Delaware State journal and statesman., 1867-11-01
THE STORY OF A womAN's LOVE.


Incidents painted by the pens Of writers, de-
ploling the suilerings and the sorrows OF
wives and the steadfastness of their love for
their husbands, even after their hearts had
been made to drink all the bitterness of
woe which it was possible for fallen and
debased husband to bring upon them. The
great truth is recognized by all that only
women
Glove IN ihranl ali ilis
And luve on I'LL they dieih
AS illustrating this fact, we will narrale
u short life history which we this morning
received from female relative in this city
of the parties to The sad story.
Seven years ago last June, young man
named James Esterly paid his addresses to,
and won the heart Of a young lady named
Maria Pearson, and married her. They
both resided IN pleasant little city in the
State of Ohio. Esterly was gentleman OF
high social standing, WAS engaged in good
business, and was apparently prosperous in
his financial affairs. His family was highly
esteemed, and he was considered 'good
matchn for any young lady in the town.
Miss Pearson was also Of an excellent family,
| highly educatedand accomplished, possessed
of rare personal charms, and the life and
joy OF the circle in which she moved.
For year after their marriage they lived
most happily together, Esterly treating his
beautiful wife with the utmost affection. But
the war lever running high in this city, he
finally sold out his business and entered the
army, being appointed to the position of
Adjutant in one of the Ohio regiments.
While in the army, like thousands of others,
he fell into habits o intemperance, and SO
completely did the fell demon of strong
drink gain the mastery over him, that before
he had served two years he was apparently
a hopeless drunkard,
He was persuaded by his friends to resign
his position and return home, they hoping
he might reform il his army associations and
temptations were broken off and removed
He did so, and went home; but there he con-
tinued in his course of iniemperance, and
soon by gambling, the natural adjunct OF in
temperance. ran through all his property and
reduced himself and family TO absolute pov-
erty.
During all the time OF his rapid descent,
the young and loving, but now nearly heart
broken wife, clung 10 him, pleading with him
TO cast out the hellish demons that were pol
lutiug his soul, and surely and swiftly lead
ing him on to the most certain and irretriev-
able rum. But he needed not her entrealies;
he did worse, for he beat her; and when her
heart was breaking underits loadof woe, and
her white face would be turned up implOrng-
ly into his in mute appeals for his reiorma-
tion, he would slap her checks with his bru.
telized hands until their ashen hue was
changed to deepest purple.
A man would have cursed the brutalized
husband for such conduct. But not so this
loving wife To all appeals made to her to
leave his wretched house and return to the
pleasant one of her parents, she turned deaf
ear, and answered onlY-"I love him, and !
cannot desert him now. will still save him,
through the help,of God"
But matters grew worse instead OF better.
The wife and her two children were often
without food, and the husband and father
seemed to have become more fiend than hu-
man. Still the faithful wife chung 10 him;
still she prayed for him; and still her faith
was unshaken that he would ultimately re-
form, and again become to her all he was in
the first year of their love and welded life.
One night in December, 1865, the husband
came home al late hour. The poor wife
was crouched over the fast dying embers,
with her helpless babe in her arms. She
noticed that Esterly looked more wild and
crazed than usual, and that his nerves were
twitching at a fearful rate yet she did not
fear him. Finally he asked her why she
had not a better fire. She replied that she
had no more wood This seemed TO make a
maniac of him, and the demons that had
been lurking in his wake or besetting his
footsteps, seemed suddenly to possess his
SOUL and seIzing the infant from his wle's
arms he hurled it upon the Goals, and for q
time would not allow the wife 10 remove it
He was delirious-th mind had yielded tC
the demon pressure, and he was maddened
desperate fiend. Finally the child was res
cued from the fire; but it was too late tC
save it,. In agony it fingered for two days
and then, God, IN His mercy, took 1t up tt
Heaven, and gave it a home among th,
angels.
The maniac father rushed out into tn
night shrieking and screaming; but soon al
terward he was seized by some of the officer
of the town, taken to his wretched home an
there confined for days, until, through til
, skill of physician and the constant nursin
, of the wife, he recovered AT first the viii
told that while sitting over the fire nursin
. the child, she had fallen asleep, and the chill
, had dropped from her arms into the fire. An
q it was this accident, she said that had craze
her husband and caused him to flee from III
4 house 1t was nearly a year before eve
= her parents knew to the contrary.
When Esterly had recovered the wife tol
+, him how the child came to its death. 81
y AYERS with the utmost solemnity, that til
Il was the first knowledge he had of it. Thel
II she says, he resolved to live sober life
a the future. In a few months he left hom
n went to Southern Illinois, got employment
and is once more engaged in business 4
IF himself On Tuesday night, the wife a
N rived in this city, on her way to join h
c husband again. She remained here with
3. relative, from whom we derive the abo'
II facts, until yesterday morning, when 81
le left on the train of the Louisville, New
t, bany, and Chicago road en- route for Il
n. home of him who has filled her heart wi
N such anguish, and darkencd so many yea