The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-03-31
NUMBER 10.

had, may be it would not have ended SO.
The evening came on, and | thought my
baby breathed hard in her cradle took
the cradle and went over to look at her;
her little face was red +; and when I laid
my cheek close TO her lips SO as not to
touch them, but to feel her breath, it was
hot-very hot she tossed her arms, and
they were dry and burning. The measles
were about the country, and | was fright
ened for my child 1t was only half
mile TO the doctors knew every foot
of the road; and SO, leaving the door on
the latch, resolved to tell him how my
darlint was, and thought should be back
before my husbands return. Grass, YOU
may be sure, didn't grow under my feet.
l ran with all speed, and wasn't kept
long, the doctor said. though it seemed
long to me. The moon was down when
came home, though the night WAS fine.
The cabin we lived in was in a hollow
but when | was on the hill, and looked
down where | knew it stood, dark mass,
thought | saw white light fog coming
out of it; | rubbed my eyes, and darted
forward as a wild bird flies to its nest
the heavens. When reached the door,
L saw it was open +; the fume cloud came
| out of it, sure enough, white and thick
| blind with that and terror together,
rushed to my childs cradle / found nv
way to that, in spite of the burning and
the smothering. But, Elen-Ellen Muir
! ply, my child, the rosy child whose
breath had been hot on my cheek only q
little while before, she was nothing 6ut
| cinder
''Mad as 1 felt, I saw how it was in a
minute. The father had come home as /
expected he had gone to the cradle to
look at his child, had dropt the candle
into the straw, and, unable to speak or
stand, bad fallen down and asleep on the
floor, not two yards from my child Oh,
| how flew to the doctors with ,ciat had
been my baby; l tore across the country
like banshee laid it in bis arms |
told him if he didn't put life in it, I'd
destroy him and his house. He thought
me mad for there was no breath, either
cold or hot, coming from its lips then [
couldn't kiss it in death /; there tcas nothing
lett Of ny child to kiss-;hink of that [
snatched it from where the doctor had
laid it; L cursed him, for he looked with
disgust at my purity child. The whole
night long l wandered in the woods of
Newtownbarry with that burden at my
heart -
''3ut her husband, her husband 20 in
quired Larry, in accents of horror ''what
become of him did she leave him in the
burning without calling him to himself7"
''No." answered Ellen 81 asked her,
and she told me that her shrieks she sup>
posed reused him from the suffocation In
which he must but for them have perished.
He staggered out of the place, and was
found soon after by the neighbors, and
lived long after, but only to be a poor,
heart broken man, for she was mad for
years through the country and many
day after she told me that story, my heart
trembled like a willow leaf And now,
Ellen Murphy she added, when the end
was come, do ye wonder | threw from
your hand as poison the glass you offered
me! And do you know why have tould
you what tears my heart TO come over p
because [ wish to save you, who showed
me kindness, from what l have gone
through. It's the only good l can do ye,
and, indeed, it's long since | cared to do
good. Never trust drinking man; he
has no guards on his words, and will say
that of his nearest friend, that would
destroy HIM soul and body. His breath
is hot as the breath of the plague; his
tongue is foolish, as well as fiery ser
pent. Ellen, let no drunkard become
your lover, and don't trust TO promises ;
try them, prove them all, before you
marry"
'Ellen, that's enough" interrupted
Larry, 81 have heard enough-the two
proofs are enough without words. Now
hear me. What length of punishment an
/ to have? | won't say that for, Nell
there's tear in your eye that says more
, than words. Look-IlI make no promi
! ses-but you shall see I'll wait yer time
, name it I'll stand the trial."
And l am happy to say, for the honor
and credit of the country, that Larry die
stand the trial-his resolve was fixed h,
never so much as tasted whisky from tha
J time, and Ellen had the proud satisfaction
= of knowing she had saved him from des
! truction. They were not, however, mar
ried till after Easter. 1 wish all IrisI
), maidens would follow Ellen's example
Women could do great deal to prov
that ''the least toste an i!!fe'' is great tast
: too much that ''oNLY DROP" is
4 temptation fatal if unreslsted.
! ANOTHER NEW WAY TO PAY OLD DEBTS
u "A singular financial transaction occurIe
e in one of the dock offices day or two since
8 BY some means or other it happened that tt
e office boy owed one of the clerks three cent
The clerk owed the cashier two carts an