Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1866-10-26


was not entirely adamont, 1t was only
caliouscd over. And this sudden re-
action--this instantaneous arousai to
the belief that his wife was dead, very
soon had the effect Of opening his heart.
"My wife dead? Margret dead. No,
no, 1t cannot be.n And he sank down
upon the nearest stool, and covered his
face with his hands; while every now
and then deep groan escaped his lips.
A physician who had been sent for
shortly arrived. Finding Margret's s
arm broken in two places, he said some
thing about setting the bones, before
further effort to bring her to her senses
This being spoken in an audible tone,
Walter sprang to his feet and in n
second stood by his wife. Grasping the
Doctor by the arm he cried, go Doctor,
is she not dead? Docs she still live ?
Do tell me that she does"
The Doctor only gave tho drunkard
an impatient push, and resumed his
occupation. But Walter was not to be
put OF in this way, and again interrupt
ed him, saying, "Ch Doctor, do have
mercy on mo; is she alive? ."
Yes she lives but no thanks to
you. She would have been dena, If
there had been no ons to care for her
but you. And she may die yet; ut
the least she will be very sick, and die
too, if she has no other nurse but you,n
said tho doctor impatiently.
But Walter cared not for the Doctors
opinion. He fell upon his knees by
the bedside, and throwing his arm over
his wife, he sobbed aloud while the
tears ran down his cheeks like rain
" o Margret, Margret, will be new
man. Never again shall the intoxicat-
ing glass be raised to my lips. Never
more shall you be forced TO support our
children never, no never! | will be q
man the rest of my life. My children,
my dear little children, shall not flee
from me, but shall learn to love me-"
Rising he went toward his children :;
but they being accustomed to fear, in
stead Of love him, shrank back into a
corner, crying, " No, no, don't let him
whip US; don't ma, don't let him whip
us.n
o how that pierced his heart! Never
before had he endured q pain like that !;
his own children afraid of him and
ncighbors witnessing 1t too.
1t is u just punishment, thought he !;
but O how dreadful!
lie advanced again, and taking little
Bell in his arms, he pressed her to his
heart, saying, my dear child, do not
fear me, l will not hurt you, but will
take care cs you. Ida, and my little
Walter, come to your father, l will
never abuse you again."
Thus encouraged they advanced to-
ward him. How his heart smote him,
when he saw how naked and cold they
were!
Meanwhile tho pain caused by the
setting of the broken bones sent a
shivcr through tho frame of MaIgret,
and brought her back to consciousness
and life.
She opened her eyes, and as they
wandered from one to the other they
at last rested on Walter, who now stood
by the bedside, with such heartfelt
misery depicted Oh his countenance,
that even the doctor felt some compass
sion for him. .#..
Walter" was the first word she
said. 80 Margret, darling how do you
feel, are you better?'
" Better? What Is the matter? /
did not know that had been sick. O,
yes, remember now, said she, as her
thoughts wandered back, "a team ran
over me-"
&" Yes, Margrct, and IL was all my
fault. L was here lying at home drunk,
while you were taking upon your slen-
der shoulders, what / should have
borne. And then, it was liquor that
caused it ALL For If the drivers had
not been drunk, they could have
managed their teams. And if / had
never drank, you would not have been
exposed as you were. But Margrct, let
us try and forget the past; and God
being my helper, you shall never have
anything to regret in the future
Margret, was sobbing upon his bosom,
Walters bosom, mot the Walter of the
last few years, but the Walter whom
she married her own true manly
nl t,,t n ,1,,, .,t hn
moment, all his faults were forgotten,
and he was her beloved husband once
more.
And, reader, he always adhered to
his promises made at that time
Although Margret was very low for a
long while, yet she never wanted for
that could add to her COM
fort.
Then Walter got into employment,
and in a few weeks the house present
ed different aspect. In one short year
Walter Graham owned a neat little
white cottage in the suburbs of the city
and being an excellent carpenter, he got
everything neat and comfortable
around him.
He often says that 1t Is all just what
he would have spent in whisky, 1T he
had not got his eyes opened In such an
awful manner.
And Margret says, Ycs, Walter,
if 1t had not been for my broken arm
we might still have been where we
were then. am not sorry that my arm
was broken. And we can Judge from
the looks of the three happy children
that Chamber upon his knee, every
evening after the days work is done,
that they arc not sorry either
"Oh walter" says Margret, "what
comfort giy broken arm has brought
me, mat might otherwise never have
had! God has so blessed us How
strange but gracious an answer to the
prayer / offered that night! Divine
goodness, and mercy have surely or
dained it ALL
A voice from the past Me-
T,ialIon xyrifaa Ieyne fro,y, EIrona that