The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1867-08-08

Never can l forget the look he gave me
then, so full of reproof, of surprise, and of
pain.
&c, forgive you, for L know
you to be my friend but never speak to
me again like that. going down You
know me better. That can never be. I
know my own wants. My mother knows
me better than Ellen docs"
All, had that mother been as wise as
she was loving, she would have seen that
the wild oats which her son was sowing
would grow up and ripen, only to furnish
seed for re- e-sowing? But she loved him =
loved him almost too well or should
say = too blindly.
But could say no more. only pray
ed that God would guard him; and then
we conversed upon other subjects. l
could spend but only one day with him,
but We promised to correspond often.
had finished my meal, and was loung-
ing in front of the hotel, when | saw
funeral possession winding into distant
church yard. asked the landlord whose
funeral it was.
Mrs. Anderson's," he said, and as he
spoke, noticed slight dropping of the
head, as though it cut him to say So
"What = John Anderson's wife ?"
"No," ne replied. :" 1t is his moth
err" and as he said this he trudged
away but gentleman who stood near,
and overhead the conversation, at. once
took up the theme:
Our boct 1op'f coapa ,nolipaJ 70
converse upon the subject" he remarked,
with a shrug of the shoulders. Did
you ever know John Anderson ?"
:" He was my shool- mate in boyhood,
and my bosom friend in youth" told
! him.
He led me to one side, and spoke as
! follows:
Poor John He was the pride of
this town six years ago. This man open
ed his hotel at that time and sought Gus
tom by giving wine suppers. John was
present at most of them = the gayest of
the gay, and the most generous of the
party. In fact, he paid for nearly every
one of them.
! Then he began to 90 down hill And
he has been going down ever since. At
times true friends have prevailed upon
him to stop but his stops were of short
duration. A short season of sunshine
would CLEAN upon his home, aud then
the night came, more dark and drear than
before. He said he would never get
drunk again yet he would take glass
of wine with friend That glass of
wine was but the gate that let in the
food. Six years ago he was worth sixty
thousand dollars. Yesterday he borrow.
ed fifty dollars to pay his mothers fune-
raj expenses The poor mother bore up
as long as she could. She saw her son =
her :" Darling Boy" she always called
him, brought home drunk many times,
and she even bore blows from him But
she's at rest now , Her 4" Darling" wore
her life away, and brought her gray hairs
in sorrow to the grave! Oh! l hope
this may reform him !"
"But his wife 7? I asked.
I" Her heavenly love has held her up
thus far, but she is only shadow of the
wife that blessed his home six years ago"
My informant was deeply affected, and
so was |, and | asked him no more.
During the remainder of the afternoon
debated with myself whether to call
upon John at all. But finally resolved
to 60, though waited till after tea. l
found John and his wife alone. They
had both been weeping, though could
see at a glance that Ellens face was
beamiDg with love and hope. But oh
she was changed = sadly, painfully So :
They were glad to see me, and my hand
was shaken warmly.
Dear C, don't say word of the
past" John urged taking my hand sec.
ond time. II know you spoke the truth
to me five years ago. l was going down
hill! But I've gone as far as | can, |
stop here at the foot. Every thing is
gone but my wife. 1 have sworn, and
my oath shall be kept. Ellen and l are
going to be happy now"
The poor fellow burst into tears here
His wife followed suit: and | kept them
company. / could not help crying like a
child. My God, what sight! The once
noble, true man SO fallen become a
mere broken glass, the last fragment only
rejecting the image it once bore A poor
suppliant at the foot of Hope, begging a
grain of warmth for the hearts of himself
and wife! And how | had honored and
loved that man and how [ loved him
still! Oh! | hoped d-aye, more than
hoped Il believed = he would bessayed.
And as | gazed upon that wife-s so trust
ing, so loving, so true, and so hopeful
still, even in the midst of living death u
/ prayed more fervently than | ever pray
ed before that God would hold him up :
lead him back to the top of the HILL
In the morning | saw the children =
grown to two intelligent boys now and
though they looked pale and wan, yet
they smiled and seemed happy when their
father kissed them. When | went away
John took me by the hand, and the last
words he said, we're