Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-03-13

| bought was some brandy, the doctor having
ordered Nilly to drink it, Loaded with these
poor things, which to me looked heaps Of
riches, hurried homeward.
Poor Milly, when reached her bedside
and showed her what | had bought, met me
with smile of patient love that nearly broke
my heart She tasted little food and drank
a small glass of weak brandy and water, and
then fell into light sleep. Illness, at the
best Of times is terrible, but when we sit
alone and see all we love fading fast, the dis
ease aided by want, to see the thin, pale face,
so like death in life, to know that before long
even the sad pleasure Of attending on il will
be lost, and that before we eau give proper
comfort--this is, indeed, awful. As | sat
watching and thinking became desperate /;
my brain seemed on fire, and my mouth was
parchcd. Selling the brandy bottle, poured
out large glass Of spirit and drank it of.
1t steaded my nerves, and | sat down to COM
mence my songs.
"For some time could gain no thoughts F;
the dull silence of the night broken only by
the heavy breathing Of my wife, and low
purring sound that ratified at her chest paled
upon me the thin, wedge-lke face, half in
shade, that reposcd on the pillow; the ghost
like hand that lay so STILL stretched out on
the coverlet--all seemed to crush me. How
with such things around me, could | write Of
mirth, drink and jolity
C. pressed my hands over my eyes, aud the
hot tears forced themselves through my fin.
gers. grew hysterical. | felt as if could
have screamed with laughter. could not
write, but the songs must BIO done, or | should
not get the money. In hopes Of gaining more
calmness | drank more brandy. Glass after
glass of the burning fluid poured down my
throat. felt mad was not tipsy, but de-
lirious could hear the rattle of glasses the
merry shouts of laughter strange tunes, such
as would have suited orgies held in praise Of
Bacchus, rang in my head. | seized my pen
and wrote rapidly; some fend seemed whis-
pering the words to me, they were 80 full Of
recklessness and abandonment.
My candle burned out, but | continued
writing by the grey cold light of daybreak that
came slantiDg over the house-tops. Al last
my task was done, and springing up, has
tened to my wife, to tell her my success and
to cheer her with the assurance that these
wild songs would make my name. felt my
blood rushing through my veins as leant
over 10 kiss her 4; our lips met, but ] started
back with wild cry Of terror-she wa
dead :"
As he spoke, Burden stretched forth hi
thin hands and closed his eyes as if to shu
out the painful memory, but the tears tina
rolled slowly down his hollow cheeks Shove,
the immensely of his agony.
q" do not remember anything after that 70
some weeks had brain fever" he contin
ued after a short pause. When recovere
she was gone. | had never again kissed be
dear dead lips. 1t was some time before
was able to crawl out, but orders for song
poured in thick and fast My last songs ha
been d success their wild, dissolute tone ha
suited the young fools with money, and hat
become small mine of wealth to the pub
Usher.
Years have passed since then, but fron
that time have never written a song of tina
kind, although large sums have been ofiere'
me. | hate them, Day and night hea
them buzzing in my ears. Scarcely weel
passes but hear one of them shouted out b
some drunkard, as he staggers home, aud the
the whole of that terrible night of miser
comes back to me. They are devils that hav
haunted me night and day they have mad
me shun my lellow-men they have made m
live in this seclusion. Day and night, da
and night, live in terror Of hearing then
Sometimes in my dreams | hear Mily sing
ing the first song gave her, and in the mids
of this happiness some devil seems to char
those cursed songs in praise of wine.
Hush | hear her voice; she sings tn
song | gave her in those happy days; she