The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1877-09-27
ONLY YATTUsIk.

ONLY -AITUsIk.
Tom Darcy, yet,a young man. had
grown to be- q very hard one. AT
heart he might have been all right
ifhis head and will had been all
right but those. being wrong the
whole machine was going to the bad
very fast, though there were times
when the heart felt something Of its
own truthful yearnings. Tom had
lost his place as foreman ofthe great
machine shop, and what moneyshe
earned now came from odd jobs of
tinkering which he was able to do
here and there at private houses, for
Tom is a genius as we'll lsas q amechan-
ic, ndwhen his hand was steady
enough he could1eadael clock orelean
II as re could set IN
and feet ate a ste ia on ~ lla ttlls
latter he could do better than any
other man. ever employed by the
fStdtt Falls Manufacturing Company.
One day Tom. had a job TO mend a
broken moving machine and reaper,
for whichhe received five dollars; and
on the following morning he started
out for his old haunt-the village
tavern. He knew that his wife sad
ly needed the money, and that his
two littls children were in absolute
suffering from wantof clothing, and
that morning he held a debate with
the better part of himself, but the
better part had become very weak
and Shaky, and the demon of appe-
tite carried the day.
So away to the tavern Tom went,
where, for two or three hours, ho felt
the exhilarating effects ofthe alcohol.
draughts, and faneied himselfhappy,
as he could sing and laugh; but, as
usual, stuporfacation followed and
the man died out. He drank
while he could stand, and then lay
down in corner where his friends
left him.
1t was late at night, almost mid
night, when the landlords wife came
into the bar.room to see what kept
her husband up, and she quickly saw
Tom.
".Petcr," said she, not in a pleasant
mood, "why don't you send that mis-
cradle Tom Darcy home? He's been
hanging around here long enough"
Toms stuperfacation was not sound
asleep: sFhc dead coma had left his
vornfn; Hurr-tl1v eailtrs- of'riis uansc
stung his senses to keen attention
He had an insane love of rum, but
did not love the landlord. In other
years Peter Tindar and himself had
loved and woood the sweet maiden
Ellen Goss-and he won her, leaving
Peter to take up with the vinegary
spinster who had brought him the
tavern, and he knew that lately the
tapster gloated over the misery. ofthe
woman whoo once discarded him.
"Why don't you send him homc?'
demanded Mrs. Tindar, with an i'm
patient stamp of the foot.
Hush, Betsy He's got money
Let him be. and he'll be sure to spend
it before he goes home. I'll have the
kornel of that nut and his wife may
have the husk!"
With a sniff and q snap Betsey
turned away, and shortly afterward
Tom Darcy lifted himself upon his
elbow.
"Ah, Tom, are you awako2"
eyes"
"Then rouse up and have a warm
glass;.
Tom got upon his feet and stead
led himself.
"No, Peter, won't drink any more
tonight"
at won't hurt you, Tom-just one
glaes."
Il know it won'tI" said Tom, but,
toning mp the solitary button left
!!'r'know it won't"
And with this ho went out into
the chill air of midnight. When he
had got away from the shadow of the
tavern he stopped and looked up at
The stars, and then he looked down
upon the earth,
"Aye," he muttered, grinding his
heel in the gravel, "Potor Tindar has
been taking the kernal, and leaving
poor Ellen the worthless husk-a
i,,l, ,,,o,o tl,,,, wortLlos,.,nd I