The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-07-27
.,eaf1, IL, Life.

Af,o,it two years ago TUE aite!lia ', ,''.s
went and pity Of social circles III Iortaslho,
Oregon (rciates the local herata,, WIS rs, a
yo,lns man whose conviSiai Weaehess neu.
fralized his every good inteha0h ann i''. -,
u..a . contcnpt to himself and burden 10
nm ,sho cared for him With mental caFaci-
s;',, ,,.,,n shove the average and moral sehsi-
,s,,;ss 70 keep alive his sense OF shame AZ
~. own degrading excuses, the miserable
.a,,r., fe,,ow,s career was but succession OF
-, ,',nont.nces and renewed indulSences,
Iii III. once. comfortable home had become
,,nn,,,s;ve with debt and despair, and his poor
vn,,no vic could have prayed that death
.,,o,,id c,atm both Of them while 1t could YET
come without infamy. Reckless. unprinci-
Med borrowing of money for dissipation
from the nearest practicable possessor Is one
of the first az il is amongst the Inst Signs VI d
charscter lost to all honor and se!i-re-
sncct in the EQUALIZATION of diam-driik-
;pr and the subject of this sRctcn
had nr,ctjccd il until the toleration VI
his most tntent victim was exhausted.
Gins II cps,led that when, one DAY III MS
,naudIin extremity. he applied to much
,r;ed acquaintance for a further sum, ana ~
timated that he should destroy himself II his
request was refused, the hasty answer was
We'll, that is perhaps the best thihS yon
could do" The words seemed 10 snoch
and arouse the hapless wretch, as suSgeslihs
a new, awful, and prophetic idea. ltN q
CHASTITY smile and frightened stare ne n'u, !,
tered, "That's so; believe you're fi2hl,
and turned away partly sobered. In all houi
thereafter, ut nightfal, he was seen ON thS
edge of the wharf. People near III manu-
heard a heavy splash In the wafer, anu "olu
was carried to the waiting wife at nome tliat
her hapless husband had committed sniciue'
In the morning the river was dragged 1oi . .i
BODY, but not until week following o'u .ne
, vo, east ashore the di>fgurcd remains
which TO the ewes of near relatives only, had
n semblance of the lost drunkard. Il de-
cent funeral came next, by grace OF Cnrls-
tim charity, and the weeping and pennies
widow was left to battle alone in the worldfor
n livelihood. In this she might have reached
an early crave herself, being wholly unused
TO severe toll, but for the chivalry OF friend,
who: after exerting himself to obtain en-
uIoyment for her, allowed his interest to as
snmc gradually deeper character. ana hnal-
" prevailed upon her to become his WE.
So rassed away from current record the very
name of the first husband; not to find mc;l-
tion anuu until recalled by IL revelation Of
the last week. The person whose final re-
fusal of money to the unfortunate borrower
had been accompanied by such fatal WORDS,
and who had never forgiven himself the Ut
terance of those words, chanced TO be III
Chicago on business lately, and was greatly
startled at noticing in the features OF AL
humble workman upon one OF the new
buildings there, an exact likeness 10 the
lonu-ayo suicide of Willmcttc river. No
ticino his involuntary start and stare, INC
workman unliesitatingly advanced toward
him with extended hand, and salutcd
him by name. The dead was alive again !;
the former self-dcStroyer, Of Portland,
Oregon, was now Il sober but preinaturc'y
AGED brickluyer in the City OF the Great
Fire. and frankly confessed his Identity be-
fore the other could accuse him thereof.
Dead, however, to his former unworthy sell
and unworthly- trcated relatives, he wished
still TO remain, and would never resume bis
old name nor return to his former home.
His wife must procure divorce from INN
and have her second marriage solemnizcd
anew; a., in pretending suicide, he had Ia
ken leave of her and all his other youthful
associations us perfectly as though he had
really died. The idea of suicide, as suggested
by his friends impulsive response to his last
disgraceful importantly, had taken such 4
hold upon his conscience that only sudden
hope coming to him rs he was preparing &c
plunge into the dark water had prompted
him to cast a heavy stake into the tide III
stead, and then fly forever from the scene,
of his past ignominy and despair. 1t was
well for those lie left behind that TN,
body of some dead stranger, east up 10y The
waves, was subsequently taken Tor his own
and confirmed his mortal departure. From
Dalcs by stage to Keton, and from thence
by rnil to Chicago, he had made pilgrimage
Into q new lite-a life of rigid self-control
penitencc, and honest, if humble, toll, il
which, under new name, and atar from al
that he once was OF ever again shall be. he
has determined to spend the remainder o
DAYS vo,lchsafed to him in this world, ant
strive TO merit rehabilitation i'll the world tt
come. "You need not rcproach yourself fol
those words of yours" he added when hi
old friend spoke reSrctfully Of them, "tol
they only warned me i'll time of what must
have been my end if they had not been said
just as they were aud them