Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1873-02-13
DTV o r gED.
He'll go to the dogs now.'
IOc ILL,

'Of course he will
by. all means. Only see how he
acted when his wife lived with him
Now that she's left him, and all re-
straint removed, he'll 60 the rest Of
the downward way in no time. Poor
Nett e! I wonder she stood it so
long,"
I'll give him just one year to he
buried.
Well. pity him too; but I pity
her more. He brought misery on
both.
Such was the gossip CT half a doz-
en- villagers, who stood in front Of
one of the principal stores, one sum-
mer evening, while the subject Of
their remarks went staggering along
on the opposite side.
1t is eviden: he was trying to walk
straight, and not to appear iutoxica-
ted, but such endeavors always seem
to make drunken man walk more
crooked. Well, it proved one thing;
that he was not yet lost to all sense
of shame-that be still retained a
little pride, and a lingering aversion
to be ridiculed and despised.
But Harry Rogers had carried on
at a fearful rate for a year or two
past. He had just one vice-drink
but that was enough. He had
married a worthy farmers daughter.
Nettie Ray, only few years previ-
ously and such had been his conduct
during more than a year past that
she seeing no hope of his reform, had
been obliged to cut him loose to pur-
sue his prohigate course alone; and
a legal separation had just been ef-
fected. 1t was sad, indeed, but no
other course seemed to be left her.
Harry's home was on little farm,
a mile from town. He owned it. but
then it was heavily mortgaged, and
in another year foreclosure was GER
tain. 1t was not likely his creditors
would spare him when he made no
effort to meet his Obligations, and
spent his time in riotous and dis
graceful conduct.
a week passed after that SUNNI /
eyeping on which all leed in pre-
diciins his early ruin-two weeks
a month o4,Rg9:. What strange miste-
,y is here? 70 ttla etter bewiller-
ment Of the prophesyiHnggiaaggass Har-
ry 1i4eontinued visiting the tayelp,
and was rGfcly eyer seen in the VII
| lage. When lie aid come in the
store, lie speedily transacted business
and then went Lome---sobsf.
But wonders never cease when
they gst start. He. .was next re-
I ported :ts actually at work on his
farm. Had but one man seen this,
and told it in the village, he would
l.ljave been as a man lacking yeracl-
| ty5 but a number of ladies saw. it
aud 4cla 4. and their combined tes-
timony was Wolthy Of all credepce.
The little farm bGga1 lo ssp9E heal
tiier as the sa1Il0ef wpEe or: ="
fences Strengthened up, t'le weeds
! disappeared the corn grew marvel
o,st-; tue bri;ar< and elders wcrS
rooted up BY The fields and fence
rows; the. animals hooked fatter,
sleeker,e and happier, and the little
cottage looked neater.
Time wota en-, and the great change
was, the norelstsaaSaly remarkable !;
each day Harrys creditors call;ed on
him and told him they would not bs
hard on him, and he might have his
own time about paying his debts and
eisar;ng his farm ot the mortgage.
- The Psll came. and the farm yield
ed an abundance of golden corn aud
fruits; such a crop indeed as it had
never produced before. and Harry
found himself beginning to drift along
with the tide Of prosperity.
And Nettie Ray had begun to live
her young girlhood over again, as it
ware, under her fathers roof, but
someaaw, it was not like a h happy,
Joyous giriGoSd Of memory. 1t was
sober and quiet hov. and Nettie fell
into. trains Of missing; every mind a
certain -tnought,-she was neither
maid nor wife.
She avoided the vicinity of her
late home, nor had she once seen
Harry since the separation, but she
heard of, him occasionally; knew
that he was a changed man. Still
this knowledge brought. her but a
melancholy satisfaction. The reform