Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1877-03-10

1T i. all his own fault. The last SIX
months have been. indeed. very unfortunate
ceriod H. his life. IL seems incrcdulous that
the genial and talented 4 r,hur Haniev should
have thrown hiinsclf away and become 30
utterly worthless ami debauched. predict
ell brilliant professional caree, for hun. Te-
piled Will.
The last time saw Arthur said Charley,
was one evening. about three months ago.
He was intox xicatrd, pnd | walked home
with him, trying to persuade him to quit
drinking. He promised to do so, bu, ha,
stunned me ever since, aud still continues
his Old habit, To what do YOU attribute hi.
drinking; that lac sud his wife could no, live
happily 'ogcthecs
NO, IL is not that she is a noble woman.
He had been in love before he married, ADD
was disappointed. He married under The
ielusive hope that lie you'd learn 10 love his
wife and forget bis former love. .Then he
has jeen led into an association with bad
men, who pretend to he his friends, and under
the suisc of friendship gradually persuaded
him to drink and at length lured him to the
gaming table, where every step has been one
downward. His last act, though, and The
cause Of their final separation. was that lie
his wife for watch her father save her, and
diamond ring her mother gave her just before
her death, intending to sell them and with the
proceeds pander to the vice, of drink and
gambling. She told him she could not give
them to him, for one was the sacred parting
glI, of her dead mother and the other token
OF affection f,ou ner father tie abused her
very har>Lly; said he was sorry he had ever
-. a.. t..l l,x., Il Loo
him ever since Their marriage He then told
her TO 20 back to her indulgent father, and
take her relics and u,h-s with her; lie was
tired Of her aud never wished 10 see her face
again. So they parted He had treated her
cruely-sOmeume>, in his drunken fits,
s,ril ing her. She had BONE il paticnly and
W iih meekness, iured by the delusive hope
that i,h love and kindness she would win
hnn back To the path Of honor and icciitude; ;
but all her ei!orts were expended in vain,
and have appealed TO him again and asa'n.
and did eve y,,'ng could but to no purpose,
ss'd viii Dayton.
Many months af;er the above conversation
took place, Vim. Dayton was seated in his
iuxu'iously furn's shed office, in his hand he
held a volume, aud Was inrenriy poring o or the
weird poetry e.,,itled "rhe Raven, by Poe
when there came a ioorstep and sen,Ie tap al
hi. door, In pleasant voice he sal !, "Come
TO-. At this, a tall, rather slender man, with,
a pale, haggard and ernac lated countenance,
stepped in and closed the door after him
Great heavens! it is Hanley, or his ghost.
Sit down, old fellow. and tell me where you
have been all these months past. You lock
like one Just resurrected from the dead
have not seen you 10, loug time, said Will,
shaking his hand warmly
Il have just rsen from a sick bed, whe'e
| have been confined for several weeks. and
came di.ec'ly to your office. As To where
have been since saw you last, | can hardly
say, Tor | have been here and thee, almost
everywhere. wsnde' ing about, with no par
! iicular s'W or destination, until wea'v. won
out and sci. at last droppe'i ldio bct, unable
to go any farther " sad A,,hur
"You do..t look ia your usual heal. re-
TUNED Will; but you will soon he restored
TO your former cond.;oc, and your spi,its WILL
come back with ieturniu; health ahd ac,v;
y.
IL am a,.aid, said Arthur, ''ihat ii will be
a lon. while befo.e am restored to my natu-
raj frame, for IN ne ha. Leen not only physi-
cal but mental disease. To be relieved from
ibis pa s,hful state Of mind is Why c..led upon
you to impose a pa:hiul task, that often de-
wolves upon friendship"
"Ce.tsioly, Arthur; | am at you: service
The long f',en lship that has existed between
US entities you. ny every CLAIM to call ON me
to render you o,'y assistance in my power,
responded Will
II thank you, Wll," said A,.hur, ii a sub
| Jued tone. "A Z. eat chan has come over
me lately. I've reformed, quit the haunt> of
dissipation. aud repented OF The fni'ies of the
past, and shall Ell 'eayor from tbs hour I'LL
death shall sever the cord OF life, to live "a
sober and honorable man."
"How my feel;n.:s k;udIe to hear that
decls rat;on! There is nothing | moe ar
deulIy wished for than your return to the
Iaddsble aspeiaiious OF your former life.
Wtat a brilliant cSrret once opened before
you for Distinction You will yet live - en-
JOY the reward Of this nanls resolution. sa'd
VIII
"Your psnsiy scd noble nature" said
Arthur, make you overlook many Of my
defects and past conduct, fo' you were always
my wa:mest freed, and one ~ whom can
tcu>t now. ] wish you TO accompany me to
my wife. ] wait 10 imploce her forgiveness
aaa seek q restoration Of our former love.
with all my heat, answered VIII. l
will do everything m my power to restore
confidence and BRING aboJta un,or."
Bob arose and lett tue office losc'he'. In
a couple of houIs the husband and wife stood
iace to lace.
Rosa da ling wife! bave come to i'm
piore your 70 t'veness, and to redeem the
errors Of TIE past by Q l,fe of love and devo-
ton ia the fu.u IRE. Lnow ! have wIoayed
| WIN .isrDIv. bot I la We repcnfed aod suffered
| the a .oaies of remorse aid heart felt sorrow"
said AIihur.
.Ar.hur,' replied Rosa. "ihis meeting is as
pa;aipi, as unpecied as il is useless; AMI one
! itoped would never rake place; but am
/ prepared 70 say that, what has occurred can
not now be changed, aud that in the future
we must be as Strangers"
| DO moi spurn my offer Of reconciliation. .Ro-
sa, and blast my reformation for coming years
by your coldness and contempt. l have
! suffered much alfeady. AMI to meet with
hatred and ave,s,oa from you at time when
misfortune, suHerin. aod atonement plead for
me, alter the experience Of the last twelve
months, 10 enough to crush the. Il have sum
moned up all my strength to reclaim myself
from this deg aiding life, aud come back to
make this appeal to you. Don't let your
anger OF resentment check the impulses of
Lyour kinder nature, by despising all ITS tender
admon,tions, which Plead>for kindoess now
and pardon Coz. the past ReIent. R'ss, for
in On evil hour - yoas Iove away and
severed the desress lies sbas hound ns-
oavs need now Sps sll yons lore end sympa-
shy 70 biad shs broken b0nas a saeciio" and
lheai the Unpipg wosnas misfor - d folly
- unnxle:n srnsd - r,hu: Z