The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-01-05

his lovely wife and baby hoy, and the
healthiu tone of his surroundings, to
keep him from pluuging into that dissi-
patton he sorrowfuly feared would be his
ruin in city home. But the serpent
was even here, and its sting as deadly.
Frank Wright drove up to the hotel
that night with his fancy team, but alone,
What did you d. with the senator? p
asked the landlord with an insinuating
smile.
oh, | dropped him at his own gate.
lie says he will retire to the bosom Of his
own family, until tomorrow And Il
laugh went round among the crowd.
Well would it have been for young
Wright had he. too, sought his family
sickeniug debauch would have bees spar
ed, and fearful illness in consequence,
Another year passed and there were
ch auges in the customers of the hotel.
Poor Bob Fisher, the man who sold
the principal means Of subsistence of his
miserable family and spent the proceeds
on a drunken spree, had died few
months ago, in the county almshouse.
His wretched children had found, per-
haps, happier homes with strangers, and
his hard. working but now old aud invalid
wife was pauper.
Frank Wright, the dashing young heir,
too, had met horrible death. A de.
bauch that heightened into weeks ended
in that terror of the druukard-mania a
potu His young wife watched with him
through all its horrors, aud be. poor fel.
low, ciugiug to her like child, held her
hand fast clasped in his, and begged her
not to leave him; watched her with
hungry love in his eyes, for through all
be bad kept fresh as in the days when he
had wooed her, his love for his wife and
with her hand in his, at last he quietly
died There was a white. haired, bowed
cid mao, his father, and weeping, black.
robed, girIish widow, who wept for him
bitter tears, and bore him away to sleep
the long sleep beside his dead mother,
and so the young life ended. Who can
say that, but for that accursed drink, o
long life full of honor and happiness
might have been his.
Another year, and only those who saw
the decay of manhood, aud watched its
slow but fearful progress, would recog-
nize iu figure now a constant attendaB.
at the hotel bar, a perpetual lounger on
the hotel porch, The noble and gifted
young senator. Yet it was true. Boated
and unshaven, with untidy clothes, and a
sleepy, listless air, he was indeed a pitt.
able wreck Of maohood.
And bis home, his wife aud children
Behind that privacy that makes home a
sanctuary, few were permitted to enter.
Mrs. Fairton was seldom seen in the
street. The children, wise with the pain.
tul wisdom born Of sorrow, never in child.
sh prattc satisfied the curious villagers.
Bat one. a friend who never betrays a
trust, knew all the misery Of that blight
Cd home Senator Fairton's mother
Upon each others strength, mother and
wife leaned for support in this their day
Of trial
There were privations and trials that
the outside world never guessed at, but
through all p tience and forbearance
that were almost more than human.
no night. however untimely the hour
did Jaue, Fairton enter his home, Otter
with uneven and stumbling steps, but he
found a neat supper table spread, and 9
gentle wife awaiting him. And did not
all this touch his heart and conscience, dc
you ask ? Aye, it did. bui morbid ap
petite was within, craving poison for 1T
food.
Onc pleasant June afternoon, Jim
Fairton, as the villagers called him now
sat in one of the capacious chairs that al
ways stood iuvitingly on the hotel porch
The landlord had come to regard hin
with coolness, and sometimes cutting
words of scorn. This day he set there
snlen aud apparently sleepy. A iade'
flannel shirt, and sailors uniidy pair o
pants, worn pair of boots and batter
ed hat, mado him, indeed, loathsom,
aud pitiable object to look upon. So
evidently, thought tho landlord, Wit
walked up and down past him, giving hin
never word, bat some looks. which.
Interpreted, meant that his room would b
, preferred TO his certainly not interesting
, company. Just then an elegant carriag
dashed up. containing four gentlemen
The landlord, now all smiles and after
ton, had hearty greeting for eact
They evidently did not see, or failed t
notice. the forlorn figure sitting there ha
: asleep Alter entering the bar, the
were about seating themselves in tn
, pleasant porch, when the landlord, regard
lul oil their comfort, made a pretence Z
!, needing the chair on which was seate
ex Senator Fairton.
= Here, j i'm = he said with no atienE
4 at politeness-why should he waste cou
4 tesy upon this man who had undor h
\ roor made himself the wretch he was
p and he took hold of the chair, you'd be
ter go home and sober up. You're
pretty looking sign to hang out here a
=. the time. We want this chair And |
gave the apparently half stnPe6ed fgur
Il vigorous shake
g But Jim Fairton was not asleep. A
:, if moved by an electric shock, he sprur
d to his feet, and those who witnessed Il
scene drew back half fearfully. But
| only drew himself proudly up His W
it kngly hight, and letting the blaze
d usulted and Indignant manhood ia
a witheringly upon the surprised landlor
,. he said, slowly, and without hcsitaing
L moment:
u Thank you. Mr.. Fell, for the fir
good advice | ever heard you give al
rs man, intcud to accept, and you sh'
N never again need the chair | have oce
n pied 20 long
The crowd held its breath, more at I
a, manner of the man than the words he |
= tered, and amid the stiffness that folio
10 cd, aud the glory of the June sunset, N
Id Fairton walked with unlaltering st
lis home.