The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-03-07


herself, and following Mrs. Hildreth, found
little colored boy who went on errands
for them sometimes.
"What is the matter, Theodore p she
asked in alarm.
Bridget sent me to form you dat
massa Drew is sick, and she wished you'd
come home mediate" said the boy with
alacrity.
The hostess ordered servant to bring
out the carriage; and Alice without wait
ing to bid her friends adieu, hurried on
her outer wrappings, and was soon whirl-
ing swiftly away from the scene of gayety.
Gilbert i'll, perhaps dying. The thought
struck terror to her heart, and in an agony
Of self-reproach she remembered the
unkind words she had spoken to him at
parting. With whitening lips she sent
up to Heaven a silent prayer that he
would live, that she might have space to
ask his forgiveness and atone for her
heartless conduct. When she reached
home the door was opened for her by the
servant girl, who said, in answer to her
anxious inquiries, that her master was
better and was sleeping then. He went
out, she said, Immediately after her mis-
tress, and came home about an hour
before, looking very strange, and not ap-
pearing in the least like himself. Two
men came with him, but when she asked
them to go for the doctor they said sit
was nothing-he would be all right in the
morning" But she was frightened, and
so sent for her mistress.
Alice went to the room where her hus-
band was, and found him lying on the
sofa, apparently asleep. Going up to him
she laid her hand upon his face and tried
to rouse him. He looked up at her with
a stupid stare, aud, for the first time in
his life answered her harshly and unkind-
~ She had not the least suspicion ofthe
truth, and thinking that his mind must be
wandering talked to him tenderly and
soothingly, but he answered only with
bitter, haunting words, and by-and-by bis
breath came to her, tainted with the fumes
of strong drink. Then, suddenly, the
the truth flashed to her mind. Her hus-
band was drunk Drunk he whose life
had always been n model of uprightness,
and upon whose purity she would have
staked her soul What an ending for
her night of pleasure She was not a
heartless woman, and in spite Of all her
waywardness she truly loved her husband
For months she had been beside herself
with vanity and excitement, and the
desire for admiration and homage had
overcome every other consideration But
that night, as she saw her husband living
there in his degradation, and realized that
this was the harvest of her own sowing
her eyes were completely opened and she
saw the folly of her course in its true light
She never once thought Of blaming hel
husband Free from the evil influence.
that had held her in thrall, she wa,
generous and ready to see and own hel
faults, and shudderingly she admitted tC
herself that her own discomfort and wrong
doing, and that alone had been the cause
Of her husbands downfall. Back and
forth across her chamber she paced, sick
at heart with the destiny she had brought
upon herself
From that night Gilbert Drew's cours,
was downward. There was n set Of dissi
pated fellows who had been trying t.
induce him to join their number, and
having once got him under their influence
they did not give him up. Whenever h,
appeared in the street they were constantly
meeting him and inviting him into drink
ing saloons and holding the tempting cuI
to his lips, And he needed them and il
a few short months fell from his higf
position down, down TO the level of Q
common drunkard. 1t was Alice's turn
to watch and wait now, and what long
lonely vigils she kept She went no more
into society, and the calls Of her fashion
able friends were unreturned and the invi
tations they sent her declined, till in {
short time they left her to herself Sh,
grew wan and hollow-eyed, and none car
know how much of agony and remorse sh'
suffered Still she never complained, but
feeling that her sufferings were merited
she grew patient in her grief and loneli
ness.
Finally, for two whole days Gilbert wa
absent from home; then there came t.
Alice letter directed in his hand-writ
ing. With trembling hands she broke tn
seal and read
ALcE:-I have left the city, and you vii
probably never see me again. We are beg
gars, and the house in which we have live,
will be sold in week. Two years ago W
had quite nice little fortune Of our own, bu
we have wasted it-you by your extravaganza
and by dissipation. Had you been conten
ted away from this accursed city we might b
happy now. But will not lay all the bam
on You. We have both done wrong. 1t wa
the mistake Of our lives that we ever left th
old farm. As it is, ! am a drunken bloai
and you will be better off without me. Good
bye, Alice God knows loved you once.
GILBERf."
The worst had come, at last, and with
face white and rigid as corpse, Alic
staggered back to the sofa, and lay for
long time in state of Inconsistencies
But the future must DO met, and afte
the first shock was over, she reused, her
self and tried to answer the question
"hoW?" Il was necessary that sh