The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-07-09
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BE ID. -. {. ROY L..

To You the sight OF that drunken beast
possessing the form OF F. man. but none of
The noble attributes that comprise true mon.
hood, Is suggestive Of nothing but the fear
tul curse OF drink, but to me- the sight of
that degradation brings TO life old memories
of pale, Spirttnetie face-long since laid
beneath the sod-of a patient, 1roken heart,
that hopefully waited to lie pulseIess be
meath the evergreen live oaks Of Louisiana
Think not that those beared, eaden eyes
always had that dazed. blank expression
that those matted locks and that unkempt
beard we're always thus. | remem Der when
that man well 70 do architect and
builder; dressed neatly, and was highly
respected, promising young man, whose
only fault was a love of drink" That one
fault was his own dsmnstion, and wrecked
as pure and true womRn's hi art as il was
ever the good fortune of man TO win. or
his curse to crush.
AS If she stood before me. now do see
her "a she appeared when l saw her-a
small, delicately formed creature. with deep.
earnest blue eyes aud golden hair, upon
whose pale features ever rested q shadow
that WIS apparent TO the most careless
observer. Al q casual glance itseemed al ever
present drend of death from cousun ption,
upon the first stages of which she seemed
entering but It was not that dread con
sumption Of the lungs that left its impress
it WAS the decay Of the fondest dreams and
hopes Of q trusting wOman's heart. that had
grown and entwined themselves there, thai
the7 had become part Of herself, and in
fading their dust had buried forever the
germ OF hope within. That shadow seemed
10 say that the light Of her life had gone
forth never to return this side of the tomb
This expression was marked 10 me that I
sought An opportunity TO learn her history
aud know the secret that was sapping her
lie at its fountain
She had met sud loved that brute you see
ising there in the t0rpor OF besstly intoxica
ton, when he was respected as p gentlerna an
aud seemed on the high road to wealth and
honor among his fellow men. Then she
heard of his fault, learned of his love for
drink, but with womgn's strong. contidnp
love, she hoped to win him from his curse.
lead him from its debasing paths into a
higher and better life
But beneath Oil this was g christian heart
in which the love of God was first in that
heart, an altar upon which was offered uD to
heaven the first incense of q loving soul, and
and when he would have married her, she
replied NO
II love you better than love the world
better than | love myself-better than
everything beneath the stars but | love my
Heavenly Father, too, and he could not
smile on my marriage to a man OF your
habits CT life, and | cannot accept you. Oh,
Henry, be q man Assert your msnhood's
power over this appetite for drink Then
gladly will ! lay my nand il yours and be to
you true and loving wife.
Make no promises, dear, but go forth
with @ determination to conquer, for my
sake and your own, remem bering that NJ orD-
ing ana evening, my first and last thoughts
will be prayer that Heaven will give
YOU strength to conquer and be assured
that the hour knoC you have conquered
will be the happiest one / have ever
known
He left her, fully resolved to prove him
self worthy of this devotion, if such thing
were possible; but with all 10 slghs-despite
everything that success held out to him, he
failed, and, in failing fell deeper and deener
Ia the mire, and that, too, with the conscious
ness that he was thus breaking the only
heart on earth that loved him.
In this way years went BY, and with an
occasional attempted reformation on his part,
she still hoped against reason. though il told
on her health and strength When he did
not drink she was bright. buovant. hoDpfnI
and happy; then would come rrrno-, q.
change, and with throbhiug temples. aching
head and "a pain at her heart, she would he
i'll for days. Thus he elternsted between good
and bad, knowing full well TO wha. he Wa
subiecting the lady who so wildly and madlv
loved him.
1t last, he looked candidly at MS own fate
--scanned with the future held out TO him
read his own ruin in this life and IN the
world to come, and resolved TO face his Ges
tiny and tell her all tell that his lite was
an innate failure, his path led only to dark
ness aud to ruin-the future held out nothing
ne could ask her to share and then, as if
80 mock her DESPAIR, he asked her TO forget
him.
one then teIt as If there was nothing else
'o' he' 10 10 out to lie down and die. 1t
!" 'aih ehe argued with herself that the
a"he s"enRth That had given her courage
'eiuse the man she thus loved, should
enAo'e her 10 tear the Impress of the past
their stead. Alas the las. fav dranae -
years would not drop out, but held ,enso;1
ously their place in her chain of life cor,od
ing the whole
1t was in vain she attempted control owe,
the heart, or argued that this was idolatrv :.
if such it was, she could only bow her head
and beg forgiveness for not steuming the
tide when she could but now it was flood.
tide and too late too late Out on that
tide, at the mercy of the winds and waves
rode the one dream of her heart, all there
was of life that was dear to her; and that
too, while she knew that wreck was as GER
tain as destiny itself She could only an
s~er; Love comes and goes not all will"
when hrss met her she had long since