Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-03-31
The Door in the Heart.
BY VIRGINIA f. TOWNSEND.

"Shs was stern, hard woman. But
far away, up great many pairs of wind
ing stairs, in her heart was a door easily
passed by, and on the door was written
Woman. Charles Dickens.
"And so it is with the drunkard. Far
up great many winding pairs of
stairs in his heart, is a door, and OH
that door is written Man, and you must
knock at it once, twice, seven times, yes
seventy times seven, that it may open
snto us."-,J0hn B. Cough.
He was an old man-not so old either,
the years of his life could not have wrink-
| led his forehead and whitenea his hair,
and the hands locked together on the low
pine table did not tremble so with weak
ness of old age; yet very old and very
miserable looked the solitary occupant of
that narrow room or entry, with its faded
red curtains, and its atmosphere rendered
almost intolerable by the bar room into
which it opened. A hat bearing unmis-
taxable evidence of long intimacy with
brick bats and cutters, maintained a safe
position on one side of the owners head,
and pair of elbows through his coat
sleeves in rejoicing consciousness that
they could afford to be out" Add to
this, reader, a pair of pants whose origi-
nal color it would be matter of time and
study to determine, and you have the tout
ensemble of the wretched being who &C.
cupied the only grog shop which he was
allowed to frequent in all the village of
Greenfield
And yet that miserable, solitary, friend
less creature, sitting there half stupefied
with the effect of last nights revel, and
utterly unconscious that, outside, is the
May morning of God, with its glorious
birthright of sunshine and dews and bird
songs-has heart, and far away, up
great many pair of stairs in his heart, is
door, covered with cobwebs and dust, and
on that door is word written, which
Time and Sin have never been able to
sfface-and that word is Man.
| But nobody ever dreamed of this, and
| people shook their heads, and said Billy
Strong's case was a hopeless one. Had
not many kind hearted persons reasoned
with him earnestly on the evils of his
ways? Had not the temperance men
gone to him with pledge and promised
him employment if he would sign it |?
And all of this had been utterly in vain.
All, none of them had CROPPED their way
up the winding stairs, and read the name
on the hidden door there.
But, while the unhappy man sat by the
pine table that morning, the bar-keeper
suddenly entered, followed by lady
with soft, hazel eyes, and face that a
child would have gone to in any trouble.
The old man looked up with vacant
gaze of wsnder, as the bar-keeper offered
the lady chair, and pointed to the occu-
pant OF the other, saying, "That's Billy
Strong, madam" and with a lingering
stare of surprise and curiosity, left the
gentlewoman alone with the now
thoroughly sobered man.
| The soft eye of the lady wandered with
a plying expression over Bills features.
and then, in low, sweet voice, she asked
"Am / rightly informedp Do l address
Mr.. William Strong? P"
i Al with these words the LADY, had oct.
ten further up the winding stairs. nearer
/ the hidden door, than all that had gone
/ before her. eo
Eyes, that is my name, ma,am. said
Old Bill, and he glanced down a. h;s
shabby attire, and tried to hide the albor
which was peeping out the farthest fo {, !; "
was . long time since he had haen a
dressed by that name, and someho, :.
sounded very pleasant to him. - =
am very glad to meet Won NJ
Strong" said the lady; II have haard NJ, ~,
istner speak OF you SO often, and Of ~.
! DAYS when you and he were boys together