The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1868-12-08
Iflistcllolln.
ny CHARLES NELSON siNSrTr.

ole is only beasily drunkard. And |
Kate Wayne passed on with contemtu-
Gus toss of her head.
"But still a human being, n man with
n soul to be lost or saved, and one who
needs helping hand And with look
Of pity in her brown eyes Edith IIallo-
way crossed the street to where a man,
intoxicated, lay in the dirt and mire,
with pale faced child trying 10 help
him mp.
"Of all absurd things that is the most
ridiculous !" thought Kate Wayne as she
saw the act. at is perfectly outrageous
TO degrade ones self thus!" And she /
hasened away "a if fearful Of being re-
cognized as the friend of the kind Edith.
"Don't cry, my dear" the latter said
to the child, as she reached the side of
the PROSTATE man, "lor will help yonr
father to get up, and I'll see him safely
home"
She held out her hand, ye"y fair,
white hand it was, too, and assisted the
man to rise, and spoke n few kind words
to him. Those words, and her plying
look, seemed to touch some tender chord
in his heart, AMI to rouse him much from
his drunken stupor, for n tear gislened in
his eye rs he thanked her in broken yet
respectable way. And blush of shame
swept over him ~ a thought of his de-
graded appearance occurred TO him.
"Where do you live, little one I" Ed
ith asked Of the child who chung in con.
filling way to her dress.
"Ju-! down that dark street there. was
! replied. "Bnt mothers dead, and we
have nothing to eat" And the little, thin
hands, dncIled more tightly at Mss
lIalloway's garments.
'l will see that you have II better
home before Tomorrow night she said
briefly. "As for food, you shall have
enough now"
Bidding them wait Il moment. she pas
sed INFO Il shop near by. and soon returns
ed with basket filled with loaves of
bread and other kinds of wholesome food.
| She then askcd the child 10 lead the way
| TO her home. Ii was but short distance
away The man walked ON by the side
Of his new found frienh He was silent,
though the look of his tear stained face
spoke cloqucnily Of the thoughts of graft
i'ndo stirring in his heat
At the door of the rude dwelling they
called home she said. II must leave you
now. But will not forget you. will
see that yohr wants are attended to.
Then she kissed the child, and gave
the man some money. Take this. and
buy what necessaries you may choose.
But, oh, for the sake of your child, dc
not drink II drop of liquor again. believe
you may resist the temptation. feel
assured you will make good and noble
man. she added.
81 will try my best 10 b, gool. God
bless you for your kindness" That was
all he said. Yet the look OF kopr hi,
face wore rs he spoke showed the noble
heart of the man, and his sirnns deter,
mnaton to do right. She was 10 sail Iol
India, where her uncle, her only relative,
resided, early next day. But AMID AL
the hustle of preparation she went 10 hei
old lawyer--she was the nwnrr ul ihuris,
ands and IN heiress-anI told hm of the
home she wished prepared ior th" drunk.
ard and his child, and the aid she desired
rendered 10 him in his struggle to io ght
She knew lie would obey her direction.
implicitly. When far oul ON the ocean
thoughts of the drunkrrd'- resolve were
with her, and she prayed that go3l might
come Of her kind net
Eight years after these events IL shiT
WAS wrecked on the Cornwall coast. Al
on beard, though the tempest WAS fear
iul, escaped to the shore except one lad,
passenger, Being III, She was torao,ter
in the excitement. When discovered h,
the aiirIghIed group on ,orr. til, ve.se
\ was fast gong TO pieces, an it wa con,
0 sidered impossible TO save her.
"Poor Edith IIalloway!' cried one O
the escaped crew. ~; is fearful thin,
for one 50 good to die thus"
There was stir in the group near tn
speaker, and man with his lips rompres
and in spite of all remon.trance, launch
ed boat and put of towards the wreck
No one thought he would reach it, bnt
by 'upgrhuman efforts, in spite OF the ma
gale, he did so, and at the risk of his lif
r. rescued the lady, and, ns if watched b
some good angel, bore her safely TO land
amid shouts Of Joy.
!. Up the cliff, and 10 II handsome dweI
i ling some quarter Of II mile inland, III
u heroic man carried her, ms if the lives of
nation depended on his speed, and 500
the old housekeepcr had hrouglt her OF
N OF the death Ike swoon. l;nt it was n,
until long weeks afterwards that she r,
covered sufficiently from the fearful il
ness succeeding her rsscuo 10 recosni2
her preserSer, whn with his far haire
ar daughter, had care for her tenierI
through her sickness. Then with su
T. prise, she knew him to be the drunka,
she had aided eight years before. Il
,. way of her lawyer she had heard that
hal become noble person, and was Il
kindesi, most honorcd man in the count
where he dwelt. But she was not pr
n pared 10 find in him such a ure1t chan,