The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1873-08-12
Selfrt Storp.
Written for the Cincinnati STAR
T 0 O L A T E.
BY R. r. ENGLE.

"Don't go out to night, Willie; I've
felt so strangely to-day. Dim foreshad-
owings Of something terrible have haun-
ted me, and I've felt the pain around my
heart, of which I've told you so often Of
late, many times. I've longed all day
for mig hit to come, so that you might be
with me. Oh, Willie, I'm" and the
young wife, unable to say more, burst
into an agony of weeping.
"Pshaw! Mary;you're nervous; that's
all. The care of the baby is too much
for you; you don't 60 out enough. You
stay here and nope and nurse alone till
you get to imagining everything fearful.
Let me get a nurse at once as l wanted
to do long ago"
"But, Willie, nurse wouldn't make
up for yodr absence. You don't know
my heart, though / am your wife. But
you are all in the world l care for-you
and our babe; and home is not home
without you. / could be content to stay
at home always, with you beside me-
You know don't want to tie you always
to my side, and deprive you of all soci-
ETY.; but of late you are gone so much
oh. so much! know you don't realize
showz iassslf, ant, alas, de-! Don't be
angry at what / yearn to say, for my
heart seems breaking, and perhaps it
will relieve me to speak. / could better
bear your absence if you always came
home yourself, but you know you don't
You know your eyes are red aud swol-
len, your cheeks burning, your speech
irregular, and your breath the breath OF
the wine-cup or the whisky-glass. Oh
Willie! for my poor sake, if you ever
loved me, cease this course. If you
don't, l can't live. 1t wears on me day
and night, to see you going thus tl1e
downward course. 1t eats my life away
Eve never said so much before, and you
know it nearly kills me to speak so now
but must speak or die ;only God knows
my anguish. My heart is slowly, bat
surely, breaking" And another burst
of tears choked further utterance.
The young man was silent, and great
tears dropped from his eyes among the
sunny curls that lay in their rich masses
on the fair head upon his bosom.
He loved the beautiful and gentle crea.
ture, who, not quite two years before, ,had
resigned her earthly happiness into his
keeping. He was junior partner in q
mercantile house, and no one could wish
for fairer prospects than were those be-
fore Willie Graham Not yet thirty, with
a perfect nest of a home, as fair wife
and lovely babe as ever blessed the
heart of man, how could he but be hap
py? And so lie had been,till the last six
months, when be had been inveigled into
a so-called "Young Mems Social Club y
This club occupied suite of elegant
apartments in public hall up town,
where they met nightly, ostensibly fol
reading, discussion on the topics Of the
day, land their mental and moral improve,
ment; but alas in reality, for drinking
wine, &c, playing cards, and other pas
times in no manner conducive to theiI
moral well-being.
Bat to return. The young man soon
recovered his eomposure, and bending
over ard tenderly kissing the tearwet
face, said:
''Well, hush, Mary, darling, dry your
tears, be good little girl, and let me go
to night. know it is shame to leave
you so often and so long, and still more,
that I should make beast Of myself, land
come home to my darling in that state
but forgive me, Mary, and that shall
never be repeated. Let me go to night
for we have important business to trans,
act at the club-rooms and / promise you
I'll not GO every night,as 1 have been do.
ing, but only two nights in the week
Mondays and Fridays; they are the i'm
portant business nights then all the rest
of the five nights Of the week you shall
have me to yourself, dear one Does
that satisfy your"
The young creature replied only by
clasping her arms about his neck and
sobbing convulsively. He allowed her
to weep for awhile, and then drawing
out his watch, said:
"Say, darling, shall I 60 tonight ?"
"Oh, no, no, Willie, not to night Of all
nights. Don't leave me this night. l
tell you I have had such dire, dim, ghost
ly forebodings all day, l cannot stay
alone; the solitude would kill me with
these terrible feelings. And, oh, Willie,
| pray you, l beg of you, l kneel and
implore you to leave that club, for now
and forever! You never drank intoxi
eating liquors It'll yov Joined them. Do
you promise me, Willie?'
"Yes, yes; anything, dear one, so you
will let me go to night. l must be there
this evening, and if you'll let NE go, like
good girl, and cry no more, / promise
you I'll withdraw my name from the
books, and be a better husband to my
little girl than I've ever been Say, shall
L. Al 4 :.