The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1873-01-18
$50 help me, God 7

i -
All Eldred Thornton said was TO
shower kisses on the pretty face held so
enticinely up to his. Then turning
over a leaf of the Home Companion, ;
which lay before Olive on the piano, he
Joined with her in singing Balfe' beauti,
full strains:
| "When other lips and other hearts
Their tales of love shall tell"
! .
Get out, you little curse Let
hiccup-'me alone. won't 90 home.
D'yeihear that now p
'Oh, father, do come, poor ma is very
sick pleaded little girl of about ten
years, us she looked imporingly up at
the inflex ible face of the man who stood
before him.
Il tell you ,oM not Bnough-so
clear home with you, and don't bother
TIC aaJ longer '
Little Edna Thornton, for she it was.
with three conyulsive sobs, turned slow
ly from the door Of the 'Beehalt Tnvorn,
and walked towards her cherries home,
while Eldred Thornton" staggetinSly
entered the den of iufamy.
Sitting down in the most quiet corner
OF the tavern, he rested his head in
hand and fell asleep.
IVI;1o e., ~,
one summer days.
He thought he was once more stand
ing at the piano, pleading with Olive
Tor her consent to their marriage
He went through the same speech
which he had gone through on that
night, when promising to abstain from
Intoxicating drinks.
Then he heard loud voice saying:
See, Eldred Thornton, how we'll you
have kept your promise the
wreck =
Then he saw the young and beautiful
Olive-tho blue eyed girl whom he had
promised 20 love and cherish lyiug cold
and dead in cheerless room, and by
her side little Edna, crying as if her
little heart would break, and murmur.
lug; h
'Oh, mamma, mamne, toll him you
were SICK, but he would not come. He
'poke 70 roughly TO me, tvo the papa
'hAt uasd to be SO kind to US. Oh. dear
ieHr! aud the cnilds wall Of anguish
rang out mournfully
Suddenly Ellrcd Thornton awokc.
aud found this terrible scene was but \
dream and he murmlrcd:
My God: l thank thee p
Then flashed upon him the words he
heard his little daughter speak about
half an hour ago.
'Oh, father, do come, poor ma is very
sick aud, perfectly terrified, he ex-
claimed
Heavens has it really COME to this =
What is it you sag 2 asked the bar
tender, blandly
Nothing sir. What do owe YOU p
Seventy cents
Hero you are sir. Good day.'
Leaving the 'Beehalt Tavern which
had bscome his general place of resort
only four short years after his marriage
with her to whom he had promised to
abstain from his previous bad habits, he
walked rapidly towards his residence.
A great change had come over I'd
ward Thornton. He now felt how un
just were his actions, aud as he walked
along, he turned over in his mind many
plan, which might enable him to re
trieve his former standing in society.
Then again he thought how he would
endeavor to atone to Olive for the dis
trcss lie had caused her. And poor
little Edna, his only child, how could he
meet her after the brutal language he
had used in addressing herr
At last he arrived at his home, and
with burning brow and beeting heart,
he entered the house, praying nwardly
that his neglected wife was not sick rs
his child bad informed him.
Finding no one in the small though
tidy parlor, he vent into the kichen-no
one there!
w hat Where are his wife and
daughter?
Surely there cannot be anything
wrong?
Softly he approaches the bed. chamber