Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-09-10

make for himself \ name and position, OF
which any woman might be proud. To
her father Ruth wrote long and loving
letter, imploring his forgiveness, but the
answer crushed all the hope within her
bosom.
"As you SOW, so must you reap" were
the words the old man wrote. 'I have
no longer daughter" and Ruth knew
that henceforth. (for she had been mother
less for years. she had in all the world
only the husband for whom she had sacli
feed fortune. and what is worth tar more
the tender protection of father.
In those early days Edward did his best
to make amends for all. and she was so
proud of him. and SO fond OF him that she
soon forgot to grieve.
She heard his name uttered in praise
by all. She knew that he had but to keep
steadily Oh, to mount to the proudest seat
in fame's temple. and for year she had
no fear of his faltering. Now and then
feverish something in his voice and man
ner, and n strange light in his eye, and
greater flow Of eloquence in his talk, a
more passionate demonstration of love
than usual, told that he was under the in
fluence Of wine, but the TACT only seemed
to enhance his power Of fascination; new
err was he so brilliant. never so handsome.
Almost could Ruth have laughed at the
sermons preached by temperance folks.
of the BARN sure to follow wine-drinking.
If the story could end here, the true
story of Ruth Holly's life, it would be al
most happy one, but. alas! the sunny
slope down which it seemed so easy to
slide, daily grew darker as The years flew
on. How they began to tell her the fate
before her, Ruth hardly knew.
A little flush of shame came first when
his step was unsteady, and his voice too
loud. Then grieved tear or two when
he was unreasonable. Then n sorrow
tha. kept her heart aching night and day;
for the man who had first won inspiration
from the glass now lost in its depths lee
lures TO be delivered were not given to
the expectant public. because oi the ILL
ness of the lecturer
Ruth knew what the illness meant. and
tried to hide it. Literary work was neg
lected also. Money Was lost that might
have been easily won. Debts grew, and
credit lcssened; the handsome suite Of
rooms was exchanged for one quite shah
bv. Ruth's dress became poverty -ssrick-
en-, her husband was out at elbows and at
toes-he was intoxicated from morning
until night. and yet she loved him and
clung TO him. and in his sober moments
he loved her as fondly rs ever. Some
times the old strength and the old hope
would be aroused in him, and he would
struggle to gain his old position. but it
was all in vain; rum triumphed, and five
years from her wedding day, Ruth found
herself with her one remaining child
(the first had died within q year of its
birth, in the dingiest of wretched tene-
ment houses, in state bordering on beg
gary.
Edward had been more madly intoxi-
Gated that day than ever before; he had
even given her Il blow; and now. as the
night wore on, he muttered and raved.
and called for brandy. and cursed her aud
himself, until she trembled with fear.
At last, rs the clock struck ten. he start.
ed to his feet staggered out OF the room,
yowing to get drunk somewhere.
Poor Ruth stood where he had left her,
for few moments. Tho memory of the
past was strong on her that night. just
at this hour. five years before, they had
fled from her fathers house together.
How tender he was. how loving, how
gentle! How he vowed that she should
never regret that night, and how had he
kept those promises?
He had broken every vow--he neither
cherished nor protected her. His world
ly goods he had given to the ravcnous
demon, drink his love had become
something scarcely worth having; and
vet she loved him and clung to him. She
tried to feel cold and hard towards him,
but she could not; she strove to remen-
Der the blow he had given her. the oaths
he had uttered, but she answered herself
AS she did so, 1T was not he who did it
it was rum She listened to the uncer-
tain. reeliug footsteps nthe street below,
and burst into tears.
my poor darling" she whispered. as
she thought some grievous calamity had
smitten him into the thing he was, and
he had not himself put an enemy into his
mouth TO steal away his BRAIN unmnd-
iul of her pleading. unmindful Of her woe
and shame. She thought of him reeling
helplessiy along the street, and feared
that some harm would come to him. He
might injure himself, or some one might
injure him. lie might fall in some out
of.the-way place. and lie there undiscov-
ed, and so freeze TO death that bitter
night; and in her agony Of terror. poor
Ruth could not restrain herself from fol-
lowing him.
Her poor. weakly baby slept; she
wrapped it in blanket, and laid it in its
poor cradle. Then she threw her shawl
over her head, and fastened down the