Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1869-08-19
lFrom Hearth and Homel
FURTHER ON. -
BY HARRIET BEEchtR sFowE.

BY HARRIET BEEoHER sTowE.
Did you ever read the stofy Of i
man who wanted to take 4 blt or d
sail down the rapids above Niagara
Falls? OF course, he never meant
to 60 over, but he wanted TO see thS
prospect.
There is first a smooth, strong cur.
rent and the boat mbves steadily,
with green banks and fields smiling
tgayly on either shore.
T By and by there Is a line OF small;
white, foamy ripples, and the boat
, begins to toss and tumble strange.
~. This Is FURTHER on. why
doesn't he 60 on shore how ?--
Why doesn't he know that that line
of white ripples is the dead line for
him--that the boat that begins I'd
toss there Is lost2
His head swims-his brain Is IN.
steady-and if he tries The oar now
it is only to know how weak his
arm is, and how sure and strong
and swift Is the doom by which be
Is hurried dUYnwafd.
Our boy; who looked SO peace.
ful; SO innocent, as he stood with
father, mother, and sister aFound
him, at the sacred gate of home
where is he nowP Is that be at
the gaining table, with that bag.
gard, anxious fateP And are those
his respectable friends? What are
they doing there? They are mere.
! ly observing. They have steady
heads, but they say he is a poor;
weak-minded fool; he don't know
how to take care of himself. No,
he hasn't steady head. He was y
kind, loving sem d good brother, 4
faithful friend but he never did
have strong head or strongnerYes.
He flames up under excitement as
phosphorus burns in oxygen. The
very social susceptibility which
made him quick to sympathize, kind
to feel, prompt TO oblige, makes
him also susceptible to temptation;
easily dazzled, excited, confused;
and hurried away.
1t is pity too, BECAUSE he Is al
heart so good a fellow and, after
all, a cool, steady head and nerves
that never vibrate and are not quick
to feel the thrill of temptation, are
no virtues. The c6ldest hearts
have often The steadiest heads.
They shy he Is making a fool Of
himself They look at him with
pitying contempt. They have beeh
in and out of the vortex they haVe
learned the art of shooting the rab.
ids they drink, but don't get drunk;
they play sometimes, but only for
certain amounts. But he is mad,
excited, furious. Besides, he Is on
the DEVILS ground. There are
haunted houses in New York, and
the influences in them come in6fs
from the invisible than the visible
world. There are spirit rappings
there, voices of ghosts, but the spff.
its are lying spirits, that cheat and
deceive and bet'ay.
He has lost; but he shall win. Let
him double his bets. He is desper,
ate. The hard earned money his
mother sent him last week, the
money saved with so many tolls BY
his sister, and sent him With such
tender words, to pay his board bills
and supply his wardrobe-all this
has been risked and gone; bis watch
staked and lost; and still he doub.
es his bets, for devil at his elbow
whispers next time he shall win.
At four o'clock in the morning;
who goes out from the gamihg-saa
Don, wild, desperate, despairing,
With not a cent for his board bills,
completely cleaned out?
The respectables are gone home;
sleeping the sleep of the just; and
lie staggers out, blind, dizzy, scarcea
y caring where he goes.
At his room he finds a letter
rom his mother! The very sight
3tings like an adder. "1futhen
'ather, home-O God! O Godlz
Why did 1 not die before / left
hem shall break all their hearts.
What UW they think of me? b
3od what shall / do? Poor, dear
mother why did l live to bring this
Ipon you"
and now debts and duns thickeh
round him. friends look askahce
t him; he is hard-up; he tries TO
'orrow, and learns that nobody
7ill lend. He Is haggard and anx.
Jus-he loses sleep. Alas! when
hall he sleep again as he slept the
asst night before he left homep
That little bird that #akened him
hat morning-he thinks of it now.
low cool, and calm, and sweet it
1as there at home! Oh! that he
ould undo the work of these six
months Yet be meant so well -
lie never meant to be a villain -
70, never!