The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1875-08-26

on the subject" said Mrs. HopgoOd,
dabbling away VITA the BRUSH
And Alexander went ont, slamming
I the door.
'tBy George ?" quoth Alexander
Hopgood to himself, "if can't ask a
friend to my house, there's az least the
alternative OF inviting him to hotel.
/ never did such a thing before, but
don't see how else can manage"
So Alexander HOpgOod entertained
Mr.. RyersOn at the hotel, and gave an
unlimited order for iced champagne
and dessert. And the upshot of il all
was that Alexander HOpgOod was
brought in at eleven o'clock at night,
by two of the walters, hopelessly IN
toxicated.
"Don't be 'f.f-fraid, mother!'' slut
tered he, brandishing an empty bot
tie, SIS he became dimly conscious of
her white, scared face bending over
him. $50 on with your washingl It's
q deal jollier st the hotel than it is at
home. Freedom forever HoO-oo-
ray % sfT4tgr tsest tffeItl
40, what shsl / do ?p sobbed Ms.
Hopgood, when the walters were once
more out Of the house, and the roll of
the cab wheels had died away. "ro
think--0nly TO tn ink that q son Of
mine should ever disgrace himself
thus 90
'It's your own fault, mother" said
Benny, the second son. You wouldn't
let Ally bring his friend here-n
'Hold your tongue" sharply retOTt-
ed Mrs. HOPgood winehing beneath
the prick of this home truth. "Call
Elsie. / need ber help"
80, mother" piped Fannie, the
younger girl, running down stairs in
frantic haste, "Elsie amt here"
mot here ?r
'No, mother; she hasn't been to
bed at all-and there's a note on her
table directed to you"
"Open 1t, mother" said Isaac Hop
good, huskily. "This is a doomed
night for our household. Ny God
has our home become so distasteful to
our children that they fly from it like
rats from falling house ?"
Elsie's note was short enough. 1t
read =
"Dedr Mother II am tired of liv-
ing In the kitchen. I have run away
with John Elton, and before you see
me again shall have entered upon a
new future.
ELSIE"
Mrs. Hopgood broke out into wild,
hysterican sobbings.
Mr.. Hopgood read the hurriediy-
scrawled paper with face cold and
set like steel.
"Run away with John Elton % he
repeated slowly. "POor Elsie then
God help her. For he is as great q
villain and scoundrel as ever lived !; |
and she has sealed her own doom.
Mother, mother, this comes of your
housekeeping"
ait wasn't my fault, Isaac" sobbed
Mrs. HopgoOd, rocking herself back
wards and forwards on chair into |
which she had dropped.
'It was your fault" retOrted her |
husband, almost ssvagely. "You |
made the very name of nome a mock. |
cry to your children; you shut up your
soul inside of a scrubbing pail and |
now you are reaping the bitter har-
vest.u q ff..--0 |
OF course poor Alexander HDpgood
was unable to lift his thrObbing head
rom the pillow the next day, and his
mother never left him until after
noon.
When at last she came down stairs,
he psrlor blinds were thrown wide
open, a flood of sunshine streaming
n, the table neatly set in the pretty
with flowers on the ta-
Die, and new books, games, and puZ.
lies scattered around.
Mrs. Hopgood gszed around with a
air. She hardly knew her
lwn home.
''This is the way in which we must
i've heneeforward, mother" said her
husband cheerily. "Let in the light
md sunshine teach Ben aud Fanny
hat home is something more than
IN empty name, and try, in so far as
We can, retrieve the errors Of our past
ife."
And Mrs. Hopgood mutely bowed
Ter head.
81 will try, husband" she answer
ID.