The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1871-01-26

John Brodie entered the room. The
latter took the brother seat. and
was then Of what Alice had been
saying. He gazed into her beauti-
ful face a moment, and then he
clasped her to his bosom.
'Neverf' he cried. ssLeave me?
Oh every hope of joy III the future
is centered in you. Leave me?L
You cannot. Together, with vou
and health, wen start up life's hin.
and carve our own way. Say, love,
you cannot deny me"
She did not.
John Brodie took sweet Alice
Darcy for his wife, and true to
promise, the old man c,lst him off,
and even closed his DOORS against
mis- disobedint boy. John was sor-
ry, for he still loved that old man
who had been his father. But the
young man was happy. He had
found a wife more valuable than
houses and money, and he knew
how to prize her. He went to his
father once and asked that he might
be. received, not as an heir, but as
a child; but he was Indignantly re-
jected.
"But you will love me some time
again" the young man said.
"Neverr' was the parents reply.
John went no more to his fathers
horse. Alice did all in her power
to make her husband happy, and
she succeeded. And she did more.
She helped him in his business,
and encouraged and sustained him
in all his efforts.
In a few years fortune smiled up
on John Brodie. He had saved
enough, with his wife's help, to go
into business, and an excellent op-
portunity was found. All Of
the young merchants ventu-
res proved favorable. Gold came
to his Golfers and he grew rich.
In course of time John Brodie
saw group of four children about
him-three daughters and one son
and his home was one of aff1u-
ence and solid comfort. He had
placed his gentle Alice at the head
of a costly establishment, and the
future promised much.
When Alice's Oldest daughter was
sixteen the mother received word
that her old uncle-the one who
had brought her up-was dead, and
that all his property was left to her.
1t amounted to farm worth some
five thousand dollars, besides good
buildings, farming utensils, good
stock Of oxen, horses, pigs, sheep
and poultry.
'.We do not need it." said John
Brodie.
'But shall keep it, nevertheless.
Who knows but the time may come
when our boy may need a home
I'll keep it, John"
A good man was obtained to live
on the distant farm, and from that
time John Brodie almost forgot
there was such a thing
A few more years sped on, and
then came a cloud over the business
world. The cloud grew more heavy
and dark, the lightning bolt follow
ed, and the crash came. Fortunes
sank like wrecked ships; men arose
in the morning worth tens of thou
sands, and returned to their homes
at night penniless; strong men be-
came weak and tottered; magnif-
cent business schemes fell through
in a day, carrying their projectors
down to ruin; and wall of woe
and distress went up from the land.
John Brodie came home one eve
ming and sank into a chair. He
was pale and wan, and a death like
damp stood upon his brow.
81 know it al" whispered Alice
winding her arms about his neck
'eyou have lost your fortune"
"Aye," the merchant groaned-
''every pennyr'
''Is all lost, John? Have you
saved nothing?'
Nothing, Alice, nothing! ]
have lost thirty thousand dollars by
one bank, and nearly as much more
by the failure Of a single house. ]
am ruined! Oh! 1 could bear il
for myself, but for you, my wife ant
children. 'Tis terribler'
"What is terrible?7 asked Alice
in a whisper.
"Such ruin =
"Ruin of whatY' said the wife
eagerly and earnestly, with her arms
still about her husbands neck
@Are we not richer than we wer'
when we were SO happy in our morn
ing Of life? See our children"
/ AYE, and see them suffer-!
mo. no" cried a chorus of vol
| ces; and more warm arms wert
about his neck.
''No, no, repeated Alice; "neve
so happy as now if they can bu
boI, x-o,1 to hsn,,iness- You hav