Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1870-06-02

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cheeks we're redeemed by tears, and
anxiety was marked upon every
feature, and her hurried step bcto-
kened a soul filled with SORROW
Me thought ofthe white-robed bride
of but few short years ago, and
of bright anticipations forever blast
ed.
I passed on, and few steps brot
me to the end of my journey. Here
sickening and sorrowing sight
met my gaze. A drunken and pol
luted wretch was staggering before
me. Incoherent expressions, which
his palsied lips refused to utter,
came muttering from his mouth
Reason had fed. That controlling
power of thought, the brain, was
swimming in fires Of liquid death.
This partly gave to me the key
that explained the hurried steps of
that poor and sorrow-stricken wo-
man. | retraced my steps and en-
tered the Hall where Justice was
wont to meet. Here again | met
her gaze. Her heart breaking sobs
were enough to melt a heart of
stone to pity. There was not one
that could extend the hand of char
ity in the hour of want. here
learned that she had sought this
Court that she might have redress
upon those who had made her thus
wretched; and who had violated |
Gods holy law, and the should-be
law of the land, by selling to her
besotted husband serpent's sting
a fiery element of the still! She
was, indeed, wretched. And as l
thus beheld her at the bar of
public justice, pleading for herself
and helpless family, /, too, was
deeply moved, as well as her
whose duty it was 10 administer
law upon those who violate law
And to her many interrogations,h he
answered them softly and mildly,
by asking, "Madam, can you prove
these things ?" "No," she would
exclaim, ''but I know that there iS
where he gets his liquor"
Yes, she knew it, but she could
not prove it. And this was all the
consolation that the law gave to
this poor and sorrowing woman,
and all that was left for her to do,
was to return as she came, without
one crumb of comfort to assuage
her aching heart, and that the law
upheld those whose nefarious call
ing had made the father of her
lovely child drunkard.
Time passed. And on her fleet
wings new objects came, and l be-
held a change, which was for a
a time. A spiritual messenger
came, which tarried for rawhile; and
to that weary and sorrowing moth
cr, new joys and hopes for a mo
ment rise, and then from her forev-
er fed and she was disconsolate.
AS she passed, | perceived upon her
pale, wan lips a smile. But the
joyous bride of the past, who had
givenu father aud mother, broth
ers and sisters, and the pleasures of
home, and all the youthful endear-
ments of childhood-and all for the
love ofanother-was among strang-
ers, and, indeed, miserable.
A detested Temperance organiza-
ton had sprung up in the village
Warm and true friends gathered
around him who had promised love
and protection to her in her young
womanhood. They had drawn him
within the folds of their Order
Good Templars stood around him
to give him encouragement, and to
lend him their support. And for
time there was hope.
That reddened and polluted face
again assumed pallied hue Bright
prospects appeared in the future,
stored. My little girl was more
Joyous, and her mother was more
happy The sweet tendrils Of her
womanly nature, like the ivy and
honeysuckle, clung more closely
about him.. Her prayers were for
the Order, and the friends of the
Order, that they would not forsake
her in the hour of hope. But alas
for the glowing hopes Of human
expectations. The tenpter was
near. Respectable Drug Stores
held out their allurements, and
sought to drag him from the hal
lowed hands of temperance, to
again within the grasp of Satan's
reach.