Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1874-07-18

into degradation, and poverty. For
years / saw her cheek pale, and her
step grow weary. left her alone amid
the wreck of her home idols, and rioted
at the tavern. She never complained,
yet she and the children went hungry
for bread.
"One New Years Night, went late
to the hut where charity had given us
roof. She was yet mp, and shlvering
over the Goals. / demanded food ; but
she burst into tears, and said there was
none. I fercely ordered her to get
some. She turned her eyes sadly upon
me, the tears fell fast over her pale
cheek. At this moment the child in
the cradle awoke, and set up famished
wall, startling the despairing mother
like serpent's sting.
"'We have n food, James-have
had none for several days. | have
nothing for the babe. Ny once kind
husband, must he starv1
"That sad, pleading face, and those
streaming eyes, and the feeble wall OF
the child, maddened me and, Il
yes, ] struck her fierce blow in the
face, ana she fell forward upon the
hearth The fires of hell boiled in my
bosom, and with greater intensity as l
felt had committed a wrong, / had
never struck Mary before, but now
some terrible impulse bore me on, and
[ stopped down as we'll as l could in my
drunken state, and clenched both hands
in her hair, =,
"'God of mercy, James = exclaimed
nv wife as she looked up in my tiendish
countenance you will not kill US -
YOU will not harm Willie 7 and she
sprang to the cradle and grasped him in
her embrace. | caught her again by
her hair, and. dragged her 20 the door
and as | lifted the latch, the wind burst
in with a cloud of snow. With the yell
of fiend I dragged her on, and hurled
her out into the darkness and storm.
With a wild ha ha ! closed the door
and turned the button-her pleading
moans mingled with the wall of tthe
blast and sharp cry of the babe. But
my work was not yet complete
81 turned to the little bed where lay
my elder son, and snatched him from
his slumbers, and against his half
awakened struggles opened the door
, and thrust him out. In agony Of fear he
called me by name | was no longer fit
! to bear, and locked his fingers into my
2 size pocket. | could not wrench the
frenzied grasp away and with the cool
ness Of a deyil-as | was shut the
= door upon the arm, and with my knife
severed it at the wrist.
: The speaker ceased a moment, and
, buried his face in his hands, as II t.
: shut ont some fearful dream, and his
deep chest heaved like a storm at sea-
/ Nv father had arisen from his seat, anc
$ was leaning forward his countenanct
e bloodless, and the large droos standing
: upon his brow. Chills crept back t(
/, my young heart, and wished ! was a
/ home The old man looked up, aLd
. nayer ha-o oiIiCt Deneld Sucn noTthl dB
/, ony pictured on human face as ther'
/. was On his.
e ct was morning when | awoke. an'
the storm had ceased, but the cold wa
l. intense. | first secured a drink o
|, water, and then looked in the accus
toned place for Mary As missed her
n for the first time n shadowy scene o
L some horrible nightmare began to dra'
a upon my wandering mind. | thought
IS had had terrible dream, but involun
y tarilv opened the outside door with
d shuddering dread. As the door opene
lie the snow burst in, followed by the faI
t, of something across the threshold, seal
A tering the snow, and striking the foo
n with sharp sound.
IL "My blood shot like red-hot arrow
through my veins, and | rubbed m
er ewes to shut ont the sight. 1t was-it
u o God how terrible 1t was my ow
N injured Mary and her babe frozen
IS ice The ever true mother had bowe
IN herself over the face of the child
le shield it, and wrapped all her clothlr
"a round it, leaving her own person stal
So and bare to the storm. She had place
ie her hair over the face of the child, al
ed the sleet had frozen it to the viii
cheek. The frost was white on its hal
III opened eyes, and upon its tiny finger
as know not what became OF my bra
ea boy"
y Again the old man bowed his he's
ed and wept. My father sobbed like
an child, In tones of low and heart-br
es ken pathos, the old man thus cent?
ued
'sT 81 was arrested, and for long mont
rayed in delirium. | woke-was Sc
"r 'or fenced to prison ten years-but no tC
al lures could have been like those l e
- dured within my own bosom. Oh, Go
ne ne no II am not fanatic. wish to
ep iure no one. But while live, let I
~ live to urge others not to enter the pa
no which has been so dark and fearful
'es one to me. / would see my wife a
,uS children beyond this vale of tears.
i,o hu The old man sat down, but spell
.ne lux deep and strong as that wrought
III some wizards breath rested upon
audience. Hearts could have be
n8 heard in their beating, and tears to ia
M 1aI The old man then asked the people
ye sign pledge. My father leaped FRI
u' his seat and snatched at it eagerly.
.ay had followed him, and as he hesitat
~ a moment with the pen in the ink
:, ou, tear fell from the old mans eye on
see paper.
see sex "Sign it, sign it, young man. 4
'o' gels would sign it. would write
go name there ten thousand times in bic
ith If it would bring back my loved a
ent lost ones"
,ne Ny father wrote Mortimer HI
le9 I.I5 son." The old man looked, wiped
nla fearful eyes and looked again, his COZ
,aS as tenanoe alternately flushed with
ina i,,o and deadly-pale. ,
lue at is-no, it cannot be-yet h
row I,o' strange" muttered the old man. "F
hea i,ea don me, sir, but that was the name
,uo plo my brave boy"
we, My father trembled and held up
ven ven left arm, from which the hand had b
~: ny severed.
YES. YES. They looked for a moment in e
1uvi - others eyes; both reeled and gaspe
~ ~ "My own injured boy !"
lH "My father !"
nm They fell upon each others necks,
nto. til it seemed that their souls wo
p' grow and mingle into one. There
ling weeping in that church, and l tur
the bewildered upon the streaming ff
wife around me.
,ack "Let me thank God for this 6
noel blessing which has gladdened by e.
the burdened soul" exclaimed the old n