The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1870-02-04

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: but its stamina and elasticity were gone.
And often. amid the cares Of an increas-
: ing family and extended business, did
! he sigh for health and strength hc had
wasted.
lie was passionatcly fond of his chill
|. dren: yet. among five, only two sur
vivcG their childhood. the oldest and
youngest The others died. one after an
other, Just as he was beginning 10 feel
how inoxpressibly dear they were.
Richard. the oldest, was Il wili'il way
ward boy subject from his childhood to
strange moods aud bursts Of passion.
which made him Il terror TO the whole
household. lie was carefully trained
. educated. and all the Influences brought
Ito bear upon him were OF an clcvating
land restraining nature bu. his seemed
to be one OF those instances of early de-
,piavitv into whose moral darkness no
ray Of light can penetrate. There Seem
led to be no conscience TO appeal 10. no
lplinciplc 10 build upon. lie possessed
nothing of the frank generosity and
kindness of feeling which were the re-
decmng qualities of his father in carly
life. every instinct of his nature appear
led to be perverted and dcpraved.
! As ne approached The age of manhood
his evil passions received an additional
impetus, and before lie was twenty his
,lissolute conduct was the subject Of
public comment.
II was in vain that his father cndenv-
lored 10 restrain him; he either turned n
deaf ear to his rcmonsirances. or rcior-
ted by reminding hiIn OF The prohigacy
f,of his ow youth.
. And when Mr.. Armstrong recalled TO
mind the fearful entreaties OF his own
father. whose last days his conduct had
,cmbilicrcd.h lie could not but acknowledge
/, that he was reaping as he had sowed.
AT last. after helping himself literally
Ito money from his fathers desk, Rich-
lard suddenly disappeared. and though
Mr.. Armstrong made every cXertion 10
,Ilind him. no trace ol him could be dis
covered.
Il A few months later letter reached
|, Mr.. Armstrong from ncigliboring city,
stating that his son. in some drunken
,carousa. had mortally wounded one ot
hi, companions, and was in Jail, await
: ing his trial.
4 Before he could put into execution iii:
instantly termed determination to go Il
al
E intelligence that he had been found deac
II in his cell the morning after his arrest
!, having hung himself 10 one Of the graf
h ings: :.
! thee. q. Richard. my son. my soul.
! moancd the wretchcd father, a. lie ben
j in fearless agony over the di-honoro,
body Of The chiId.in spite Of all his way
- lwar,Incs>. SO well beloved. IHE MuK
/, ,urRrR AND THE sElF-MURDEREE
I. One of The officers of the jail va
4 standing bv him, 10 whom MIR. Arm
=. strong was wcl!-known by reputation.
"liow strange" he said 10 hiinscll
.. that 50 good aud upright nam Shouts
a have such \ son
!, Was il strange? Ths: unhappy youn,
man was a tvpn Of what lis father wa
l. when the first faint throhhipgs of hi
:, nilt.e life began. lie inherited all In
!, evil passions Of that reckless period G
: his life. intensified by transmission. an
n more feeble organization. which gay
q him less powers of resistance and sell
:, control. And al the sin aud suilcrin
= (which followed were in strict accord
!. ancc with ono of the prime laws OF ma
4. iurc ordained for good. but perverted I
:. lcvil.
, Mr. Armstrong; heart turned. nov
with peculiar tenderness toward hi
u daughter. his only remaining child. I
/, give her life. his wife. whose constitu
: tion was naturally delicate. Welded u
II her own. which made lcr doubly dca
j. TO him.
", A; first. she seemed 10 have bnt a fra
I, hold Of Ike. and many night did MI
e Armstrong watch beside her. in Il,
! hourly fear that she would follow he
H. inother.
iii llut contrary TO every expectation. sll
\, struggled through a sickly childhoo
~ and stood upon the threshold of woman
- hood.iair and bcau,iul.and radiant wit
the light and bloom OF youth. Giitc
,h in mind and gentle of heart every ta
- made her more precious in her father
m cyes.uniil he regarded her with YEAR,
~ ing tcndcrncss,a trembling idolatry thi
was almost painful 10 witness.
g. When She was about eighteen. tho il
a. siduous disease. that was all the whi
" lurking in her veins. began 10 mantle
ne itself. Vain. alike, were medical ski
20 and the most devoted and waichflll car
Vain the agonizing prayer that aro'
n from the fathers heart. that this oi
n. child might be spared him! The wor
ne of disease went slowly but steadily o.
tc Through many weary month did Il
d. gentle girl anguish upon bed Of suilc
inr. and then death kindly came to h,