The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1878-02-08
Woman's Temperance Column
"1he Lord of Hosts IS ,cith as, the Goo
ofJoco6 is 01l' ,'efuge."
THE RECTOR OFRIyINGrON
by EssIE II. cuEEsDoRo.

The rector Of Rivinglon sat in hi.
study. He was venerable-lookino
man, OH whose pale face some deer
sorrow had left its trace. As he sal
leaning thoughtfnlly back in his chair
his dark eyes fixed on tho glowing
Goals in the CRATE, his countenance
wore troubled, anxious expression.
lie was not alone; his daughter, Q
girl of eighteen, was with him, and hel
face, too, was clouded by sadness. Al
she tossed back her bright curls, and
raised her eyes lovingly and trustingiy
to her father, who had so tenderly sup
piled her mothers place, proving that
men, too, have a deep font of tender.
ness in their natures, which, at times
can oven be maternal; the parents
heart smote him for the pain he was in.
flicting.
But the rector of Rivington never
paused when he had duty to perform
however painful that duty was, he
walked up unfiinchingly toit, even al
the brave soldier walks up unfinch
ingly to the cannon's mouth. Turning
his sad eyes Oh his daughter, he said:
"My child, you know that your hap
piness is as dear, even dearer to me
than my life, and 1 cannot willingly
consent to your throwing it away"
eyes, father" she said, while the
tears gathered in her eyes, and fell
slowly down in great drops on her lap,
81 know how tenderly you love me
how you have been father. mother
nurse and friend to me, throw ing only
sunshine. around my way, and shield.
ing Inc from every sorrow, and"
eyes, yes, my child" interrupted
the rector, with emotion, "and will
continue to do so, fyou will only per-
NIT me. My child, my child, cannot
stand quietly by and see you throw the
jewel of happiness away and not put
forth my hands to stay You, my voice
to imploro YOU"
His tones were full of emotion
while his franc tremblcd with the in.
tensity OF his feelings.
"My child" he continued, "if ever q
parents heart is stirred to its deepest
depths, 1t is when he sees the daughter
he has tenderly nurtured link her fate
with that of druknard. cannot
stand by and see this sacrifice without
crying out. MY God, my God, give me
the strength to bar out from my home
this terrible evil; give me the power to
shield and TO save my child from this
gigantic miscry-a misery so deep that
no plummet can sound Its depths"
Alice Carington's face grew deadly
pale as her father spoke, and she cried
out in tones of agony:
go, father, spare me all this have
not the strength to send from me the
only man / love save my father. II Is
a dreary thing, dear father, for wo-
man to tear out from her heart the love
of her girlhood and her womanhood
and to walk forever alone. How can
my lips ever say to the man love, Go
| cannot marry you.'
"My child, you must"
~ love him, father"
"Tear your love out of your heart,
before 1t rends your heart" he said,
bitterly.
80, father" sho moaned.
"Better that, my child, than hug an
affection which can bring you only sor
row,-a grief whose talon claws will
rend apart your verv body aud soul
Alice, Alice, you know not what 1t Il
to be a drunkard's wife,"
81 will reform him after we are mar.
ried," she said, eagerly.
"Reform him first, and marry him
afterwards, my daughter; but wo-
man sadly overratcs her strength when
she marries drunkard to reform him p
"George Granville loves me. father
and you know where there ia love on
tho husband's part, thcre isinAueace on
that of the WIFE"
Tho rector shook his head sadly, and
replied;
''Siy child, whero the vices of men
are confirmed, women can possess very
little influence over them. know
that your sensitive heart shrinks back
afrighted at the idea of being drunk.
ards wife; with your ignorance OF
men, you think that love can accom-
plish miracles with them, and that the
drunken lover will prove q sober hus.
band. All! my child, many a poor,
foolish woman has wrecked her hopes
Of happiness on just such a fallacy as
this"
The tears that had been slowly fall
ing from the girls eyes, now came
down in torrents. She laid her head on
the table beside her, and sobbed pas
slonately. Her father was prepared to
see her grievc, but he. did not antici-
pate SO wild a storm of grief as this.
Hc new that his child loved, with all
the ardor OF her affectionate nature, tho
man who had sought her In marriage.
He was handsome, intelligent and ami
able; but one terrible failing oyershad-
owed these qualities; he was drunk
ard. He could plunge woman into
misery, but he could add nothing to
her happiness,
And while the girl. wept, tbs rector