The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-06-27
D5UOrced.
sHen 20 to the dogs, now"
= r--eff %

u
1rssnt IA removed, he'll go the rest oi
the downward way In no time, fOol m
Nettiel ] wonder she stooo j 81
l0nglD .. bs
buried.n "PshaWi Hall inst TIME
viii finish him"
aVell, pity him, too butt pity
her more. BE brought misery Oh
such was the gossip Of half dozen
VILLAGERS. who stood IN fronJ OF the
pYincipal store one Summer evening
while the subject Of their remarks
went staggering along the opposite
side Of the street.
II was evident that he was trying
to walk straight, and not 70 appear In
toxiesfed, but such en0eayors always
,seou1 10 make a drunken man wall
nsore crooked. Well, IL proved one
thing: that be was not get lost 10 al
sense Of sbsme-that he still retained
4 little pride. and lingering aversion
70 being ridieuled and despised
But Harry Rogers had carried on al
4 fearful rate for q rear or two past
He had lust one vice-drink-but that
vas enough. He had become an sc
tual drunkard BY degrees, and was
every day growing more abandoned.
He bad married q worthy farmer 9
daughter, Nettie RSy, only q few years
preTiOus. and such had been his con-
duct during more than year past
that she, seeing no hope ofhis reform,
had been obliged to cast him loose, 70
pursue his profIgate course alone, and
q legal separation had just been effect
ed. It was sad indeed, but no other
course seemed 70 be left her.
Harry's home was on q little farm,
q mile from town. He owned Il, but
then it was heavily mOrtgaged, and in
another wear foreclosure was certain.
It was not likely his creditors would
spare him, when be made no effort
TO meet his obligations, and spent his
time IN riOtOus and disgraceful con-
duct.
A week passed after that summer
evening on which all bad agreed in
predicting his early ruin-two weeks
three weeks month or two. What
strange mystery is here? To the utter
beWilderment of the prOphesyi1g
sages, Harry discontinued visiting the
tsverns, and was rarely ever seen in
the village. When Re did come to the
store, he speedily transacted his bus
fness and went bome-sOber.
But wonders never cease, when they
get q start. Hewas next reported IS
actually at work, on his farm. Had
but one man seen this and told 1t Ii
the villsge be would have been mark
ed as q man lacking verecity; but {
number of neiehbors saw IL and told
It, and their combined testimony wa
worthy Of all credence.
The little farm began to look heal.
thier, as the summer wore on. The
fences Strengthened up: the weeds
disappeared, the corn grew marvellous.
"; the briars and elders were rooted
I'D from the fields and fence-rows; the
little cottage looked neater.
Time wore on, and the great change
was the more strongly marked each
day. Harry's creditors called and
told him they would not be hard on
him, seeing that he was doing bis best
and be might have his own tins
his farm Of the mortgage.
The fall came, and the farm yielded
an abundance Of golden corn and fruit
such crops, indeed, as it had never
produced before, and Harry found
himself beginning to drift along with
the tice Of prosperity.
And Nettie Ray had begun to live
her young girlbood over again, as il
were, under her fathers roof; but
somehow It was not like the happy
joyous girlhoOd Of memory. It wa
sober and quiet now and Nettie fel
into trains of musing. and every now
and then passed through q certain sac
thought-she was neither maid nor
wife.
She avoided the vicinity Of her late
home, nor had abe once seeu Harry
since the separation; but she hRC
heard Of him occasionally, knew thai
he was a changed man. Still, thil
knowledge brought her but q melan
choiy satisfaction. The reform haC
come too late-tOo late! There was &
wide gulf between them now.
But, one evening IN the golden DC
tOber, Nettie found herself rathel
obliged 70 pass Harry's farm. It lay
between her fathers house and thl
village. but che had heretofore takeT
q roundabout road ia going to, and re
turning from, the village. On the
evening in question, however, she
had been detained in the village, un.
consciously, till it was nearly dark
and sne was determined to hazard TIE
nearest roRd nome. 1t would be full
" dark when she would pass hil
house, and the chances were that he
would not see her. She wouldn't
have him see her for the world
When she arrived opposite the
house, she perceived that there was s
Light ia the little sitting room. Hel
first impulse was to hurry by, bui
some more powerful influence prompt.
ed her to stop. She did so, and stood
timidly at the farther side Of the road
gazing longingly at the house thai
had been q home for her-first of hap.
piness, then Of misery. BY and by
she felt an irresistible yearning to loOH
at the room once more. He was eYi
deEtly within, and there was no dan
ger that he would see her. So she
walked hurriedly across the road
opened the gate softly, and stepped In.
10 the lawn. Another moment, and
she was at the window, looking in.
What singular behavior! but she
could not help il.
The little room was as neat as when
she herself had watched over il. A
cheerful fire was burning in the CRATE,
although It was not very cold, and a
lighted lamp stood on the table. II
was there that Harry was sitting.
How her heart bounded as she caught
sight Of himl He held in his right
hand q book from his scanty library.
She recognized it at once; but he
was not reading now. He had allow
ed It to drop, with its pages locking
mutely to the ceiiing-and his face
was supported, half concealed, in the
left hand, the elbow resting on the
table. Was he asleep, or was be
buried in a sad reverie2 Nettie
thought that the latter was the case,
and her heart was touched.
'tI wish had borne with him. she
said to herself
But q moment later her Aeart was
more than touched, when she was
sure she saw q tear roll down his
cheek, and drop upon the book.
The lonely nan was not asleep, be was
crying.
She could not help it. All that was
womanly IL her heart was sroused,
and she was al the door in q moment.
No ceremony-she burst into the sit
ting-rooEl and was at his side,
"0h, HarryW
Her voice quivered with emotion.
'fWhy, Nettie % he exclaimed. try-
ing to hide his tears-men are ashaFn-
ed Of them-sIs-ity your"
ssYes, Harry 20 hiding her face in
her hands, 81 was passing-I looked
in-I saw you sitting here so lonely,
and could not help coming in. I
thought Of the time when We were
happy here, and"
Then her womanly tears could be
restrained no longer. There was no
use trying to hide them. Besides her
voice broke down and she could saw
no more just then.
s'Nettie,N he exclaimed as he arose
and took both her hands from her
face, and held them in his own. sT
thought you had blotted me out Of
your memory"
s'No, no, Harry ~ che sobbed- tsT
could not do that. I could NOT haln
leaving you; but I LEFT Won. Iovine,
you more than ever. Oh, / have he's
unhappy since %
fsNettie you have heard that -,
sfYes, I have heard that Won ara
changed-that you do not drink snv
more-that you are again manly and