The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-01-08

fell almost to whisper, and tears rolled
down bis cheek-"ever lay wi the like o
that holding up razor-'under his sick
pillow"
was alarmed; being utterly unprepared
for this exhibition.
"You need be under nae alarm" be con
tinued, wiping the tears from bis eyes. my
courage is not yet strong enough. God be
praised for it +! Moments O. fearful fortI-
tude sometimes come owre me, and have
held that instrument in my clenched hand
-ay, within an inch O my barred throat ;
but the resolution passes as quickly as it
comes, and terror, cowardice, and shiverln
cold-dreadfu to suffer-come in their
place. Lay it past, sir-lay it pas"
obeyed; and, as proceeded to place
the instrument on the top Of chest Of
drawers, heard the noise Of some one in
the passage, with suppressed CALCULATIONS Of
20 God o God I"
81 wadna hae shown you that, he con-
tinued, as | sat down, "but that is my wish
to tell you the warst; for nae man can ex-
pect assistance, if be is afraid or ashamed to
show bis necessities and his danger. did
ma send for you to cure my body, but to ex-
anime my mind, and tell me ifit is sound and
healthy, or weak and diseased, and therefore
| will conceal neathing frae ye that may
show you its state and condition"
was pleased to find | had SO tractable a
patient. | paused for moment to consider
in what way | should draw him out, and on
what side should attack him-whether I
should argue calmly with him, and endeavor
to stimulate bis feelings Of duty to bis Ma.
ker, to himself and his poor daughter or
shake him roughly as a vain and sinful
dreamer who had voluntary swallowed per-
nicious sopori6c, and try to awaken him and
keep him awake, after the manner Of our
remedial endeavors to save those who have
attempted to poison themselves by laudanum.
/ saw, in an instant, that he was by far too
strong-minded a man to be operated upon ef-
fectually by the mere charm of the imputed
reach and strength Of our cabalistic lore
an agent, if well employed, Of great good
in our profession-and too determined (for
such resolutions are always, in some degree,
a false result of reasoning powers) to be put
from bis purpose either by firm pressure
of logical authority, or the subtle and more
dangerous means Of good humored or severe
satire. My course was clearly to endeavor
to affect the form of his own reasoning, and,
no doubt, morbid perceptions be possessed
of moral truth. | began by securing bis eye
which ! saw was, at times, inclined to wan
der, or take on that unmeaning, dull, glazed
aspect which people in the act Of brooding
over intense sorrows-as if the optic nerves.
we're thereby paralJ sed-so often exhibit.
"What train of mind are you in general
ly," said |, ''when the wish to die, accom-
panied by the fortitude you have mentioned,
comes upon you in the strongest form ~
81 first fall into a state of low spirits, "
said he, ''and then nae effort l can use will
tax my mind aft my dead wife. I think for
whole hours-sometimes on the hills, some
times in the house, and sometimes in my
bed-of our courtship, our marriage, our
happy life, and her miserable, painful, un
timely death This feeds my sorrow, which
grows stronger, and deseends deeper and
deeper, till it reaches my brain, and | am
sunk in the darkness O. despair. To escape
frae thoughts O past sorrows that are owre
strong to be bOorne, | try to look forward to
the future but alas !. | see naething there
but the pain O. livin for a number O com
fortress years O. auld age, draggin after me,
a memory clogged wi past ills, and naething
afore me but a jail, and want, and lingerin
death"
''These are false views Of life" =" said T
"overstrained and morbid. | must teach
you to think better. You have daughter
who will comfort you, and whom you are
bound to support and protect"
"True, true" be cried II hae dochter,
and better never sacrificed her ain thocbts
and feelins to the comforts O father. The
idea O. leavin her, young, faitherless, poor,
and full O. sorrow, in the midst O. bad
world, has before this lowering his voice.
drought down that rebellious hand from
this throat. But, alas for the inconsistency
and mutability O. mans fancies dearly as
| love that creature, and she is now my only
comfort, my very affection for her sometimes
sinks me deeper into that sorrow which pro-
duces the dreadful purpose O takin ava my
ain life; for l think-oh how weak is
mans proud reason, when the heart is bro
ken wi griefl-that an auld parent under
the ban O poverty is a burden to a child.
His death ESQ in these unhappy moments
do I Think relieves the unhappy BARN o
twa evils-that O. toilin maybe in vain to
support him, and that O. witnessin age, de-
creptitude, pain, misery, and want. wringin
frea his shrivelled and diseased body groans
O agony, strio in the heart O his child WI
mair pain than would be caused by the knell
O his death.
TO BE CONTINUED.