The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1870-12-01

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of speculation. And III the long unccr
uncertainty that followed, Hugh Earl
was 10 despair because In an unguarded
moment he had hazarded his all, ant
. that any Sigh. wind OF fortune nigh
capsixe tho frail barquc, and then bis
wife and children would be beegared
As time wore away, md II became 3
certainty that the whole was SINK in
the great vortex, and that he owned
not a cent in the world, lie could hard.
!, |ly sustain himself with christian folti-
tide. And when lie came to give up
!, his great house, and people whom he
had once regarded as his dearest
friends failed to recognize him; when
The saw his wife and daughter engaged
+ in mere household drudgery, he was
|maddened, and sought to drown his
) thoughts in midnight revelries with the
knocking demon Of liquor. In vain
Mrs. Earlston and Annie assured him
that this new life of quiet and retire
mentwas welcome, so long as he was
with them. His. spirit seemed broken
down, and his pride gone. '0
Poor Mrs Earlston! This last
stroke was more than she could hear,
and she soon sunk broken hearted to
the grave. For awhile after his wifc's
death, Nj. Earlston seemed awakened
to sense Of his duty. He resolved to
leave a place which was, of late,
lraught with so many unpleasant asso-
Citations, and remove TO New York,
where, unknown, he might again rise
in the M rid.
Annie had lever seen her lover since
her fathers fall. Not long before, Cor.
don Reynolds had started to Paris for
his sister. Her husband had died,
leaving her IN feeble health. in land
of strangers, and she had written a pa
thetid appeal to Gordon, begging him
to come and take her home. He parted
from Annie with a sad heat and tear
full eyes. And as he pressed her again
and again to his bosom, a shadow
crepr into his heart, presentiment Of
coming evil, and pressing his lips to
hers, he whispered his fears that this
was their last meeting on earth. An
ME, smiling through her teais, scoldcd
him for entertaining foolish fears, and
he was gone.
Soon after their misfortune, Annie
received a bitter, scornful note from
Mrs. Reynolds, Gordon's mother, say
ing she might now consider the en-
gagement formerly existing between
herself and Gordon as entirely broken
off. for her son would never disgrace
himself and his family by marrying a
beggar. Annie did not believe that
Gordon would ever allow such despica-
BILE sentiments to influence him, but
Mrs. Reynolds had well calculated her
character when she wrote that note.
Annie EarlstOn scorned to become an
unwelcomc inmate in any family. So,
when her father proposed going to
New York, she readily assented. They
left, and no one was aware of their
destination. Not single one of the
numerous pretended friends aud syco-
plants that had once tbronged around
them, seemed aware of their existence.
All, verify! Human friendships are
precious Blooms to treasure away in the
heart! Some one. who doubtless
writes from bitter experience, says
"What is friendship but name!
A charm that iulls to sleep!
| A shade that follows wealtha and fame,
| And leaves the wretch to weapw
Soon after ther-arrival ia New York,
after few futile attempts to get into
business, Mr.. Earlston fell into dissi-
patton. 1t seemed that intemperance,
g like a strong man armed" had taken
possession of body and soul. Aud
then came hard times for poor Annie.
BY taking in sewing she did what she
could to support their little family.
But with all her efforts she was hardly
able to keep the grim giant spectre OF
starvation from the door. Her father
had attached himself as tapster in
some low dram.shop. But all of his
earnings were drowned in the fiery po-
tations that daily and nightly passed
down his throat. Little Charlie, now
grown into a bright, intelligent lad Of
twelve years, did all he could to help
her; but his hands, though willing,
were small, and work was scarce.
So Annie sewed on in the chill au-
tumn evening, her fingers keeping
time to the busy train of thought. And
as the deepening twilight stole through
the room, she laid aside her work, oil.
most for the frst time in many long,
weary hours. Then she rubbed her
numbed fingers together, and, throwing
a shawl over her shoulders, she sat