The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1874-12-15

y
than that keep her away from me-
''He ate no supper, but went immedi-
ately to his room, and when | went up
he was lying on the bed in heavy,
drunken sleep.
mo one but those who have expert
enced il, can know what 1 suffered that
night. 1t was all clear to me now
Liquor was changing my husband from
a kind man and affectionate father to a
madman. prayed God to save him
by any means He would, but only to-
save him. He heard my prayer, and an
swered it, but in way l least expected.
Weeks passed in this terrible way
Sometimes he would come near midnight
and give me ten minutes to get myself
and the brat (as he always called our
Child when in that condition. out of the
house, threatening to kill us both if we
stayed where he was any longer Many
times ! caught the baby in my arms, and
wrapping large shawl round me, went
at that late hour over the long bridge
and round the rocks to the lonely river
road leading to my fathers house.
Sometimes he would bring three or four
OF his companions home with him, and
would have to build fire and prepare
supper for them at that late hour, and
many times morning dawned before
closed my eyes in sleep
"Father wanted me to leave him, but
had | not taken him for better or worse
till death should part us, and could
break that solemn vow? Then, too, my
faith in God never wavered. I believed
He would save my husband, and He
did
'All this time his business was neg
lected, and we were getting very poor
He took many articles Of furniture and
sold them, and even my underclothing
was sold to purchase the fiery fluid that
was sending soul and body to dcstruc
ton. Finally l became so reduced that
| had but Que dress to wear. Then came
the crisis.
"The ninth Of June, six years ago, ii.
was the fourth anniversary of our wed
ding-day,) he came home at midnight,
crazy. | shall never believe that he did
that nights deed in his right mind 1t
had been my custom to sit up till he
came, but that night l had gone to bed
early, leaving the door unlocked.
must have been asleep two hours when /
was awakened by heavy hand falling
upon my shoulder, and l heard my hus-
bands voice bidding me dress and leave
the house in fifteen minutes. l dressed
my self quickly and went to the baby's
crib to wrap her up and take her with
me- But he would not let me touch her.
When refused to 60 without her he
dragged me to the front door and push
ed me out. Whether 1 tainted or was
stunned by falling l do not know, but
when consciousness came | was in the
nira of -neiuhi,nrs -.iaIass Y tl,4a
warm sunshine was streaming into the
room. l heard kind Mrs Lee say, "How
shall We tell her p and the answer was
"God help her.
81 lay there with my eyes closed a ter
rible dread stealing over me. What had
they to tell meY Was Howard dead
or had he set fire to the house in his
drunken madness and made us home
less? All! little did l dream what it
was
81 begged Mrs. Lee to tell me, and to
tell me the truth, whatever il was She
told me, breaking it to me as gently as
she could but, oh it was terrible. Lily,
my baby, was dead, and her father had
killed her!
"There we're long weeks of fever and
delirium afterward, but one afternoon,
when / was able to sit up, they told me
all. A policeman going by early in the
morning,and noticing the open door and
no signs of life about the house, had en-.
tered, and going up stairs found my dar.
ling on the floor, her little throat cut
from ear to ear, and the carpet soaked
with her precious life-b blood. Near hel
lay her father his hand still clutching the
knife that had done the awful deed. He
was Immediately ly taken in custody, and
had been there ever since.
"How longed to go to him; but
was too weak. l had prayed God tc
save him in His own way, but how terri
BILE was that way. Could He not have
saved him without the sacrifice of thai
precious baby-life2 2 Might He not have
given my husband to me clothed and in
his right mind without sending this af
Fiction to me2 Yet, through all this
sorrow were His precious promises. full
filled.
''It was just ct this time that that no.
BILE band of men and women, the Sons
and Daughters of Temperance came tc
our help. Efforts were put forth to prove
that he did the deed while affected with
momentary insanity, nor was it difficul,
to prove this. All who had known How.
ard Minturn before he yielded to the
tempter testified to his good character
both as man and father, and one day
in August the prison doors were opened
and my husband came to me, mot the gay
thoughtless man he was when married
him, but subdued, tender, affectionate
man, with sprnkling of gray hairs in
the brown, that were not there when
saw him last.
"The night he was released he walked
with me to the cemetery, and over oul
darling's grave he took solemn oatl
never to touch drop Of liquor.
'You ssked me, Carrie, what the tenn
perance people have done for me. / was
hungry, and they fed me; l was naked
and they clothed me; we were poor, snt
they ninistered unto u.s. Through al
that dreadful sickness that attacked
Howard after he stopped drinking, they
were with him day and night Tuey
started him in his business, kept hin
from temptation as far as possible, ant
strengthened him with their prayers
Then they threw around him the bands
of their simple yet beautiful fraternity
giving him the hand of brotherly love
and welcoming him to place amons
them. All that we are to-day, we owe
through God, to the Sons of Temper
ance,' those coarse men and women a.
you have called them, Carrie"
Lets join them when we get home
Carrie" said Minnie. wiping the tears
from her checks.
But Carrie, her head in Cousin Jennie:
lap, was weeping 80 she could not an