Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1869-08-17
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE DYING WIFE'S PRAYER,

I'LL DIlNd WIZ y hh bht
Night-dar gloomy night, settled down
upon the great metropolis, and not star
peered forth from the thick blackness to IL
Iume or dispel the ovcrhanging gloom With
its cheerful ray. Cold and bitter was ths
night, and ferccIy whistIed the north wind,
IN its endcavors to penetrate 10 the hcaTth>
stones of the goodly inhabitants Of the city
Men whom necessity compelled to 90 abroad,
drew their CLOCKS and mufIlcrs closely about
them, and rGovsd on with harried step, anx-
ious to make their exposure to the bleak and
chilling atmosphere Of az short duration
possible.
In the drawing room OF the wealthy the
anthracite blazed brightly, and sent forth lite
cheerful rays to warm those gathered around
H. In the hoTe!s of the Poor, groups OF rag
ged children gathered Clo1cly around the few
blazing sticks, 7zhich they Rad been able 70
collect together.
In one OF these miserable ahodc1, stretched
aPou a pallet Of straw, lay poor and feeble
woman. She bore evidence Of once having
been ngite beautiful, bat the combined in>
fuencc of neglect aud starvation had doEe
their work and she was but wreck of her
former self. She was pleading with poor,
miserable, degraded dEuukaCd, who was about
leaving the room.
"WiHiam, do not 20 ont to night; yoH do
not know how / feel. Something seems to
tell me that I sIlall not behold the light of
another day upon this earth, and, William,
have muCh to say to yOu before / leave you.
Oh for the love Of Heaven, do not leave NE
thus - she ent-cateI, - he stiIl e7inced
determination 10 60 out. "for the sake Of
the love you once protested for me, do not
20 Out ;" aa+ she fell back exhausted With
the efforts she had msIc.
His hand was gpOn the latch; foT 4 mo-
rncnt Io hesiaa:sd at this touching appeal
Conscience upjraidCi him fgr the suffering
he had bToEght upon her Who had clung to
him through all bis shame bat a demon pos
scsged him, aud be had driven out the love
he had once protested. 4 nomentsry strug-
gle ard appetite triumphed and, without
word, he left her, and went forth to seek his
beastly companions, and in those breathing
holes Of the internal regions, obliterate the
unpleasant reflections which had been re-
vi7cd.
'Gone :" she murmureI in tone czpres-
siye Of the deepest woe. as he closed the door
behind him, and she rclapzed into a death
Ike toTpor, Unconscious Of her situation Tn
conscious that the chill Of death vas grad.
ually creeping over her /; that the life blood
ing that cougelation was fast cncroaching
upon the fountains thereof.
Unconscious Of aCgh: aTozud hcr. she Vss
living IN the past. She vas child again
the idol OF fond pzs-lts aud beloved By all
who knew her aaain she yss suEroundsdby
the holy influence OF a mothers ioye, and the
happy days Of her childhood winged their
way With rapid 3igh. into the eternity Of the
past. Again, at an age when she stood most
in need of that mothers counsel AID advice,
she vas called EPCa to follow her earthly re-
mains 10 thsiE last resting place. Again
desoIating tide OF grief flooded her young
heart and then receded, leaving an aching
Void which zhc thought HGgld ever continue.
Again tl.sTe cane one who administered
consolation to her -ricf-strirEen heart and,
was Il strange that the tcndTI.s cf her aEee-
tfOns, vh1zs support Rad been toru from them,
should tTiBs around aui cling 10 him whom
10 ;ss tFzthfglue=z Cf her 5Tn pure z:E, zhs
believed so god aE.I noble Azzin he paint
cd in giOaIn- cgloEs the happiness which
sEsEIl attend them If they ssile5 adoEH the
stream of lie tg-s;her, and portrayed in
thrilling language kog uissrzbIs would be
his existence without her
Despite the warnings Of friand= and rsla-
tiyes. and the interpretations Of parental az
ihHTlfys zlC L-t- GSE E.Ic-ag nome zi4'l Lllls1
her f0Tt-rc With EIra 7.ECl1 she 50 blindly,
rsadly, loved For brief sIlas she enjoyed
all the haPpiHszs that heart could dezire, and
tbsu she iszruet-sadIJ IsarEed-hoI cruelIy
zhs had bes1 deceived HJz BE-, IN 1Ecse
keeping she had placed nsr saEthiJ happiness,
and forfeited tbs holy trust eo1E5sd to him,
lad desesaizd 70 tE.s gcSszt dsp:hs Of iafszy
and cTime Again she lived tbrozch i5css
long aad EszT5 zoa:hs q suffering ezzsed
By his cruel nsgI=ct and abzzs, aud, despits
his shame aad dsZredztE5a, slgsg 70 and bred
HEn n only Eouza can lo7s, despite tAs uzIs-
ery and 3sEEzizl.Ja ts- had 5To1Ztt upon her.
Azakin= fr7a the stspsT IN Ekick shs had
lain, she shuddsEsd - she became again con-
ssIogz q the -rssd reality of her yizioa--
She fs5 the chiH of 5szth fat crsspIn- over
hs-, and knew that zhs to would ss1a Jsin
the celestial r;ro.F, and 11itz With her mother
IN -T1Er1E E-l=z q E=r Hezys1Iv Fz;EgT