Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-03-13
The Widows VIII.

1t was bitter hight The snow had been
falling in lIeecy flights during the greater por'
ton Of the day, and tie cold was so intense
that little bnainess OF any kind had been
prosecuted bJ the industrious and enterprls-
ing citizeis uf the village. Night had sue
cceded day. TIE snow uEd sleet were still
descending, and Ike spirit OF the storm seem
ed to bowl around. ;lc-housu and through the
field, and .crchayls, and forests, and among
the distant mountains.
Mr.. Rowland had returned from lis count,
ing house at an e;.liicr hour' titan usual. Sup
Der had been sr-ved. and TIC family had gath
cred around The fire. The children had been
put to bed in an adjoining apartment, and al
infant was sleeping in TIE cradle under iiE-
mediate notice Of It's mother. Mr.. Rowland
WAS reading newspaper, and as the iilful
blasts moancd around his coinmcdous dwell
ins lie would make remarks relative to the
severity of The weather. Mrs. h. was part
ing the laxen curs upon The head CT the
sleeping babe, and occasionally she imprinted
the warm kiss of maternal affection upon It's
ruddy check.
Suddenly solae one raped at the door. 1t
was opercd, when lilllc girl Vi about seven
years cid was admitted. iIrr scaniy dress
was ta!tered ard torn, Z. ragged quit was
thrown around he- shoulders, aud u pair oil
miserable old saocs upon her feet She was
almost frozen.
"Yoa are the widow Watkins little daugh.
ter?" said Mrs. Rowland. inquirinsly.
The little girl answered i'll the affirmative,
and added that her Ma was sick, and wished
Mr.. Rowland 10 step over, for she thought
she should surely die.
Mr.. Rowland owned the. place on which
the sick woman resided. She was very in
digent, and but poorly able to pay the ex-
t,avaglut rent which the unfeeling owner ex,
tracted. The house was once her husbands,
or rather her own, being gift from her faith
or on the very day of hor wedding. Mr..
Watkins was wealthy when'a young man,
and was educated for the bar, and no one
seemed more likely to be successful in his
profession. lie and Mr.. Rowland were ear
ly associates. The latter, a few years before
the period at which we now, find him, had
commence d the ncfarious traffic in ardent
.pirits-hal grown rich-had induced Wat
kins to drink--made him drunk, and by de
grses drunkard and vixen the poor besot.
ted victim was unable to pay his debts, con-
tracted mostly for ruin, but partly by neg
Iecting his professional daties, he, his former
associate, his pretended friend, his destroyer,
was the first 10 decry and oppress him. His
horses and oxen were sold by the sheriff;
next his household and kitchen iurniture were
seized and finally q mortgage was given to
Rowland upon :he homestead of the drunk
ard, to secure the rum.deaer IN The payment
| of pitiful balance in his faYor.
This calamity did not check the prodigal
career of tie inebrialc. Io still quaiied the
liquid poison, and still did the henrtless deal
or hold out inducements to prevail upon h;.:
to sink lower into wrctchcdness and shame.
/ 4 few weeks after, he was one morning found
ds.d in the street. He bad left the grocery
at o. lste hour ,be preceding night in state
of intoxicaton. The night was dark, and he
probably missed his way-fcll into gutter
fourd himself unable to get out-and, being
s,upelied wi,h rum, he went TO sleep, and
! rcze TO death.
R.,w!and in a short time foreclused the
mortgage, and the home of the drunkard's
wife became the legal property of the man
who had destroyed her peace, and reduced
her to begsery and want. He permitted her
to remain on the premises, exncting an 'cx-
travagant rate OF rent. Mental anguish, ex-
ccssive labor, want OF proper nourlshment,
and exposure, had well nigh worn Ter out,
and she vas fast sinking into the grave
where tue weary are at rest. No one had
been near her; no one seemed to care for
her in fact it ias not known to her nearest
,e;ol,bors flat She was sick.
Mr.. Rowland felt anxious for his rent, there
being at that time small sum due. Aud
perhaps it is owing to that circumstance that
he so readily consented to accompany the
| little girl to the room of her sick mother. lie
drew on his oyercoat, tied Toolen com msorter
round his neck, and drew on his gloves and,
taking his umbrella, set out through the DRIFT
ing snow and slect, and bent his way 10 the
widows uncomfortable home.
He found her lying on miserable bed OF
straw, with her head slightly elevated, the
only chair belonging to her house being plac-
ed under her pillow. She was pale sad ghast-
ly, and evidently near the hour Of dlssou-
ton. Mr.. Rowland being seated ON q rude
wooden stool, she said, in feeble out deci-
ded tone of voice,
49,, "a nosy MO 1fo