Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1871-12-28


capital was almost gone, our hopes
| almost exhausted, but our love bloomed
| as fresh as ever. / tried literature and
made few pounds, but my manuscripts
but too often came back without being
read; still 1 struggled on, and wrote
several songs which had a certain
| amount of success, and once more hope
| seemed to beam upon us.
Milly-Heaven bless her i fancied
that should soon become famous, that
all Ems gland would ring with my name,
and then her father would be able to
forgive us. What might have happened
had 1 not met with such misfortunes
Heaven alone knows-I cannot say ;
but in the midst of this bright happi-
ness my wife was taken iIl-it was con-
sumption. 1 worked hard day and
night to procure the necessary medi-
cines and food for her; wrote to her
father, but received no reply; 1 went
from publisher to publisher hawking my
songs about, selling them almost for
anything to buy bread. OIL how they
ground me downl Men who had had
successful songs from me, now that they
saw me in poverty, cut down the prices
until starvation was close upon me.
One afternoon-I shall never forget
it-I left poor Milly in bed-she could
not rise-and l went to seek for work.
l called at her fathers but was turned
from the door. wandered about from
one place to another, but all my efforts
were fruitless 1 could notgain penny.
Heart broken and weary, l turned
homeward 1 had not money to buy
even a loaf of bread. Several tunes 1
paused as a well dressed man ap-
preached me, and determined to beg
but the words choked me, and they
When they had passed I was ashamed
angry with myself that 1 had not done
so.
1 was standing at the corner of
street, thinking what 1 should do, for
could not go home to Milly-my poor,
hungry, sick wife-empty-han when
I received a hearty slap on the shoulder,
and turning round, saw Gilden, the
music publisher.
"Well, Burden" he cried, "you don't
seem happy. You look as pleasant as
if you had lost half crown and found
six-pence."
"Happy" I exclaimed; "happyI
with a wife dying of consumption and
and starvation p
"Dear me that's very sad why don't
you workr'
near; 1 have done everything, but
without success
"The music trade is bad, and no mis-
take; but still 1 think something
might be done. Your songs have gone
pretty well. Now what time would it
take you to write me four songs?'
" That all depends upon what sort
you want"
"They must be strongly bacchana-
ian-fast, full of life-you understand"
ayes"
"And must have them the first
thing in the morning"
"That is short time.''
It is, but ready money, you know"
"Under those terms l agree"
every well, then there is the price
you know the music trade is very bad
at present; 1 can't give much, SO we
will say two pounds for the lot''
"What l" I exclaimed, "only two
pounds for the four songs7 Why, you
gave more for one"
"Things were different then; two
pounds for the four songs, and half
sovereign in advance; 1 can't give a
penny more"
GAS he spoke he drew half sover-
eign from his pocket and held it invit-
ingly between his thumb and finger.
ing, SO 1 agreed to write the songs.
"Mind have them early tomorrow"
he said. off you do not bring them
down by ten, shall send for them"
1 hurried away to purchase food for
my wife, and also to procure her some
medicine. l bought roll and ate it,
SOL could tell her that 1 had dined out,
fof 1 needed all the money for her.
Among the things 1 bought was some
brandy, the doctor having ordered Milly
to drink it. Loaded with these poor
things, which looked to me like heaps
of riches, I hurried homeward."
Poor Milly, when I reached her bed
side and showed her what L had
brought, met me with smile of patient
love that nearly broke my heart. She
glass of weak brandy and water, and
then fell into a light sleep. Illness, at
the best of times, is terrible; but when
we sit alone and see all we love fading
fast, the disease aided by want, to see
the thin pale face, SO like death in life,
to know that before long even the sad
pleasure of attending on it will be lost
this is indeed awful. AS l sat watch
ing and thinking 1 became desperate
my brain seemed on fire and my mouth
was parched. Selling the brandy bot
tie, poured out large glass OF spirit
and drank it off. It steaded my nerves
| and I sat down to commence my songs.
For some time 1 could gain no
thoughts the dull silence of the night,
broken only by the heavy breathing of
my wife, and low purring sound that
ratified at her chest, palled upon me;
the thin, wedge-like face, half in shade,
that reposed on the pillow; the ghost
like hand that lay so still, stretched out
| on the coverlet-all seemed to crush
me. How, with such things around
me, could L write of mirth, drink and
ollity =?
1 pressed my hands over my eyes,
and the hot tears fo4 ced themselves
through my fingers. l grew hysterical.
| 1 felt as if 1 could have screamed with
| laughter. l could not write, but the
songs must be done, or 1 should not get
the money. In hope of gaining more
| calmness l drank more brandy. Glass
after glass of the fiery fluid poured
down my throat. l felt mad; l was
not tipsy, but delirious. 1 could hear
the rattle of glasses, the merry shouts
of laughter; strange tunes, such as
would have suited orgies in praise of
Bacchus, rang in my head. seized my