Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-06-02
Che family Cirele.
Fighting With Poison.

/ l was spending some days not man,
years ago in Il beautiful little country vii
lace. and in family who had more thai
common attractions to one who loves do
nestle life we'll rs myself. The little
circle had in it more of real interest than
have often seen developed in the sam,
number of persons.
The fltller of the family almost too
Young to feel that he was entitled to the
honorable appellation-was Il fine, frank
hearted young mechanic, with Il wide
world Of life bounding in his veins; an,
energy that. when fully aroused, drove
every thing violently before him; and :
warmth of disl osition that WOO him NOR,
friendship than it had then given him O
tn" goods ofthe world.
Ills wife, to whom he had been married
for four years, was singularlv beautiful
they had two children-the one Il laugh
inc, broWn-cyed and brown haired it'll,
fairy of three years; her romantic name
was Blossom. The second was a Growing
laughing. blue-eycd, plump little beauty
of less than a Year, promising to have al
the charms of the elder at her age
/ WAS sitting one afternoon in Il quie
! little room with my feet in two chairs
re ding pleasant little book, in II stat,
! between sleep and awake host ava,
II his shop Il hundred yards off, and N,
pretty little hostess engaged in her house
/ hold abnls-whcn VIZ, brought out O
my incidence by Il scream that brough
me To my feet like an electric shock
WAS Il woman'> voice. and had in it IN eX
cess of agony that cannot be indicated by
words: 20 loud that it rang over that quc
/ Little VILLAGE and brought every one fortl
t. ascertain the cause.
| >pranT To the door that separated the
sirting-room from the dining apartments
and saw the whole at glance The
vuunw mother stood at the door, with htl
/ first -borl-our darling Blossom in hel
arms diving. \ brief and hurried wor,
/ from the servant told the sad story. Til.
Little wirl had accompanied Il child uncle
up stairs. and while the attention of tn,
other child WAS for Il moment turned away
: seized a bottle Of corrosive >ublmat,
in alcohol. and had drank enough to HAY.
trkrn AWAY twenty such lives The it'll,
thing had tottercl down stairs, and the
mohe met her at the landing with the
empty DO tie in her hand. and the poison
ooziny from her mouth the child all I'M
conscious of what She had done Was It
over the quiet village and that already the
occupants Of every house near We're rush
inc toward the spot where the mother
stood?
But Il few moments could possibly have
elapsed since the poison WAS taken and Vet
tn" effect was fearful. After the first
shrek of terror. the mother had quoted to
a calin despair for e moment. and stood
with the child in her arms, making no eff
fort for lis relief and indeed. it seemed
hopeless. for already the subtle poison
seemed ditf'useI through the frame: the
brown eyes Lad lost the l. lu~tre; the face
was black cncd us if after lcath and the
teeth We're tight set in Il convulsive spa>m
that evidently would not pass away / rx-
anined the little lost darling for Il moment.
>;lN that it WAS hopeless. and then turned
away, unable to bear Il mothers agony.
The little door was already half filled with
villagers; and >obS and means and lamcn-
tation~, over the fate of the diving child.
were heard in every direction. mingled
with quick and hurried questions rs to the
manner Of its occurrence. and vain al
tcmpt~ at answering. which added IN up-
pressing confusion to the sadness of the
scene.
The plavfcllows uncle, who had been
up stairs with the child, had run instantly
to call the father, and but few moments
elapsed before he sprang into the middle
of The group. He bad been told all and
asked no questions had time to remark
that his eye was very stern, and that his
lips We're lrmlv compressed. Others, too.
remarked it; and knew afterwaId that
4 murmur ran around the circle Of how
strange it was that he betrayed TO feeling.
He reached out his hands and took the
child from its mother. Its eyes were now
closed. and Il white oozc coming from be
tween blackenrd lips. Was ever death
more assured? I SAW him open the eve
lids and give Il sigh of relief He told me
that the eve was not Suukcn
and SO death had not be I'M He then at
tempted to open the mouth but tie teeth
We're tight set, and they resisted his eff
forts. But with Il force that seemed al
most brutal. he wrenched the teeth apart
and opened the mouth.
Shame" cried one of the bvstanters.
Tie father did not heed them. but motion
rd to Il neighbor to take the child in his
arms. He did SO.
= Brin" me the egg bnskct.' he spoke
very Strrnv, almost without opening his
-oeih. t. the servant.
= w hat do Won want ct it ," ''What can
Won do with it?"" Hes crlzv," and many
.nch remarks followed. but the baskc; was
b re in m .ment.
He seized one of the eggs. broke If. in
serted his fingers again betwe,n the teeth.
ma Wrcnched them open by force. though
II shut with so convulSive Il motion as
o tear the flesh from his fingers, and our
II tn" aIhumcn into the throat. There. |
NaS Il Slight struggle, nothing more. and
he spectators were Mortified at the az
ION.
= Don't, the child is dying" said one.
Pi"Hsr don't hurt the little ,hing-it
an live the mother found voice to say.
aylnc her hand upon hi> arm
=" Mny, be still. he an w,rcd stcrnlv
NhIle hl> teeth Were unrclaxinr from
her cirnchln@. and his face was hard n
he We're entering Il battle. and don't
NY OF You mc'lilr with mo. keep off, =
he bYStander> inv"luntarilv obcyed
Win many harsh remarks upon hi, cruel
y h.t he did not heed them and went on
ln"'l'r ana another egg was broken, and
IN mere WAS 10 sion of lie. Then the
'Hoit BODY Of hV>tandrrs broke ont into
,"ua m"rnnur and cries Of The brute
Let the child die in peace" H i
r'|y-'ak e the child away from him" {
ere heard around INN.
lie 't'sI>'td fora moment from his Of. ;
'rt'. md turned with Il ticrccnc>, which
al before been foreign to his nature. I
Ut no one who s;tw him afterwarJ tornot {
: t"o!>. he Missed. mind vonr own.
asIneSS and leave me to mine. Take her {
way. will you? Fry it." and lie went on |
implying e"g after egg Gown the appar- /
lily lifelc>s throat Il
lhe mother could stand this no Iono,r I
er hrst-born was being tortured to deaf :,