The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-07-17
Only a Husk.

grown to be very hard one. At heart he
might have been all right, if his head and
his will had only been been right; but
these being wrong the whole machine was
going to the bad very fast, though there
were times when the heart felt something
of its old truthful yearnings. Tom had
lost his place as foreman in the great ma
chine shop, and what money re now
earned came from odd jobs of tinkering
which he was able to do, here and there,
at private houses; for Tom was genius
as well as mechanic, and when his head
was steady enough he could mend clock,
or clean watch, as well as he could set
up and regulate steam engine-and this
latter he could do better than any other
man ever employed by the Scott Falls
Manufacturing Company.
One day Tom had a job to mSnd broken
moving machine and reaper for which he
received five dollars; and on the following
morning he started out for his old haunt
the village tavern. He knew that his wife
sadly needed the money, and that his two
little children were in absolute suffering
from want of clothing, and that morning
he held debate with the better part Of
himself; but the better part had become
very weak and shaky, and the demon of
appetite carried the day.
So away to the tavern Tom went, where,
for two or three hours, he felt the exhil-
arating effects of the alcoholic draught,
and fancied himself happy, as he could
sing and laugh; but, as usual, stlpefac-
ton followed and the man died out. He
drank while he could stand, and then lay
down in a corner, where his companions
left him.
1t was late at night, almost midnight,
when the landlords wife came into the
bar-room to see what kept her husband
up, and she quickly saw Tom.
"Peter." said she, not in pleasant
mood, "why don't you send that miserable
Tom Darcy home? He's been hanging
around here long enough"
Toms stupefaction was not sound
sleep. The dead coma had left his brain,
and the calling of his name stung his
senses to keen attention. He had an in
sane love Of rum, but did not love the
landlord. In other years Peter Tindar
and himself had loved and wooed the
sweet maiden-Elen Goss-and he won
her, leaving Peter to take up with tbs
vinegary spnster who had brought hin
the tavern, and he knew that lately the
tapster had gloated over the misery Of the
woman who had once discarded him.
"Why don't you send him home ?" de
manded Mrs. Tindar, with an impatien
stamp of the foot.
"Hush, Betsy ! He's got money. LIE
him be, and he'll be sure to spend it be
fore he goes home. I'll have the kernel o
the nut, and his wife may have tn
husk n'
With sniff and snap Betsy turned
| away, and shortly afterward Tom Darce,
lifted himself upon his elbow.
"Ah, Tom, are you awake?"
eyes"
, "Then rouse up and have a warn
glass"
Tom got upon his feet and steadied him
, self.
"No, Peter, won't drink any more to
night"
SIT won't hurt you, Tom - just
glass"
q 81 know it WON'T" said Tom, button
ing up his coat by the only solitary buttol
$ left. 81 know it won't"
! And with this he went out into the chill
!. air of midnight. When he had got ava
e from the shadow Of the tavern, he stoppe
and looked up at the stars, and then b
looked down upon the earth.
:. "Aye," he muttered, grinding his hee
y in the gravel, "Peter Tindar is taking tn
u kernel, and leaving poor Ellen the worth
!. less husk-a husk more than worthless
}, and I am helping him to do it. I am rot
bing my wife of joy, robbing my childre
, of honor and comfort, robbing myself c
!, love and life-just that Peter Tindar ma
e have the kernel and Ellen the husk! We'
> see!
/ 1t was revelation to the man. Th
d tavernkeepers brief speech, meant not fo
his ears, had come upon his senses as fe
" the voice of the Risen One upon Saul 9
Is Tarsus.
! "We'll see" he replied, setting hi
O foot firmly upon the ground; and then h
y wended his way homeward.
e On the following morning he said to hi
wites