The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1871-10-12
HOW STEPHEN BAGLEY BE
CAME A DRUNKARD,

Stephen Bagley was young man o
sober, industrious habits. He was q
mechanic. but an intelligent one. He
spent most of his leisure hours. his even
ings, at home reading. He read useful
books as well as light literature. He
was fine. manly looking fellow, and
he had fine tastes mot only fine taste
n, literature, but in his dress and all his
belongings. His widowed mother kept
his house, and gratitied his tastes as fai
as lay i'm her power.
They had a neighbor, Mr.. Wilkins.
One summer, it was when Stephen was
twenty four, Mrs. Wilkins had young
niece come to visit her. She was a
lively, sparkling girl, full of vivacity
and wit She possessed, in reality, all
those jewels and flowers that usually
bedeck heroines Of iamond
eyes, ruby lips, rosy cheeks, lily com.
plexion, besides pearIy teeth, and a
marble forehead crowned with raven
hair.
Well, this young girl, Prudence Ben
ton-how she hated her name!-she
was named for an old aunt who was ex-
pected to leave her Il legacy but didn't
this young girl, with her material
beauty, and her airs and graces, took
young Bagley's heart by storm. am
not writing romance, 50 I will not fol
low the course Of their love. 1t ran
smooth, and was short. The father of
Prudence was farmer, but ne had Civ
en- her some superior advantages, as
they are called, of education. She could
play the piano, had a smattering of
French, and had studied some 'ologies,
but whether she could keep house re.
mained to be seen.
Stephens old mother had some mis-
givings upon this point. Her own
health was failing, and she thought of
his future comfort with fear. She did
not express this fear to her son. Never
a shadow from the future, marred the
brightness of his wooing days.
They were married. and, after little
trip, according to custom, the bride was
installed in her new home. For one
year every thing went on very nearly
after the old routine. Stephens mother
was able to superintend all the affairs
Of the house. and with what assistance
Prudence afforded, with occasionally q
little hired help, things went on very
we'll.
Then change came. One afternoon
there was company, and the old lady
overtaxed. HemOrrhagc of the lungs,
to which she had been subject, ensued.
She lived but three days. Then the
reins fell into the hands of the young
wife.
About six months after the death of
the mother, they sent for me to come
and spend month with them. had
been engaged in teaching, but in conse
quence Of fall l was famed so that
was unable to walk without the aid of a
crutch. So they thought my coming
there for visit Of a few weeks would be
. mutual benefit; the change would be
good for me, and my com pany would be
q pleasure to them, as they were pleased
to say.
l had been an acqua intance-I may
say friend-of the young wife for many
years, though considerably older than
herself. had not been many days in
the house before / saw that something
was wrong, and I felt that very great
evil might result from 1t, yet I shrank
from the duty of pointing 1t out to my
young friend. How could I write my
self her friend, yet shrink from, neglect
this duty? Yet l did.