Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-10-08

Wnlcn c0ncealeu H. anO was CAREFUL
In no way 10 allude to that evening
before them or him.
But the bitterness Of her grief
the pain Of the blow stung still;
and even though he returned to her
evening after evening sober, aud
all that was desirable, and though
their visit with her parents was full
Of pleasure, so hal they did not de
vine but that she was the happiest
OF women, still the cloud hung over
her head ; still she could not forget
that scene, or cease to fear It's re-
Gu renee.
When the time drew nigh that q
little babe was TO bless their home,
she thanked God for this addition.
al inducement to him to be all a
husband and father ought TO be.
He was a great deal from home due
ring this time-pleaded business
engagements which she was unsus-
picious enough to credit; and
when, at length, her trial hour came
upon her he was no where to be
found. She was i'll days, not hours;
but he did not realize 1t, he was in
such a state Of stupeiaction as not 10
comprehend what was wanted or
expected of him. Aud when he final
ly aroused enough to understand
that he was the father off puny,
little boy, only just alive. and that
his wife was not expected to rally,
then he cursed fate, providence,
that innocent babe, everything, but
himself and the wine-cup (the true
causr), as the source of all their
wretchcdness.
She lived, but she was no more
the smiling, winning, gladstone
Marian of yore, She had been too
near death she had seen too clearly
the truth, to be able to cast her sor-
row behind her; she could conceal
it from the world, although its im-
presswas on her face, and she did.
But her ardent love for her husband
waned us respect failed, until her
only idol was her boy-a boy so
like his father in temperament and
appearance, that she clasped him In
her arms tremblingly, and closed
her eyes tightly to his possible fu-
ture.
Making and excuse that his wife
did not need his society, now she
had that of the child, Captain Tracy
absented himself more and more
from home; the card-tabIe and
drinking saloon were his nightly re-
sort, and evening after evening she
watced at the open window, long
past midnight, for the sound of his
returning footsteps.
Time went on, aud with time
matters grew worse. Her parents
died, and she had no one to look to
for protection. Her fathers prop
erty had become involved, and
there was no resource for her In
that direction, and yet she saw be-
fore her, in the ~darkening future,
poverty, and perhaps distress. So
surely does intempersnce dissolve
even the fairest fortunes.
Two more children had been added
to the troubled household; q boy
whose gentle, sffectionate ways
gave her hope of some consoling
love In return for her many griefs,
but who lived only long enough to
become necessary to her happiness,
aud then, just before the advent Of
the little girl, left her desOlate.
Yet she could not pray that he
might live. She felt how much
kinder it was in God to take him,
than to let her keep him and have
him follow in the footsteps Of his
father.
"From the evil to come" she re-
peated and from her heart thanked
God that he was safe.
But she hoped when her baby
came that being so near the door
of death, God would have compass
sion on her, aud take her and the
newborn babe, home.
And she wept bitterly when the
Doctor assured her that "nOw she
would do we'll" She was greviOus-
ly disappointed, and could not at
first even feel much Interested in the
pretty, blue-eyed daughter asleep
In her arms.
She was wholly broken down by
her sorrows and ill-health, and the
neglect which she suffered at her
husbands hands. Then, too, the
ungOvernable, because half uncOn-
scious RACES, into which her hus-
band NOuld fall on every tri1ing
occasion with Archie. their oldest
son, was running the boy. He made
every excuse to get away from
home, when his father was likely to
be there and once, with a violent
burst of tears, he confessed TO his
mother.
II hate my father. He is not like
the other boys, fathers. And | am
ashamed Of him, too! l am, moth
er-I can't help It'll The boys see
him come home ZONE times and
then, when they want to make me
angry, they go staggering about the
playground, and call out to me,
'HallOo! Arch Tracy, here goes your
old dad Oh, mother, | could kill
him, aud kill myself when they do
SOP
How could she comfort the poor
boy, so much worse than fatherless.
There was no comfort for her or
him. There was nothing but pa
tient endurance, the only way to
bear disgrace.
Once she said to him with tears,
"Will not this trouble, this example,
be a warning to you, my son? VIII
you not avoid, even as you would
avoid pestilence, the slightest an.