The Beaufort tribune and Port Royal commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1877-1879, 1877-10-04

and a grieved expression to be read in
his big blue eyes.
"Don't you remember little Daisy?"
asked the boy in a soft voice, "don't
you remember how she was tossed upon
your knee, clasped in your arms and
kissed with true fathers love? You
remember her, don't you? And you re-
member that when she was babe you
had house of your own, store, lands,
and friends by the hundred p
"Daisy Daisy 9-Daisy Eyes, I re-
member her." mused the drunkard.
"And you remember how you came
home drunk one night, fell over her
cradle in the darkness, and your heavy
knee crushed the life out of her little
body! You called it an accident, but
your wife knew the truth. Almost from
that hour you began to 60 down hill.
CT will kill you-I will kill you !"
Kissed Big Nose, as he rose to his feet
and made grasp at the boy. The child
did not move an inch, and yet no blow
could fall upon him.
"You remember the twin boys, Charlie
and Chester, don't you?" continued the
boy, in the same pleading tones. "Your
wife was grieving herself toward the
grave over your conduct, and your store
had been taken from you when they
came. All they were rosy and bright,
and color came again to the mothers
cheek as she taught them how to kiss.
How did they die, Nose Williams :?
Don't you remember how one night you
were fshed out of the gutter, beastly
drunk, carried home by friends and left
on the stepsa Your wife helped you into
the house, saying never a word, but her
eyes full of tears. Her forbearance
angered you, and you seized the lamp
and hurled it at her head. 1t passed
beyond, struck the bed on which the
children lay, and the flames which leaped
up and consumed half your house burned
those little bodies to a crisp! Answer
me, Moses Williams, do you remember
that awful night do the terrible cries
of the children and the fearful shrieks
of your poor wife come to your ears
as the sun goes down and the night
creeps On2"
"II-you Ie-I'll get my knife and
kill youp' shouted the excited man.
His face was white as chalk, his eyes
fairly blazed, and the truthful words
of the strange visitor were knives in his
heart.
"I'n slash your throat across I" he
Kissed, as he rose from the bed and
started to cross the room. He made one
step, halted, and then with wild scream
he sprang on the bed and crowded back
close to the wall.
"Snakes? Yes, they are here" re-
marked the boy; as he turned his head
toward the other end of the room. "See
them creep and twist Hear them snap
and hiss There'l be more along pres
emily, and it will be On awful sight to
look down upon them But let me finish
my story: The awful death of your
children had no effect on you. The
tears and prayers of your wife were un-
needed. The entreaties and arguments
of friends did not turn you one hairs
breadth from your downward career.
The day came when you had nothing,
and the day came when fourth child
walled at your dreary hearthstone. Your
wife was in rags, your cupboard bare, and
through the broken panes the snow
fakes of December softly crept to chill
the poor child's soul Do you remem-
Der those days, Moses Williams? Days
when you even pawned the Bible from
the house, and robbed your wife of her
rags, That your beastly appetite might
be gratifed for the moment Look at
ne while I ask you if you remember
low that child ded!'
"Snakes More snakes I" whispered
Hose, pointing into the darkness.
eyes, I see. How their eyes glitter
il the darkness! How their tongues
d,rt out and in like threads of fire But
de you remember that awful night in
mdwinter when you slept on tavern
beach, leaving wife and child without
fod,@ fire or light? How the wind
screamed and howled that night How
thecold crept into the houses and made
people shiver in their warm beds What
did you find when you tumbled home
next day-not with food or fuel, but to
beatand abuse your patient wife and 60
backto your he'll again? The child was
dead, frozen to death, and your wife
had bst little life left. She had burned
the straw inqhe bed to keep the icy hand
of desth away, and had then wrapped
the babe in the tick. You murdered
that b.be, Moses Williams All! your
hands are red with blood-the blood of
the Innocent, the suffering, the patient
and kind p
"I'ltbrottle YOU'LL tear you limb
from limb |" howled Nose, as he sprang
from th, bed.
The bays great blue eyes looked into
his with plying expression. The drunk
ard grasled at his throat, struck at his
face, and screamed in wild rage us his
hands touched nothing but thin air. A
sharp his, at his feet made him cry out
in terror, and as he sought refuge on the
bed again the boy went on:
"Look around this room Bare
walls, brolen floors, torn paper, great
spiders swinging from their webs in t. e
dark corners To this den your crippled,
heartbroken wife followed you. Only
one in a million would have thus clung
to fend like you. All the kicks and
blows and cruel words and suffering of
score of years had not been enough to
harden her heart against you. In this
dark and noisome den she hungered for
food and felt afraid of the dark shadows.
You erept down here time after time and
beat her with your fists, and cursed her,