The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1872-08-02
thy and aid, only they can tell. Oh,
stretch forth a helping hand towards
Your erring fellOW-men. add your lit

stTttcn 10TH heIphlg flniM GOWafus
your erring fell0w-men, add your lit
tie might to the noble cause Of tenn
perance, and God will surely bless It.
Amy saw, with the extreme bitter
anguish Of her heart, how reckless her
husband had become, and that, unless
some change for the better occurred In
him, that his present evil habits and
gay companions were forsaken, and
his return to the pathof sobricty male
sure, his fate could not be otherwise
than that of filling drunkard's grave.
What could she do she asked herself
more than once, but there came no
definite answer to this all-ilnportant
1auestion. But however dark her
pathway seemed, however elouded
her future might be, she would not
desert her husband Ia his hour OF dis
grace, but with that faithGilDess and
firmness so characteristic Of aAr, stiff
trusted In the hope Cf bis redemption
from the ways ofevil.
Alone she sat one night In her small
and cfleerless room, awaiting the re-
turn of her recreant hlshan,l. In one
hand sle held packet Of letters, while
the other rested upon u small manu-
script-book or Journal; both were
fond mementoes of the happy bygone
past, and were carefully preserved by
her for many years. From their con-
tents she CLEANED that peace and COM
fort which she SO greatly needed.
Those letters which she gazed so fond
ly upon were written to her by her
mother, who had always striven to
plant in the heart Of her only child a
few seeds of truth.
The past, with all Its associations,
was brought wildly to her memory
by the perusal Of those missives. Amy
viewed again her happy childhOod's
home, her loving parents, and her
kind, dear frienls-aIl who had made
her life so full Of sunshine. One by
one the bright visions of the past came
before her. The letters were at last
laid carefully aside, and she turned
her attention to the little manuscript
book, which We have already made
mention of. Slowly and eagerly size
turned over page after page Of well
written paper, and then read aloud
some passages which she had penned
on several occasions.
In low, tremll0us voice she read
on, unconscious that she had any list
ener to the written recital of her suf.
ferings; but he who had just then
entered the room with firm, almost
steady tread, hearl all. lie listenet
for the first time how greatly he hat
| wronged that trail delicate creature
Those feelings which had been so long
dormant and dead were now fulll
awakened; remorse filled the repent
ant mans heart. Headyanced slowl,
towards Amy, and glanced over he
shoulder. Her head was bowed dow
rpon her hands, and her tears wer
falling fast for she could not keeI
them back.
"Oh, Father in heaven" she mur
INJURED, ''llelp Inc, pray thee! l hav
been go desolate-so utterly alone--s
little loved of late"
The piteous cry came from the yer,
depths of her heart, and she could no
ppress its utterance. 1t stirred Wyli
Harding's whole being, and with {
voice husky with emotion, he crieC
out:
"Oh Amy, look up! say that 70,
forgive me! have wronged yot
greatly, God knows, but | vow a,
once to shun my evil ways-to live
only for your sake, Amy, and the gooJ
of others. Trust me, my wife, and be.
lieve that my repentance Is true"
lie said this with great effort, thi:
strong man was weeping like child,
but Amy's arms were about his neck,
Amy's head was pillowed upon hi;
bosom. and he felt then that the heavy,
goaling chains which had so long held
him In bondage were now broken
the dark, som6re clouds had passed,
letting in the sunlight Of peace and
| joy. He was new man now. That
night was the beginning Of q new
life to him. lie formed many noble
resolutions for the future, and with
an humble, contrite heart, prayed as
he had rcver done before for guidance
in the pathway Of lite. These resolu-
tions were well kept. True he had
many temptations, but with Amy ever
by his side, with renewed hope beam.
ing brightly In his heart, he became a
true and good man.
Reader mine, | cannot say much
more. My motive In writing ont fol
you this brief history Of Amy Hard
ing's sad experience, was to show the
blighting effect Of the fascinating but
terrible evil which has grown up
among tls. oh, speed the Temperance
cause, and may It's hope-revlving laws
save those who are near and dear to
you and me.