The weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1869-18??, 1870-06-01
:: It Might Have Been."
4 Temperance Sketch.
BY sTLvANUs CoTE, JR.

"Ah it might have been otherwise with
me- II might have been diffcrrnt--far dit
fercnt :" And Paul Hartley bowed his
head as he looked back into the years that
were past.
Tut, tut, my dear Paul said his friend,
touching him upon The shoulder: Never
think of wlili might hnce been. Think, |
rather. of what SHALL. BE Let the past |
take Its own burdens; and let us brace our
selves for the future"
Aye answered Paul, looking up, and
trying to smile; but how shall we steer our
barks in the time to come without chart or
compass and where shall We find Our chart
and compass, save IN the experience OF the
past?"
"You arc right, Paul-right so f..F rs
needing the past for its lessons of expert
ence is concerned but We need not look
upon the past gloomiy; VIC need not look
back into the departed years repiningly.
If there have been errors, aud We have sin
ccrely rcpented, then let us hope that the
true life of the coming time shall blot those
errors from the rccorl
And still Paul Hartley shook his head.
s.Ah!" he said, there are errors which
cast ss deep shadow upon life that no time
ofcarth can Yield light enough to illnmiue
the dark spots. The years that have been
lost can never lie rcgainct. Though my
life in the time to come were rs the life of an
angtl. could not redeem that which have
cast away. The coming forth into life can
not oblterate the memory OF the midnight
wandering; nor can the entrance upon Il
smooth and level path take away the scars
and the hating which come ct sore wounds
and broken bones got in the pitfalls of er
ror. All, my friend, if there be one man,
more than another, WIN has cause TO think
rcgrctfnlly of the past, it is he who has cast
the bright hours of opening manhood under
the dread shadow of the wine cup, and the
golden opportunities Of whose liic have been
all thrown away. 0, pardon that man
when, in the agony nf thought, he says, 1T
MIGHT HAVE BEEN y 70 H..F D. .a
paul, you have never told me of your
past life. Have you had much bitter exper-
icncc ~
After little time Paul Hartley moved
away that his face mi.cliL- be shaded from
tI,,. direct rays ID the lamp. an'!
Il will relate to you one incident "f my
experience. and you shall then judge.
INV parents both died when was very
Young. and was an only child of prop
erty nv father left enough to support me
through early childhood, and no more. My
nearest relative was my Aunt Sarali-my
fathers sister, older than himself She was
4 true hearted woman, and she loved me as
thoudrh had been her own child. In short
she regarded me rs of her own flesh and
blood, and no mother could have been more
fond of her offspring tlian was my aunt OF
me- In other wears Aunt Sarah !fHt! served
as nurse in the family of Il man who lived
in. New York city,-1F. II what Is now a
part of the city; bat which was then re
rardcd us back in the country. lie 0wnct
n cottage. AMI two or thr'r acres OF land,
where now are r.,tre'i some "i the stateiIest
structures Of the Eighth Avenue This man
had no children Ills wife died in Aunt
Sarah's ari:iS and he went away to die IN
Europe; hut he di'l nut inrget his faithful
nurse. He lrit her. 10y will. his estate IN
New York. AMI she rented it to i gardener
n man who had b, ell kinI to her. and whom
she wished t, bcfriend Shrewd men, who
fnrcsaw how the city was destined to grow,
sought to purchase that land; but my aunt
would not remove the poor man tn whom
she had let it; and thus, through her gener-
nns friendship for another. she held the es-
tate, and her tenant raised his garden vege
tables thereon, even after the oncoming tide
of improvement had reared It's walls ol
brick and granite upon its very confines
And 50, without the least thought of self
her property grew in value, until her rental
amounted to more than ten thousand Il year
besides much money in bank.
81 was from the first Il wayward boy
but loved my good aunt, and certainly
meant to make her happy. need not tel
YOU of all my Shortcomings. When l wa!
fifteen years old ! hal learned To lot wine
and drank the first at my auuts sideboard
After that fell into bad company, ant
vent down very low When ! was eighteel