The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-06-30
THE DOOR IN THE HEART.
BIZ. MRS. v. ,. TOWNSEND.

By. MRS. v. =. TOWNSEND.
She was \ stern, hard womanl But far
away up 4 great many pairs OF winding
stairs in her heart was a door. easily passed
by. and on that door was written-WoMAN.
-DlckeRs.
And so IL is with the drunkard. Far
away up a great many pairs OF winding
stairs IN his heart j. adOor. and on that door
Is written man, and We must knock at that
door, once. twice, seven times; yes. seyeD-
y times seven, that il may open unto u.s.
John b. Cough.
He was an old man. Not so old
either, for the wrinkles that MARRIED
his cadaverOus visage were not the au-
tograph that Times fingers have laid
there, and the hand that placed upon
the low table the well-drained glass
did not tremble so with the weakness
that age induces; yet very old and very
wretched looked the sole Of
that narrow room, with It's red curtains
and its floor stained with tobacco Juice.
and an atmosphere abundantly seasoned
by the bar-room into which it opened.
A hat Git must have been intended for
one) half concealed the owners I'M
combed locks, and unmistakable evil
dence of a familiar acquaintance with
"brickbats and the gutter'' did
that same hat produce.
Then there wa. a coat.
out of whose sleeves peeped a pair of
elbows in rejoicing consciousness that
they "could afford to be out" Add to
these a pair of faded pants, and you
have, reader, the tout ensemble Of the
wretched being who had Just COM
menced his daily rotations in the only
grog shop he was allowed to frequent.
And yet the wretched, friendless crea-
ture that sat there, half stupefied with
the effects of his morning dram, had a
heart, and far up many pairs of wind
ing stairs in that heart vas a door, east
ly passed by, and on that door, covered
with cobwebs and dust of time and sin.
was written "Nani" But nobody
dreamed of this, and whenthe :. temper
ance men " had gone to him with the
pledge, and promised him employment
and respectability If he would sign it /;
and others (well meaning men, too,)
had rated him soundly for his evil WAYS,
and he had turned a deaf ear to all these
things, and gone back with blind per-
~tinacity to his cups again. every body
said that Old Billy Strong's case was 4
hopeless one.
All none Of these had patiently
CROPPED their way up the hearts wind
ing stairs and read the inscription on
the hidden door there. But while the
unhappy man sat by the pine table that
morning. the bar-keeper suddenly n
tered, followed by a lady with a pale,
nigh brow, mild, hazel eyes, and "A
strangely winning expression on her
pensive face. The old mar looked up
with a vacant stare Of establishment, as
the bar-keeper offered the lady a chair,
and pointed to the occupant of the other,
saying;
"That's Billy Strong, ma'am," and
with a lingering glance of curiosity, left
that gentle woman alone with the as
tonished and now thoroughly sobered
man.
The soft eyes Of the lady wandered
with a sad, lingering expression yer
old Bills features, and then in a low,
sweet voice, she -sked:
"Am / rightly Informed? Do I adj
dress Mr. William Strong?"
Ali with these words the lady had
got furtheru up the winding stairs, nearer
the hidden door, than all who had gone
before her.
..Yes, that is my name, .na'am," said
old Bill, as heglanced down at his shah
by attire. and actually tried to hide the
elbow, which was peeping out farthest,
for it was a long time since he had been
addressed by that name, and somehow
it sounded very pleasant to him.
81 am gladto meet you, Mr.. Strong"
said the lady. "Ihave heard my father
speak Of you so often, and Of the days
when you and he were boys together,
that almost feel as if we we're old ac-
quaintances. You surely a not have
forgotten Charles Morrison"
"No! mol Charlie and | used to be
old cronies," said Bill, with a sudden
animation, and a light in his eye such
as had not been there in many a day,
except when rum lent it a fitful bril-
liancy.
All the lady did not know, as per-
haps the angels did, that she had