The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1868-08-25

passionate love for Rutha seemed to
nerve him, to buoy him up, but only for
a time Though s'the spirit is willing
the flesh is wcak'-a "brand plucked
from the burning" is easily kindled, and
again the tempter triumphed. When
once started downward, the road to de-
struction is broad and easy, and Edgar
gradually sank lower, till his ruin seemed
complete. His high sense of honor,
susceptibility of feeling, tenderness of
his exterior, which, bloated by drink
and hardened by exposure, resembled
not his gentle features and manly look
of a twelve month gone In vain had
Rutha coaxed, entreated, and prayed
for rcformation. He had promised.
with tears in his eyes, and truthfulness
and candor Ia his face, but when with
his boon companions, Rutha was forgot
ten, and he croveled lower than the
brutes. She, at length, broken hearted
and desparing, resigned all hopes of the
ment, and giving up to her grief, wished
that she might die and repose beneath
the clods of the valley. She no longer
went with Edgar. nor permitted him TO
visit her; but secluded herself from all,
and thus, self. banished, lived alone with
her misery, praying daily. praying night
", that he who reigned in the innermost
courts of her heart, might yet be saved
and do works meet for repentance. Her
very life seemed quenched, her spirits
frozen, and the sunken eye, and hollow
cheek, told painfully of a settled melan
cholly. Occasionally she heard Of Ed
gar, but only to make her heart sick
with grief Thus the long winter wore
away, spring came and went, and the
beginning of summer was at hand
Rutha's health was now SO poor as to
necissitate morning walks Early one
morning in June, the food gates of
heaven opened and the aqueous elements
were discharged SO copiously that in
few hours the country lying adjacent to
the creek was nearly all under water.
Little Ackerman, whose gentle ripple
had hitherto been so peaceful, now
foamed and plunged along like boiling
caldron, sweeping every thing before it;
bridges, fences, fields Of young corn,
tobacco just set out, vanished as if by
magic. and in their places could be seen
nothing but wild waste of yellow wa
ter, dashing madly onward Sheep and
hogs went dancing down the stream;
pigpens and stables went 'bobbing
after eels," and many a farmer rued
the day of the "Great Freshet."
This morning as she walked by the
hoarse waters, Rutha thought how diff
ferent it was from the placid rill by
which she and Edgar in days of I" Auld
Lang Syne' had spent so many happy
hours, and sitting down, the chrystal
drops of the souls nectar slowly es
capped from between her closed eyelids,
as she contrasted the past with the pres
ent How long she sat thus she knew
thing coming down the stream which
she soon k oew to be man Her very
soul sickened at tn sight of the drowned
man, as she took him to be, but as he
she saw he was yet alive,
though barely able to support himself
upon the chunk, round which his arms
were clasped. Just before he came op
posite where she stood breathless and
speechless, the waves threw him round.
and her eyes dilated with horror, and
her very blood seemed frozen in her
veins as she recognized Edgar With
one piercing scream she threw herself
into the water to try and save him. All
thoughts of his past actions vanished,
the present only was before her; her
heart leaped forth in one wild prayer to
God to save him or let her perish also
And determining to share his fate, she
dashed madly forward and with out
stretched arms Glove the waters in an
agony of doubt lest he should pass be
fore she could reach him. She seemed
gifted with superhuman strength and
energy instead of the weak nerves of
sickly girl, and buffeted the waves as if
they had been edying gusts of autumn
leaves. Her prayer was not in vain; she
reached the goal in time, and grasping
him, drew him towards her; when he
releasing the chunk which had inter
posed itself between him and eternity,
clasped her around the neck. Oh!
with what repulsive loathing and hor-
ror did she smell the fumes of brandy
upon his heated reath, and as he clasped
her closely in an intoxicated EN- brace she
saw he was unconscious, stupidity drunk.
All his past actions, the life he was lead
ing, and would lead, all his broken vows.