The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-04-06

treaties that she might be excused so won
upon her husband, who loved her as pas.
siouately as on the day Of their marriage,
that he did not further press the matter,
She was, however, becoming maniGestly
thinner, paler, aud weaker.
One day he entered the room with a
glass Of wine in his hand, aud, placing
his arm aroupd her, said coaxingly :
elizabeth, love, you must drink this
know you object to it, but it is necessary;
prescribe it as medicine aud as such
you NUT take it. All - he added, put.
ting it to his lips, what nasty stuff, al.
most as nasty as anything in the SURGERY
aud then with II low laugh put it to the
lips OF his wife, saying, after few
glasses you'll get accustomed to the taste,
and then | shall not have to say, My
dear, have you taken your wine p
Alas how prophetic were his words
Could he have loresoen the result Of his
own prescription, he would have cut Of
his right hand, rather than it should have
held that glass Of wine to her lips, She
drank it at his quest--drank glass OF
wine for the first time in her life-ielt it
like fire upon her tongue-ielt it coursng
along her frame, until it tingled at her
/ fiogers' ends Think not that this was
too great an effect to be produced by so
small a cause in similar circumstances
similar results have often followed.
Don't ask me TO take any more," she
said, with an appealing look at her hus-
band, "it excites my brain, and makes
me feel so very odd"
off | did not deem it quite necessary,
he replied, 81 would not but you must
take few II ore doses, and then | hope
we may dispense with it altogether"
And so the dose was renewed, and
taken day after day; nay, was doubled
for it was ordered to be taken twice q
day, and the feeling of aversion did wear
away, and finally the wine became pleas
ant, an object of dcsire-a necessity
Six months had winged their flight
after that first glass OF wine had beer
taken, but in that short space of time the
"medicine" had done its work so effect
ually that Mrs. now longed for the
glass more strongly than she had once
loathed it-she was, in fact, confirmed
drunkard The two glasses Of wine pre-
scribed were followed by two not pre-
sciibcd, the wine was superseded by
brandy.and.water, the brandy-and. atci
by pure brandy, and the wiue only resort.
ed to when brandy could not be got
This was for time concealed from hci
husband, for as one evil generates another
so when love for strong drink had beer
formed, her once open nature yielded tc
deceit, and she took it stealthily, and re
sorted to the usual appliances for purify
ing her breath. The fact, however, was
known by one of the servants, and sht
having again and again warned her mis-
tress Of her danger, at last felt it hel
duty to intimate it to her master. The
hint was suf1icent-he at once becam,
alarmed, and with a throbbing heart, bu
tone quiet and kind, said "Well Eliza
beth, the wine has not produced the goot
| had thought it might, and think 70,
had better discontinue taking it."
oh, " she replied, "l have not takel
more
"Well, give it up, love, and try th'
effect of your other medicines.
BY this apparent opcnness his fear
were partly lulled but he was often from
home, and as all in the cellar was unde
her control, she continued to supply he
diseased appetite with the large quaint
ties it demanded. Uuhappily for her
only her youngest children were at home
Those who might have discovered thei
mothers sin, and thrown obstacles in tn
way Of its indulgence, were at school, an,
so she drank deeper and ottener, unit
shame fed from her face, and all remon
strances became vain. Too late her hus
band was convinced of his mistake. Th
demon Of secret drinking had taken pos
session Of his wife ; he had been instru
mental, unintentonally, in opening wa,
for the entrance of the demon, but he ha,
no power to expel him. All he coul,
now do was to entreat and warn-to trea
his erring wife with kindness and rende
it as difficult as possible for her to obtai
any intoxicating drink, Alas it was il
vain. When women give themselves u
to do evil, they are more fertile in cxpe
dients Tor the attainment OF their end
than men, and this is specially marke,
when the besetting sin is drunkenness
. Ardent spirits and wine were now place,
, under lock and key but she had money
r and from draw.shop near she contrive
to obtain supplies Of liquor. This sourc
, was at last cut of; but then she stol
into the surgery, and drank ether an
,, spirits OF wine. Astounded at the dis
covery OF this, Mr. - locked the SUI
gerry door whenever Le went out, an
, hoped that he had eilectualy guarde
every avenue. No! there was one pa:
: yet open his poor besotted wife coul
work on the pity of ,hnse who were eithe
a statedly or occasionally about her.
"Do take this bottle and fetch me
' little brandy"
/ mo, ma'am, | must hot master ha
0 forbidden me-"
80, but feel so ill., shall die il 20
f don't, won't ask you again, but | mui
have one glass only one glass"
q But ma am it's the brandy that
/ killing you. O dear, how changed 20
/. are, and so soon TOO You did look
c well in the Spring, and it wants mont
i 10 Christmas, aud you look twenty yea
IS older in the time and you are SO wor
is aud haggard that fear you will not |
|, long for this world, Oh, don't drink an
r, more, or you will Kill both body ard soul
;. II will give it up-yes, will. hi
r. not detest it once? All that was
e happy time-apd will hate it again
e only to ease this pain this dreadful pai
d | must have one more glass-the las
# yes, the last ~
Y And the glass was obtained-but II
d the last, No, the evil went on until
4 -.