Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1868-09-11
Why should you live

with such brute?"
Hush, Moses, speak not So" answer
ed the wife, keeping back the tears,
will not leave him now But he will
soon leave me. lie cannot live much
longer,u
Atthat moment Daniel Bryan entered
the apartment Even Moses FELTON,
was startled by his appearance. He
looked like q Wandercr from the tomb.
He had his hat on and his Jug in his
hand.
"Ah, Moses, how are We ?'' he gasped,
for he could not speak plainly.
The visitor looked Mt him for n few
moments in silence. Then as his fea
lures a. -umed cold, stern expression,
he said in a calm but strongly emphasi-
zed tone =
Daniel Bryan, / have been your
next best friend but one. Ny sister is
an angel-but mated toa demon. | have
loved you, Daniel as | never loved be-
fore, for you were noble, generous and
kind, but hate you now, for you are
perfect devil incarnate. Look at that
woman. She is my sistcr-the only sis
ter God ever gave me. / wish her to
live with me. but she will not while
you live; but when you die she will
come to me. Thus do pray that God
will soon give her joys to my keeping.
Now, Daniel, | do sincerely pray that
the first intelligence wnich reaches me
from my native place after / shall have
reached my home, may be that you are
dead!n
Bryan gazed on the speaker some mo-
ments without speaking.
" Noses" he at length said, you are
not in earnest"
&c AS true IA Heaven, Daniel, l am.
When l know that you are dead / shall
be happy, and not until then-so go on.
Fill your jug and"
Stop, stop, Moses. can REFORM
"You cannot. 1t is beyond your pow
er. You have had inducements enough
enough to reform all the sinners of
creation-and yet you are now lower
than ever before. Go and die, sir, as
soon as you can, for the moment that
sees you thus shall see mourners free ~
Bryan's eyes flashed, and he drew
himself proudly up.
"Go," he said, with tinge of that old
powerful sarcasm that had often electri-
fed jury. go to Ohio, and l will
send you news. Go, sir, and watch the
post"
With these words Daniel Bryan hurl-
ed his jug into the Fireplace, and while
yet its thousand pieces were flying over
the floor, he strobe from the house
Mary fell fainting to the floor. Moses
bore her to bed, and then, having call
ed in q neighbor, he hurried away, for
the stage was waiting.
For month, Daniel Bryan lowered
over the brink of the grave, but he did
not die.
zone gill of brandy will save you,n
said the doctor, who saw that the alb
rupt removal of all stimulants from a
system that, for long years, had subsist-
ed almost on nothing else, was nearly
sure to prove fatal. " You can surely
take gill and take no more"
Ay," gasped the poor man, take a
gill and break my oath Moses FELTON,
shall never hear that brandy or rum ever
killed me If the want of it kill me,
then let me die But | won't die I'll
Twelve till Moses FELTON, shall eat his
words!
He did live. An iron will conquered
the messenger death had sent, and Dan
iel Bryan lived. For one month he could
not even walk without hclp-joyful,
prayerful help. Mary helped him.
A year passed away, and Moses FELTON,
returned to Vermont. He entered the
Court House at Burlington, and Daniel
Bryal Mas on the floor pleading for a
young man who was indited for forgery
FELTON, started with surprise. Never be.
fore had Bryan looked sol oble and COM
handing, and never before had such tor
rents of eloquence poured from his lips.
The case was given to the jury and the
youth was acquitted. The successful
counsel turned from the court room and
met Moses FELTON,.
They shook hands but did not speak
When they reached a spot where nc
others could hear them, Bryan stop.
ped
"Moses," he said, "do you remem.
Der the words you spoke to me yeal
ago."
II do, Daniel"
"Will you take them back? Unsay
them now and forever?'
"Yes-with all my heart"
"Then am in part repaid"
"And what must be the remainder o.
the payment? ?" asked Moses.
II must die an honest, unperjureG
man! The oath that has bound me thus
far was made for life"
That evening Mary Bryan was the
happiest of the happy. No allusion was
made in words to The strange scene O
one year before, but Moses could read il
both the countenance of his sister anC
her husband, the deep gratitude they
did not speak.
And Daniel Bryan yet lives, one of tn,
most hOnOred men of Vermont. Fiv,
times has he sat in the State Legisla
ture; thrice in the Senate, and once il
the National Congress and he is yet
noble man, and an ornament to society
declining all offers of public office, from
the fact that his profession is more lu
crative, while plenty of others want tn,
offices which he cares not for.