The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1866-01-26

HIM to come down and catch her. Then
the passers-by would often look on the un-
conscious child, and whisper, ''Poor little
thing"
One evening the father had been drink
ing harder than ever; scarcely able to hold
up his heavy head, he sat at the gate,
when merry peal of laughter came float
ing toward him from the other side of the
bridge; he knew this voice-even now
1t bad the power to dispel some Of the
heavy spell that bound him. He looked
toward the bridge there, on the old
worm-eaten balustrade, stood his little
Mary. The setting sun glittered in the
golden curlS, her face and outstretched
arms were ditfuscd with rosy light, and
her white frock futtered in the wind
The father looked at her with Il kind OF
stupetied wonder Was it his child was
1t his guardian angel, ready to take wings
and liy back to that glorious heaven from
whence 1t had come to save him, come III
vain
Again he heard the clear. meIodious
voice, ''Sce, father, how high Mary can
climb, and look, | can play see->aw -
Catching hold OF the balustra,le, the child
suddenly suspended herself over the wafer
and began to swing fearleSsly to and fro.
The father saw futtering garments and
waving treSses, he heard the rotten wood
work creak, and suddenly the dangerous
position OF his darling presented itself to
his dull intellect. What if she should
lose her hold ? if the old balustrade should
break lie started TO his feet, he would
iiy to the rescue, but o. horror bis feet
refused to carry him reeiing to and fro
like :" reed in the storm, he again, and
J@aIn, and again fell back against the
wall. tome here, Mary" he shouted in
dreadful agony Come fetch me, father"
the merry voice answered, and the dam
..rouS pa>;lme was only pursued with
greater energy.
Oncc again the unhappy man tried in
vain hc snatched the full bottle from the
table. and emptied it in one draught.-
Alas, it was but to seal the sentence OF his
doom and that OF his child The hour OF
heavy rctribution had AT last come. anl
tie man but reapel what he had sown.
lie had given himself body and soul into
the power Of the devils great agent. and
10 earthly hand could restore 10 him what
lie had lost. One more desperate slru@-le
anI the miserable wretch lay rolling on the
Ground and groanng most ieartu.iy. No
man WAS nigh. no help came, and sudden
Il tic creahing sound OF the breaking bal
u>trade Smote like Il knell upon the ia
th"r'S ear he heard a fearful crv. Ia
ther, help. help" he heard the splaShing
.; tie water, as the mercllesS waves cosc,
o.cr their lovely prey. and then al was
silent. For Il while the man lay there in
4 state OF misery which no words can ex-
pres, but ovcrStraincd nature. even in
this moment. would have its sway-he
soon dropped asleep, and slept, Willie the
only being .hat had loved him was drifting
away on the glittcring waves OF the srinlit
Rhine.
Il was midnight when the toll man
awoke He found himself lying on the
floor of his room, and his first glance fell
on a still, white form at his side. The
liickering light Of several lanterns was
playing over features which We're Surpa-S-
iogly beautiful i'll their solemn repose, and
a voice said. ''your child is dead - The
Lcreaved father threw himself over the
lovely sleeper. and from his breast rose the
dt>pairing cry, "She is dead, and have
killed her '" Alas ! he was sober now.
sober enough to measure the full extent of
his guilt and his loss all the powers of
his mind seemed to return for a minute.
10 show him. in glaring vividnc,>, the
fearful consequences of his sin, and then
Ii gi,t, deep, mental night, threw her dark
veil over the wretched mans mind, and
when he rose from his knees, he rose as Il
poor. harmless idiot. The hours rolled
heavily on; the little body WAS laid in its
la%t bed he suffered them to do So
Garry her gently" he whispered, ">hr
sleeps 50 Swcctly' Dust was given bacl,
to dust many tears fell on thai little cot
fin The father she'd none, and once
more. h could be seen 81 TIM daily at tIl
gate, but not to drink wi!ie or to receiy,
toll There he sat, looking down into in,
Y-uterS, and mutlering broken sentence,
full OF intense tenderness to his un>eel
companion, to his Mary. 1t was touch
i"e 81 rht to see him thus, and one thai
-)ull move and warn many a thoughtles:
heart.
One evening, the sun was shedding it:
last rays on the river, and the duncin,
waves ,parhled as they had done on lha
cvcntni day. The childless man sudden
y r0sa, and stepped farther down to tn
/ wafer, idc, where the reeds were waving il
the evening breeze.
Hush" he whispered, "she is calm;
me. ] am coming, Mary, my darling
see, en- come now - And stretching
out his arms, as if to embrace his child
the poor man took a desperate leap, an
the waves received their second victim.
lie WIS soon missed and found. ii
was buried in the same grave with hi
child, but will the soul now abide in til
same pure heaven where his innocent chill
dwcllS, with the sweet, patient wife, who's
heart he had broken? The wages of 81
is death, and no soul will enter there, tha
, leaves earth laden with unpardoned sill
| o, that all ight turn while it is yet tt
, day British Workman.