The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-04-21
es. The speaker was slow and


unmoved, but n tear trcmbled In every
eye; before | knew why, u tear dropped
upon my hand, followed by others, like
raiDdrops. The old man brushed one
from his eyes, and continued.
"Men and Christians, you have Just
heard that | am n vagrant and fanatic. !
am not. As God knows my own sad
heart. l came here to do good. Hear me
and be just; | am IN old man, standing
alone at the end of life's journey there Is
deep sorrow in my heart and tears in nv
eyes. i have jOurneyed over u dark AID
b~eaconless ocean and all life's hopes have
been wrecked. l an without home,
friends or kindred upon earth, and look
with longing to the rest of the night of
death. Without friends, kindred or home!
1t was not 50 once"
No one could withstand the touching
pathos of the old man. | noticed II tear
trembling on the lid of my fathers eye,
and was no more ashamed OF my
own.
mo, my friends. it was not so once!
Away over the dMk wave which have
wrecked my hopes. there is a blessed
light Of happiness and home; | reach
again convulsively for the shrine of the
house hold idols, that once were-now
mine no more.
The old man seemed looking through
fancy upon some bright vision, his lips
apart and finger extended. l involun-
tarily turned in the direction where it
was pointed dreading to see some shadow
invoked by its movements.
~ once had a mother. With herheart
crushed with sorrow she went down to
the grave. l once had u wife-as fair a
woman us ever smiled In an earthly home,
her eyes rs mild rs Summer sky, and
her heart us faithful and true as ever
guarded and cherished a husbands love.
Her eyes grew dim as the floods of sor-
row washed away their brightness, and
the loving heart was broken. | once
had Il noble, n brave and beautiful boy,
but he was driven out from the ruins of
his home, and my heart yearns to know
il he yet lives. / oncc had u babe-a
sweet smiling babe, but by my own
hand l destroyed it, and it lives with the
One who loves children. DO not be
startled friends! I am not a murderer in
tho common acceptati0n Of the term.
Yet there is n light In my evening sky.
y spirit mother ~rejoices over the return
WI hCt plOtlS'l Sohs III II SitlllCS
upon him who ,.gain turns back to vir-
tue and honor. The child angel visits
Inc at night-fall, and l feel the hallowed
touch of u tiny palm upon my feverish
cheek. My boy, if he still lives, would
forgive the sorrowlng old nan for his
treatment which drove him into the
world, and the blow which manned HIM
for life. God forgive me for the ruin l
have brought upon me and mine"
He again wiped n tear from his eye.
My father watched him with II strange
interest, and countcnance unusually pale
and excited by some strange emo
ton.
IL was once q fanatic, and followed the
malign ligh. which led me TO ruin. l
was a fanatic when | sacrificed my wife,
children, happiness and home to the &C
cursed demon of the bowl. | was a
%drunkard. From responsibility and al
tlucnce ] plunged into degradation and
poverty. l dragged my family down
with me. l left wife and children amid
the wreck of their home idols, and riot
ed at the tavern. They never conf
plainod. yet they were hungry tor bread.
One New Years night | returned late to
the hut wbeic charity had given us u
home. Mary was up shivering over the
Goals. ] demanded food, she burst in
to tears and told Inc there was none. /
fiercely ordered her to get some. She
turned her eyes sadly upon me, the tear
falling over her pale cheek. At this
time the child in the cradle awoke, and
sent up a furnishing wall, startling the
~dcspairing mother like q %serpent's
sting"
ave have no food James. l have
had none for several days. | have moth
ing for the babe. Must we starvep
"That sad, pleading face and those
streaming eyes, and the feeble wall OF
the child maddened me, and I, yes l.
struck Mary a fierce blow in the face
The furies of hell boiled in my bosom.
and with deeper intensity az | felt l had
committed wrong. l had never struck
Mary before; but now some terrible i'm
pulse bore me on, and l stopped as well
as | could in my drunken state, and
clutched both hands in her hair"
"God of mercy, james," exclaimed
Mary, as she looked up into my fendisii
countenancc, "You will not kill us
/ you will not harm Willie ? and she sprang
to the cradle and grasped him to her en-
brace. caught her again by the hair
and dragged her to tho door. AS l lift.
ed the latch, the wind burst in with a
cloud OF snow. With tho yell Of a fiend
l still dragged her on and hurried hel
out in the storm. With a wild ha! ha! ]
closed the door and turned the button,
her pleading moan mingling with the
;. walls Of tho blast and sharp cry Of her
babe: But my work was not complete
l turned to the little bed where lay my