Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1870-07-26


weeks. and when he returned home new and
costly furniture throughout the whole house
greeted his vision. 1t was a death-blow to
his hopes, and he sank into chair moaning.
'.Stella, you have ruined me Without
this extra expense, 1 could have met the de-
mands of my creditors but now all will be
swallowed up in the gulf of financial ruin
I know exactly how my accounts stand, aud
l know what this extravaganza will cost"
He sat staring listlessly out of the window,
a sort of apathy having fallen over him.
"Berta dearS you are borrowing trouble
You are looking at the dark side now; but
come into the DRAWN groom, and / will play
your favorite songs on our new piano, and the
charming music will cause your fears to van
ish Come" she said, taking his hand
"The dark sideP' he said gloomily. ''Yes,
Stella, for there is no bright side for me to
contemplate now. and you will soon feel the
cost of this vain extravagance eating into
your SOUL"
He arose and hurried from the house. he
returned at nightfall careworn and haggard.
A month later his worst fears were realized.
Everything went to satisfy the demands of
his creditors for when it became known that
he was so deeply insolvent no one would aid
him. lie rushed wildly into the street, where
he met a friend ~ who took his arm, say
ing, "Come. Chester, don't despair. Why
you are white as ghostl Come into a res
taurant with me, and we will talk the matter
over"
Almost ere he was aware of it, Bertram was
seated in gay saloon, raising the fatal cup
to his lips. Two hours later he entered his
late happy home in a beastly state of intoxi-
cation. His wife was seated at the piano,
Ill. IL, l..
into the room with bloodshot eyes, his usually
neat toilet sadly disarranged, his beautiful
auburn hair disheveled, and his hat resting
upon one side of his head.
"My God Bertram, my husband, is this
really your" she cried piteously.
Don't bother-I'm deuced sleepy" he re-
piled, and Immediately threw himself upon
the floor and sank into drunken sleep
Stella sank upon her knees behind him, her
white face stricken with horror as the terrible
truth burst upon her 40 my God why
did he drink that fatal poison? My poor
husband, my dear, noble husband has finan.
cial ruin overtaken him, and l the cause of
it? o. would give half my life to undo
this terrible work. At what fearful cost 1
have gratified a cursed desire to shine in the
first circles. What an awful change the pois.
oned bowl has made in him. o, Berta
Berta ~ She wept and wrung her hands
frantically, but tears availed her naught.-
There he lay, her once proud and happy hus-
band victim Of the demon Intemperance
She placed a pillow beneath his head and
bathed his parched face, and smoothed his
disheveled hair back from his white forehead.
He had never seemed so dear to her before,
as when she saw him in the bloom of man
hood drifting on toward ruin, and she caressed
and kissed him passionately.
"Oh my dear, wrouged husband, would
that had died ere brought this calamity
upon YOU o, God save him from the
curse of iutemperance, the fend that eats up
the soul" Four long and weary hours she
sat beside him, trying to stfle the cries of
anguish and remorse that surged up from
her bleeding heart. At length Bertram awoke
and gazed up into the white face Hes eyes,
usually so beautifully blue, wore a dull, stu
pid light, and when the memory of the events
of the day dawned upon his mind he said:
"Stella, my wife, look at mel What was a
month ago, and what am l to-day? 1 will
not rcproach you, only you must reap as you
have sown." He arose and hurried from the
house. She tried to call him back, but sobs
of anguish checked her utterance, and she
fainted away. Quarter of an hour later a SER
want came in to light the gas, and fOund her
lying on the floor, cold and white. Restora-
tives were applied and she soon revived.
Three months passed away. In misera-
BILE quarter of the city, in a cold dismal room,
in which no ray of cheer or comfort shone,
Stella Chester hovered over the dying embers
of fire, watching, waiting, listening for tho
return of her husband In the dreary weeks
that had passed since the financial crisis came
IL
and body together by sewing. In all those
weeks Bertram had scarcely drawn a sober
breath The maelstrom of temptation seemed
to be hurryinS him 20 ruin. Being entangled
in Satan's snare he had not the moral strength
to break away from the enthralling chains
At length the clock in a neighboring steeple
struck the hour of midnight and as the last
sound died away she detected the sound of
his approaching footsteps He opened the
door and entered and sat down before the dy-
ing embers Of the FIRE, and to warm his numb
hands. He was not drunk, as he had been
unable to procure liquor, and Stella moved
her stool close up to him and laid her head
upon his knee and wept. He looked at her
scrrowfully few moments, then said; "Stella,
! am not drunk why do you weep?" He
smoothed her hair kindly; the first caress he
had bestowed upon her for three months.
90! Berta, my poor, dear husband itseems
so good to see you sober, | can not keep from
crying. But how long will this last? o, if
you would only stop drinking We could get be
happy
..Uappy! Stella? think what you are say
ing. Is it possible you could be happy with
out fine house and costly furniture
80. please do not bring up the memory of
my folly. 1t was the one great mistaks of my
u i
in true happiness consists not in the vain
pomp of worldly possessions, or the parade
of costly furniture, but in the possession of
chnerfnl cnntented lisnnsitinn and a faithful