The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-08-02
THE HAVEN OF REST.
by L. c. t.

oh. no moro sna1 inc WIG watch ana
weep.
Oh no more to the mother and child
Shall the nSlt black and desoIate Gomez
: As Jane Cleary stood over her dying
boy on that wild, wintry night, her
thoughts were almost as wild, and
bitter, and stormy as was the night
without.
To have seen her hard, stony look
ing face, almost rigid in its expression;
her cold, gray eyes, undimmed by a
single tear; her pallid lips, closely
compressed, as she bent low over the
pallet of straw whereon the fair young
child lay, one would have called her a
pitiless, iron hearted woman--a woman
devoid Of motherly tenderness and
love. But it was not thus. However
cold and stern the exterior, could the
Inward breast have been probed, and
tho heart tIuthfally read, that stern
calmness would have been found to
have consisted of deep settled des-
pair, generated by long blighting .sor-
rows-sorrows that had tendency
to chill the very fount Of life, and
which was slowly by degrees wearing
it out.
Jane Cleary had experienced enough
of this worlds dark, trying cares to
CONCEAL any nature, however warm it
may have been. And Jane, though
cold and frigid now in looks, though
broken inwardly BY heavy giiefs, had
one time in life been a sunny faced,
tender hearted being. But this had
been of long ago, away back yonder,
ere she had taken another than her
maiden name, ere yet she had gone out
from the paternal home with the man
she loved, to faithfully, fondiy struggle
with him in the great battle of life.
Forsooth were those days all sun
shine, as bright as her own sweet, fan
self. And when Thomas Clearly led
the beautiful, Flushing girl to the al
tar, she gazed silently upon the noble,
handsome man at her side, and in hel
soul she said that her joy was compile
ted !; that naught was lacking to crown
her bliss.
Alas! poor girl. Little didst thcc
suspect that it was misery instead OF
happiness that thou was taking to thy
breast. Thatit was rude tolls and pri.
vations, instead of ease and luxury =
That it was shame instead of honor and
virtue. For it was thus.
A few bright months of welded bliss
and then came change. AS swiftly
poiselessly as the gliding serpent, the
curse came on--so swiftly, noiselessly,
that she knew not, nay, suspected
naught of it's existence till the monster
had coiled itself upon her very hearth.
stone, and had struck deep into hel
quivering heart its poisonous fangs.
He, whom she so fondly loved, lie
WHOM she had promised at the altar to
faithfully love, honor and obey; he
who had been the early hope and pride
of his friends, had, in an evil moment,
yielded to the intoxicating bewl-had
fallen.
All |! it was terrible, terrible blow
to that fond, trusting heart, and it
made her weep, and bend beneath its
powerful weight.
From the first moment that he yield
ed, everything had downward ten
dency. From the almost palatial man
sion by degrees they sank, till at
length the rude, unfurnished garnet
became their home; and, what was
worse still, the once noble, gifted man
continued to sink lower, too, in infamy
and crime.
Only one child had eye< been born to
them-their son Lonis. A young thing
he was, too fair and fragile for this
world; and it was over his dying bed
that the poor mother stood on that
winter night.
Thomas Cleary was there, too. He