The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1873-07-10

lccefYed letters from home, hut my
pride kept me from answering them. !
preferred that thcy should think mo dead
rather than know my sorrow aud dis
grace. / kept waiting aud lookisg ior
Harry, but he never came; and At last,
allcd with an unsuitable longing 10 see
my old home once morc,I came back On
arriving, | heard that there was to be a
wedding here tonight, and resolved to
come and make myself known; and |
think have, for II auy that knew me 10
my youthful DAYS are here tonight, they
will see the once gay aud happy Madge
I Fuller In the pale, sorrwful woman stand.
ing before them
/ Il is almost needless 10 say thai the
wine was carried away untouched, and
we gathered around Madge and welcomed
\ her back with tears Of ioy, mlogminglcd
with sorrow Joy that she was with as
once more. and sorrow at the unhappy
ending of her blissfn dreams Of welded
I felicity.
+ We were Just beginning 10 get calmed
down after this strange affair when, as
Geriie said, the climax was capped by
the door of the conservatory opening, and
ont stepped Harry Clifton, | wish, said
he, to corroborate the testimony Of my
wife. For five years have never touched
one drop Of any kind of liquor. Foor
! years of the time have spent in deliver
ing temperance lectures returned TO
Weston where left my wife and little
enc, and hearing she had returned here,
| followed Immediately. Not careiug to
make myself known TO any one until /
had seen her, ! came up the back way,
and entered the conservatory III time TO
hear the story. And now before YOU
all, as my witnesses, would ask her TO
take me back again to her heart, and to-
night we will renew again those vows we
took upon ourselves ten years ago.
Not word was spoken; but Madgo
as a realizing sense of how matters stood
came over her, rose from her seat, and
going to him, she threw her arms around
bis neck and said Oh, Harry, God has
answered my prayer at last in giving you
back to me, and then sank insensible In
to his arms He carried her into the H.
brary aud laid her on the sofa. Atter a
few moments she recovered sufficiently
TO speak; then one by one, we left the
room, and they were alone together. In
the excitement, we had almost forgotten
the occasion that csllcd us together; but
Gerte said she shouldn't be particular II
she could not be the heorne of her own
wedding, since things had turned out 50
happily. Madge looked very pale; but
there was n happy look in her eyes that
made her look ever so much younger
than when she first appeared on that
eventual evening.
Marsden made them stay in the old
homestead with him and Minnie, aud
Harry commenced practicing law in Clay
more, which by the way, had grown tC
be quite town. So after many trials
and long years OF waiting, they were
once more happy.
have told you this story, Eloise, hop
ing you may benefit by it. | trembed
last night when saw you offer your be
trothed, Fred Moore, that glass of wine
and thanked God in my heart when !
heard him say, Please take it away, El
oise, for have signed pledge of tota
abstinence. beg of you never to ofiel
him spirituous liquors again, lest youl
future life may be as couded as was
Madge Clifton's. a..