The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-08-12
weak and i'll. the father went, just at night.

weak and i'll. the father went, just at night
fail
He got some medicine for the girl, and a
trite in the way of pecHniary assistance. =
On his way back, he earned sixpence by
! holding horse; and he turned homeWard
/ with enough money to supply their most
| pressing wants for two or three days to
come. He had to pass the -public-house.
He fingered for an instant, walked past it,
turned back again, fingered once more, and
finally skunk in. Two men whom he had
! not observed were on the watch. They
were on the point of giving up their search
IN despair, when his lettering attracted their
attention; and when he entered the public
house, they followed him. .-
you'll drink with me, master, said one
of them, profering hi Ii q glass of, liquor.
h ftApd me, too, said the other, replenish-
ing the glass as soon as it was drained OF
its contents ~ Fs -.-.-...-.,.. ---
The man thought of hishungry children,
and his sons danger. But they were moth
ling to the drunkard. He did drink; and
his reason left him.
"a wet night Warden" whispered. one
of the men IN his ear, as he at length turn
ed to goAway, after spending in liquor one
daughters life ,depended.r - a-ii-'T y,t
''Fh6 right sort of night for our friends
in hiding, Master Warden; whispered the
other. 81 -.-- ra-. ~ I.,.---, .....
5''Sit down here, said the one who. had
spoken first, drawing him into corner -
we have been looking arter the young un.
We came to tell him it's all right now, but
we couldn't find him, cause we hadn't get
the precise direction. But. that amt
strange. for don't, think he know'd it
himself when he come to London, did he?"
mo, he didn't, replied the father. ~
The two men exchanged glances. q
There's vessel down at the docks, to
sail at midnight, when it's high water" re-
sumed the first speaker, ''and we'll put him
on board. His passage is takenin another
name, and what's better than that, it's paid
for. Its lucky We met YOU" ,sy,5,.. : .--
Every, said the second r-0 -..f p
Capital luck, said the first, with wink
to his companion,
''Great, replied the second, with slight
nod OF intelligence. t..' 50
''tAnother glass here; quick"-saId the
first speaker. And in five minutes more
the father had unconsciously yielded up
hsiown SON into the hangman's hands.
Slowly and heavily the time dragged
/ AlO--s5s % VIC OAOlhOA dA1Q blbICIgs III Iu6lI
miserable hiding-place, listened in anxious
suspense to the slightest sound. length
heavy footstep was heard upon the stair;
it approached nearer; it reached the land
ing and the father staggered into the
room. tifat =, H-t-
The girl saw that he was intoxicated, and
advanced with the candle in her hand to
meet him; she stopped short gave loud
scream, and fell senseless on the ground.
She had caught sight of the shadow of a
man reflected on the floor. They both rush
ed In, and in another instant the young
man was G prisoner, and handcuffed.
every quietly done, said one of the men
to his companion, ''thanks to the old man.
Lift up the girl, Tom come, come, it's no
use crying, young woman. It's all over now,
and can't be helped" .f-o.iT u
The young men stopped for an instant
over the girl, and then turned fiercely round
upon his father who ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS the
wall, and was gazing on the group with
drunken stupidity FFr.e s--c-s-.stss
Listen to me, father" he said, in tone
that made the drunkard's flesh creep. 'tMy
brothers blood, and mine, is on your head:
1 never had kind look, or word, or care,
from you, and, alive or dead, never will
forgive you. Die when you will, or how, 1
will be with you. 1 speak as a dead man
now, and warn you, father, that as surely
as you must one day stand before your Ma
ker, SO surely shall your children be there,
hand in hand. to cry for Judgment against
you" He raised his manacled hands in a
threatening attitude, fixed his eyes on his
shrinking parent, and slowly left the room; !;
and neither father nor sister ever beheld
him more on this side of the grave.
H. = n.
ter's morning penetrated into the narrow
court, struggled through the begrimed win-
dow of the wretched room, Warden aWoke
from his heavy sleep, and found himself
alone. He rose, and looked round him !;
the old flock mattress on the floor was un-
disturbed; everything was Just as he re-
membered to have seen it last; and there
were no signs of any one save himself, hav-
ing occupied the room during the night.
He inquired of the other dodgers, and the
neighbors; but his daughter had not been
seen or heard Of He rambled through the
streets, and scrutinized each wretched face
among the crowds that throneed them with
anxious eyes. But his search was fruitless,
and he returned to his garret when night
came on, desolate and weary.
For many days he occupied himself in
the same manner, but no trace of his daugh-
ter did he meet with.-and no word of her
reached his ears. At length he gave up
the pursuit as hopeless. He had long
thought of the probability of her Ieayir g
him, and endeayoring to gain her bread in
quiet elsewhere. She had left him at last
to starve alone. He ground his teeth, and
cursed herr
He begged his bread from door to door
i Every halfpenny he could wiring from the
1 pity Or credulity of ttose to whom he ad-
dressed himself was spent in the old way.
a year passed over his head; the roof of. a
Jail. was the only one that had sheltered
him for many months. He slept under
archwsys, and in brickfelds-any
where there was some warmth. or shelter
from the cold and rain. But in the last
stage of poverty, disease, and houseless
want, he was a drunkard still.
At last one bitter night he sank down on
a doorstep, faint and ILL The premature
decay of vice and profigacy had worn him
to the bone. His cheeks were hollow and
livid; his eyes were sunken, and their sight
was dim. His legs trembled beneath his
weight, and cold shiver ran through every
limb.
And now the long-forgotten scenes of q
misspent life crowded thick and fast upon
him. He thought OF the time when he had
a home-a happy, cheerful home-and OF
those who peopled it, and focked about
him then, until the forms of his elder chill
dren seemed to rise from the grave, and
stand about him-so plain, so clear, and
so distinct they were, that he could touch
and feel them. Looks that he had long
forgotten were fixed upon him once more
. voices long since hushed in death sounded
in his ears like the music of village bells.
But it was only for an instant. The rain
beat heavily upon HIM; and cold and hun.
ger were gnawing at his heart again, "a
He rose and dragged his feeble limbs 9
few PAGES further. The street was silent
and empty; the few passengers who passed
by at that late heur, hurried quickly on
and his tremulous voice was lost in the
violence Of the storm Again that heavy
chill struck through his frame, and hi:
blood seemed to stagnate beneath it Ht
eoiled himself up in protesting doorTaN
and tried to sleep.
But sleep had fed from bis dull anC
glazed eyes. His mind wandered strangely
, bnt he was awake and conscious. The
well-known shout of drunken mirth sound
ed in his ear, the glass was at his lips, the
board was covered with choice rich food
they were before him; he could see then
Ill "a hoI hr7F 70 raao6 0v,E =