Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-10-08

NNA1 EAh EVNAA AgNNA bNMA ~
again-that l would leave yOu.-
The law will not free me because
you are guilty Of a crime against
me aud your children, as terrible in
its effects upon us ana our happi-
ness, as any unfaithfulness could
be, but | will free myself. | give
you the choice. | will 90 away
with Nora, and leave you in pos.
session here, and you shall never
see our faces again or you may 90,
anywhere out OF town you may
prefer. l will continue to support
myself aud children, and will pay
your board wherever you may be ;
your board only, however; | will
not supply you with money TO
steep your soul father In sin"
lie agreed to her terms. Babe
Nora farewell that day, telling her
he was going TO st. Louis to look
for business, and actually took his
departure.
For three years, he led an idle,
d%issipated life, depending upon his
Woodworking wife for support, but
doing her the kindness to absent
himself from home.
Meanwhile, how was she, the UNI
fortunate heroine Of this true tale,
passing her life?
In hard work, dry and night, to
keep the wOlffrOm the door," In
constant devotion TO her children
helping Nora in her studies, for
she was anxious to fit herself as n
teacher and worrying, with q heart
full Of anxiety, over her boy, Ben
ME. lie certainly was a singular
child, both in appearance and man
ner. No life, no brightness, very
afFectionate, but lacking ordinary
intelligence. AT length a physi.
clan broke the painful truth TO
her,-the child was Il hopeless inn
beetle.
IL seemed she must sink under
this blow, and she was for days i'll
with a nervous fever, during which
while the quiet tears trickled I'M
ceasingly down her check, she
made the constant moan. "ThG
sins Of the fathers upon the chill
drenP Oh, Bonnie poor, little, in
nocent Bonnie"
: Probably nothing would have
aroused her from this apathy,
and she would gradually have sunk
into her long editor grave, had not
an appeal to the strongest of all
emotions, her mother-love, awaken
ed her TO life.
Nora had been studying toe
hard for so delicate a girl hel
brain and nerves had been Overtax.
ed then came the sad news about
Bonnie, followed by her mother
severe illness. A sudden cold seiz
ing upon her relaxed system, wa
successfully batiled with for a da!
or two; but at length she wa com
PEELED TO submit, and for week
was In a most critical state with ty
phoid fever.
During this period, a neighbor
who misLoOk meddling for philan
thrOpy, wrote to Capt, Tracy, tell
, ing him that "his boy had beef
placed in the idiot asylum, his wifi
|, had Just recovered, and his daugh
ter was In great DANGER" and seer
tainly he could see that he ought I
come home"
/. Only too glad OF an excuse, h
suddenly added to his wife's de-
/. spair by re-appearing in thei
peaceful, If not happy home.
/, He did seem a little conscience
stricken, AMI for q few weeks wa
sober, attentive and kind.
[ But when Nora was about agai
although pale and weak an
4 deplorably nervous, he little b
Q little fell back into the old ways.
I And through this relapse int
D his great fault, came the final deaf
r stroke 10 Marian Tracy's happiness
Nora IS yet was ignorant Of be
fathers intemperance. Therefor
8 one day, when she sat by the VIII
e dow sewing, and alone cher mOthC
having gone to return some work
@ her heart stood still when she say
two men come In the gate, bearin
n in their arms the body Of her fathe
4 Rushing to them, just as they reacl
cd the door, she shrieked frant
cally.
4 us he dead-is papa dead 2"
g They bundled him uuceremoI
iously down on the floor, and on
@ rough mar answered, grufily
"Better for you, Miss If he was
! But he has only been at his oil
Y tricks again getting dead drunk.
= She sank to the floor In q pr
# longed faint, and thus her motht
found her.
The sudden shock was took gre
for her Overworked brain aud anl
ious heart. At one time, melaI
chOly and mOping at another, exc
O table, and full of spirits OF the wit
d est sort. The inherited faint b
gan to show poison, and in le
than six months, the winnin
charming, loving Nora Tracy vi
an inmate of the insane asylum.
I. And did not this check Of the
q Their in his mad careerI All, IL,
With that strange blindness, whiC
+ drunkards always possess, he cOu.
n. not, or would not see himself as Il
,e real and only cause Ofall the miser
He cursed "fate" and his "unluck
It star" when, IL he had cursed hir
IN self and his demOniac appetite, !
o would have reached the truth.
III There seemed no longer an obje
" in life of sufficient interest to keC
Mrs. Tracy alive. Little Benn
IN had diedin the asylum, and Nora