The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-02-16

came and wasted my time and when
heard the church clock strike, and
knew my husband would be i'm in less
than half an hour, and nothing ready to
make him comfortable, though he had
had hard days work at the saw-piu, in
wet weather, | could have cried with
shame and vex alton. My resolve had
been so strong-in what?-in my own
poor, weak strength Well, | hurried ;
but it is hard racing after misspent
time. My husband came in, dripping
wet, about five minutes before his usual
hour. He looked at me, and at the
clothes line, that was stretched in front
of the fire, and, with small chopper
that he had in his hand, he cut the
line, and down went my halfdried
clothes on the not over-clean sanded
floor. A soft answer turneth away
wrath, saith the proverb but die not
give the soft answer, and the wrath was
not turned away.
90 Very we'll, Katie, he said; there
is no place here for me to sit and rest,
and no supper ready but | can get
sitting, resting, and supper at the Blue
Lobster, where many fellow is driven
| by an ill-managing wife And with
that he turned out of the door. 1t was
in my heart to follow him, to lock my
arms round his neck, and, begging his
pardon, bring him back. But | was
vexed about the clothes, and forgot the
provocation. That was his first night
all out at the Blue Lobs ter, but IL was
not has Lalt. | saw my error, and |
prayed then for strength to do my
duty; but somehow my husband had
got a taste for the popularity that grows
out of good story and fine voice, and
he had felt that woful night whatit was
to be warmed, when he was cold, by the
fire of brandy, instead Of sea-coal. Days
passed our little boy, our Willy, grew
worse and worse. Time had been when
Mr.. Grey would walk the night with
him on his bosom, to soothe him to
sleep; but now, if the poor child walled
ever so heavily, he could not hear it.
Another child had been given to us, but
she only added to our difficulties. Then,
indeed, | labored continuously to recall
what | had lost but drink had got the
mastery. We were backward with our
rent my poor husband lost his custom
ers, for he neglected his business and |
both clothing and furniture went to
satisfy our creditors, and that craving |
which cries for more the more it gets. |
| could not bear the sympathy of my
neighbors-for they would give me their |
pity-held me up as a suffering angel
while every hour of my life ! recalled |
the time when neglect Of my wifely du-
ties first drove my husband to the pub
lichouse.
When sober, my poor dear was full
of sorrow, but he had not the strength
to avoid temptation. He never used
any violence toward me, though if at
tempted to hold any thing he wished to
turn into drink, he would become fu-
rious, and tear and rend whatever he
could lay his hands on. One terrible
night he broke every remnant of
glass that remained of what once,
for bridesmaids wife, | had such a
store. Every thing was shattered, every
thing trampled on and broken-every
thing but that one cup"
"And how did that escape ?" ques.
TONED Lucy.
1T contained the Infants SUPPER
replied Mrs. Grey I" L saw his hand
hover over it, and the same moment his
poor blood-shot eyes rested on the baby,
whose little 0utstretched arms craved
or its food. Some silent message at
that moment must have entered his
leart; his arms fell down. and without
IN effort to support himself, he sank
nto heap upon the floor in the midst
If the destruction he had caused. |
ried to get hiEa on to where once bed
lad been we had still n2attress and
/ couple Of blankets"
Lucy did not speak, but her eyes were
and she stole her hand into
hat Mrs. Grey. The good woman soon
'esumed her story:
" saw that sven there sleep came to
subdue and calm him. NV Door child
ste her supper and fell asleep, and my
sick boy was certainly better, and also
.lept. | crept about, gathering up the
broken pieces, and endeavoriRg to light
The fire. A kind lady to whom | had
taken home some needle-work that
several weeks | had been
the only bread winner-in addition TO
the eighteenpence | had earned, gave
me a small quantity of tea and sugar;
and an old pewter teapot that, however
battered, would not break, seemed to
me comforter. He would awake, |
knew, cold and shivering, but / hoped
not until the Blue Lobster and every
house of the same description were
closed, and then his thirst would com
pei him to take some tea. heard the
strike one, and it was a
joyful sound no open doors, even to
old customers, then. knelt down be.
tween the children's blankets and my
poor shattered husband, and prayed as
never prayed before.
" had managed sufficient fuel to boil
the kettle and create some degree of
and | waited patiently and
prayerfully for the waking. IT came at
last. The anger and the violence that
had been almost insanity were all gone;
only the poor broken.down man was
there. He asked what o'clock it was.
told him the church-clock had gone
half-past one He then asked for water.
brought hIm a cupful, another, and
another, and then cup of tea. After
he had taken it, he gathered himself
up and took the stool | moved toward