National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1869-03-19

to reach her very heart. She thought
of the babe at home, and tears
coursed down her cheeks. Again
and again she plead with mad man
at her side. Again and again she
tried to bring to his mind some lin
gering memory of the past days
when his love aud protection had
been hers. In vain; wild tancies
filed his brain; demons, born of
! the fumes of rum, held possession of
/ his senses. Sometimes he thrust
+ her from him, sometimes he gave
her a maudlin embrace and bade
her her give him mere liquor. but
90 home he would not.
The distant hum of the city died
out at last; all was still with the
strange stiffness of a city night
The frosty stars twinklcd overhead.
Now and then a night boat passed
up the river, with measured beat
and throb. Once ruffianly look
( ing fellow sauntered past them on
the pier; but though he flung her
an insolent word, and yet more
/ insolent laugh, and went away sing
ing vet more il solently, he did not
approach them.
SO benumped had Ruth grown, so
cold to the very heart was she, that
the power of motion had almost de
serted her, when at last, as the
church clock tar away tolled the
/ hour Of four, the degraded man stag
gered to his feet, and reeled home
ward. She followed trebly: only by
clinging to the halustrade could she
mount the wretched stairs. 1t was
bitter cold within as without, but
she was glad to find herself at last
under shelter. Her babe still Slum-
bered and she did net waken it..
Her frozen bosom could only have
chilled the little creature. There
were few bits of broken wood i'll
the corner and with these she made
a fire in the Old stove, and crouchcd
over it, striving to gain some little
warmth, while hel husband slum-
bcrcd heavily upon the bed i'll the
corner, to which he had staggered
on his entrance.
Thus an hour passed by, and Ruth
also fell asleep. The silence, the
pleasant warmth at her feet, the
fancy that all her trouble was over
for the night, lulled her to pleasant
dreams. From them she was aWak
cned by the loud ringing of the fac
tory bell, and by the sounds of cries
aud shouts in the street below. Sht
cast her eyes toward the bed-hcl
. husband was not there! toward the
cradle it was empty. She flew tt
the wiudOw-thc street was full OF
factory boys with their tin kettles.
Some great Jest amused them great
| ". They roared. they danced, they
tossed their ragged caps on high,
they shricked in mmusical laughter,
and the object Of all this mad mirth
was only too evident.
On the steps of the liquor store
opposite stood Edward Holly, hold
ing his child in his arms, and cNhib
iting for the delighted crowd AL
, those antics of which an intoxicated
. man alone is capable! He called
Ol the grinuing master of the gll
cellar to give his child some brandy;
and turned the screaming infant
, abont in a manner that left no doubt
, that he would end by dropping i
. upon the broken pavement.
. "a pf
ont into the street. and made he
! way through the crowd to the Spo
~ where her husband stood; but be
{ fore she reached him the scene ha,
/ changed
= Some boy. more brutal than th'
+ rest, had thrown a handful Of mu'
q INTO Edward llolly'S face; and he
n feeling and disappearing. had dash
II eel forward to revenge the act.
d The child had been flung away a
q the fist step. but fortunately, hat
II been caught 10y an old ncgleSS who
Il though II degraded creature herself
O. had enough of the woman remain
ing to save an infant from injury.
10 And now the whole horde ofboy
il bcset the drunken man, pelting I'M
~ with sticks and stones and dccaye
ii vegetables from the kennel, and rev
is cling in the brutal delight Wit
+. which such SCENE always seems
inspire boys of3hc lower classes.
10 Ruth saw that her baby was sal
rn and that her husband was in daI
ID ger, and, forgetlul olall else, flew Z
n. ward him.--Shc cared nothing |,
raj the iccrS of the mob; before them a
il. she flung her arms about him, inte
ii. posed her beautiful person bctwe'
linn and his assallantS. The hca
,is that had carried itself Il little prou
nr ~ in 'hc presence OF the highest
M the land-that had 'ccmed mo
~. quccn.likr thm that oi the empire
m herself. at the court OF France
ho that had awakened the envy Of
bv tied English women when the yolil
~ American woman dwclt among the
dropped itself low upon the
iIv som ol the drunken wretch VINO W
~ the ieer and scOin ola low mob: al
he only in loyc and pity, not in ane'
did she speak TO him; :.
Come home, Edward! they
hurt you, my poor lo,e! come ho'
with me-
., Mad as he was-Gllcd with {
III III demons of drink, TO the exclusion
oU w the soul God had given hlm-t
.h' the soft, sweet voice, the fond tou