a boy {
, mans stature. she added bitterly
+ with a weaker than child miud-Ic
! by the nod of the druukard and ii
dramsclIrr and rosDecting his wife ,
! little that he dares to come rccliu
into her prcscuce with words no wi
sbouId ever hear"
"You re sick of me. then. ph ." mu
nurod fine drunken man drowsilv
~ ann sick Of your WAYS Henri
and have bacn for wears. M bett,
,atpr. .ravoIfs AGAINST rour bIood-sb
eve. sloatad face and tmfid hrcat
.Ol Henri, ho cried pas,ionatelr-
wv. hay. b..a married ten wears. a.
In. view ;aa. relation. we should
.u. times htpicr. and .ove each 9th
, ten times more than We first promis
" that wlicl united our dcStinics.
" stead of that. I find myself wishing tn
! had never. never seen YOU.
'' You do. eh ?"
~ ~Yes. / do. ! never said this
fore, bat | am desperate. Ihayc tr.
= all means that my womau's ingenu
.could invent to reform YOU. For veg
=" | never met YOU bat with smiles
III matter what your condition. thou.
" surely my ocotleness will repro
him and IN time reform him. WI
/ demonstrated. it was not with an.
Il YOU can testify TO that, and, 0
y Henry. how often YOU promised to
/" form. | even fopgaye YOU what Y
lG men seldom forgives. blow, becat
~ vou were not conscious, through dri
Is, 3 what Won did. | was patient al
d." some of my furniture had been dcstr
., e ed bv your hand. | was patient
uH ter laid two of my darlings un
the sod. because their blood be
lie poisoned by your vile habits, they
! not the strength to rally when disc
"u came. And even, when your occasi
IN IN al sprees. as you call them, beca
'"- weekly, nightly, I was patient
III 5"' that was the patience Of despair
pa Now have decided. Twill no Ion
70 sit bv a drunkard'5 5 hearthstone-
III I declare to YOU it would be ha
'u' hour to me to feel that YOU had .
10 over that door sill for the last tin
ara The woman's face was pale
'na ! as that of a corpse. 1t was eviC
I'LL that . nassion-a deem. white
my nassion had mastered her better m,
u Z, + oIowcd and famed in her sun
Tor oves-it trembled in her fngcrs.
ter vulsivelv working; it 8welled in
o'l veins that stood out on the broad
hed head and in corded masses spl
from her delicate wrists.
The man all this time was loo
'"u- down. He was very handsome,
OF his flesh was paIIid, his eyes, a
raised them, lustreless. his lips
ring out color Sometimes he SCENE
for writhe as his wife spoke; he was
as as much under the influence Of {
l. as she supposed; but there caI
,o.a look in his face as he lifted it,