Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-04-22
Mlispellamlt.
How She Saved Him.

awe must part" said Annie tenderly, yet
with decision, " and henceforth remain apart
though shall always be ready to do you any
Kindness in my power"
| don't blame you for casting me away"
Andrew humbly replied. :" wrong you by
coming into your presence am not worthy
of your regard. | cannot again ask you to
forgive. Forget me and be happy"
And they parted.
They had been intimate from childhood
he, the brightest most athletic and largest
hearted boy, and She the fairest, gentlest and
most affectonate girl, in the neighborhood.
Twice he had saved her life once from
drowning and once from being dashed in pie
cos by the hoofs of frantic horse. Time
and again She had saved him from contention,
misdeeds and misery, by her sweet, persuasive
pleadings. SO they grew in stature and af-
fection, till as man aud woman, they were all
the world to each other and long, bright,
golden future stretched before them. But
there was a serpent in their young Eden
As the boy ripened into manhood, his
strength, agility, wit, genius and generosity
Il attracted more and more attention, tiM he was
: unaninonsly voted the hnest Young ,nan IN
o town. No athletic sport, no festal gathering,
n no merry-masing party could be complete
without him, and hence he was invited every
i'll where and lionized by all classes.
d The ordeal was severe For u while he
retained his integrity but the temptation
e was over-powering, and gradually virtue gave
b way aud he began to slide towards ruin. He
INDUCED in late hours drank wine and some
y times whisky, gambled a little, used profane
e language, and associated with vile people. 1t
, was sore trial to Annie; and she stroye
with all ls.rp Law. a
win him back to virtue. In vain. Her eff
forts only delayed his fall Like thousand,
of others who have gone or are now poino
down the broad, easy grade road to destrue.
tion, he first laughed at her fears and warn
ings, as needless " He knew what he was
about. There was not the least danger.p
Gradually becoming more Incorporate and
abandoned, he at length perceived his folly
and promised to reform. But the Delilah Of
indulgence had shorn him of his strength, the
terrible gripe of habit was upon him. and his
vile companions drew him down. After re-
pcated efforts and failures, hopes and manli-
ness fled he sank into utter shame and degra-
daton. Then, AT last, came the final separa-
tion to which have alluded.
They parted not in anger but in despair,
he to be stung by keen regret and bitter re-
morse as he groyeled downward, and she to
pine away in praying without faith, in hop
\ ing without promise or prospect, and in suf-
iering the typhoid heart ache of lonely,
disappointed soul. Every evening, on Blended
knees, when none but the good Father saw
her, the pure maiden sent up petitions for the
impure reprobate, and each day brought more
painful tidings of his darkening fate.
As the weary months wore away Annie's
mental anguish affected her health. She be-
came weak nervous, thin languid, and some
thought consumptive. Everything was done
for her that medical ingenuity could suggest,
f but still she dropped and faded. As last
resort her physician advised country air and
quiet, and she was sent to reside with an aunt
IN the suburbs of pretty village, some twen-
five miles distant. There she found pure
and bracing atmosphere but il did little
good, because it was not her lungs but her
heart that was in need Of medicine
! She was not too weak to walk out, and as
. il was early Summer, she often strolled away
from the house to hear the living birds sing
and nhae the fragrance of the young leaves
and flowers Nature can soothe those whom
il cannot cure.
One mild evening, after the family with
whom she was stopping had retired and all
/, the village was quiet, strange, strong impulse
moved Annie to 90 out on the railway, that
ran near her aunt's house. The young new
moon gave light enough to walk by and hnr,
} rying along, she was soon nearly half mile
from home when she was startled by hearing
the whistle of an approaching train, and see
q ing man lying on the track little way
ahead Instantly perceiving both his danger
and her own, she trembled with weakness and
! fear, and shouted for help. No other human
being was near. The train was running with
terrible haste. The man moved enough TO
show that he was alive, and Annie loudly
warned him TO escape; but hs did not rise.
He must be drliak or sick, and in two minutes
. the engine would be upon him. Suddenly
the brave thought eame to her mind, distinct
! as an angels voice, - try to save him, and il
4 you perish in the attempt Il will be all right"
a Never in her life had she disregarded the call
of duty, and she sprang at once TO drag him
out of danger. Seiriug his collays she tugged
! with all her little strength but moved him
only few inches, The train was frghtiully
A near. Again she tried. Her feet slipped,
she lost her balance and fell PROSTATE upon
! the stupid wretch she was trying to save.
Partially aroused by the shock and the
n brakes down" shriek of the locomotive,
! uttered at the same instant, the idiotic drum
kard elasped his brutal arms around her and
Il held her fast His hot, rum-stencbtd breath
came ia her face, her courage sii' and the
!, knell of doom seemed to erasb through her
hraiu