Daily Republican., 1879-10-31

his soul. The psopls Asd from him In
tsrror--with q wild shrek he turned
his oourss-with ona bound he cleared
the fsncs and fad. A few Of ths strong
est followed him, and at length, after
fearful struggle, managed to get him to
his home. Home, did I sayi Alas I
It is now unworthy the name yet.
such a. II is, 1t must b tho scene Of
Halls final exit from this lite. Braoed
TO his couch, with sll the evidences Of
his course before him-starting at
imaginary sounds or fleeing from imsgi-
nary demons that haunt his sight or
brain-raving with torturss-he passes
= few short days Of agony, and his soul
passes to "that bourne from whencs no
traveller returns," while his fostering
body is placed in a drunkard's grave.
Poor Hall, farewell
And now We will return 10 our friend
Ch hsse-ons customer is gone, yet he
seems to prosper. Halls Jug il empty
and Ownerless, yet therr are others
whose more frequent visits on similar
errands are fast filing up the gap One
whom could name does not yet fail To
draw his supplies from Chase's casks;
but q few short unhappy years p'ac.
him on a footing With him old departed
friend Hall, and sad to record, his son
takes up his example. In imitation OF
= degraded father, he slowly, but sure
" marches to his own final ruin. This
son We will name john; he was about
the same age as Chase, and as his faith
er's farms had been near each other,
the sons were frequently together, and
q warm friendship existed between
them. After his fathers death, John
left the family mansion in the possss-
sion Of younger aud steadier brother,
aud took up his abode in the village
Selecting q lot near Chase's store, he
to build house; had a.
ready dug the we'll, and left it without
a covering. Chase and him seems to
have become chosen friends. Late
hours frequently find them togeth-
er. Strange whispsrings among few
Of the stead.er inhabi'ant', coupled
with various surmises, at what Chase,
John and few kindred spirits can be
doing ''up so late at night" But We
will l-av- them all TO their nightly re-
vels, and turn our attention m'rs close
ly to Chase.
You will ask, does his prosperity
Does happiness and con-
tsntmeut still brood over his family! !
answer, No. An uneasy expression
b a. settled on his countenance. The
lines Of a troubled conscience are fur
rowing his brow, and though he did
not apparently drink any great qnan
tity OF liquor himself, yet the know
ledge of his own responsibility In deal
ing it to others Seems to be bearing
heavily upon him. His business begins
to decline; adversely seems to be draw
ing near; his rest is broken; he leaves
couch before the break Of day; his
absence is prolonged; wife and friends
become alarm~d, and commence to
search for him. At last he Is found
q lif-less corpse in tho bottom Of Johns
we'll R.mcrse had driven
him to q suicids's death.
John ere this, may have passed from
earth; il living, most likely few years
will -rd his sorrowtul path through
life. Six years ago, when l last saw
him, his features were bloated and
haggard, memory had almost f"rssken
him, with soms difficulty made him
aud recalled some events OF
nur earlier acquaintance. For q mo-
,nent be seemed to hesitate. Perhaps
in that mo,nsnt his dsadened faculties
may have brought him CLEAN OF his
early life, loug b-fo'e the maddnned
bowl had scared his brain. P.rhaps
dear no hers form, with saddened eyes
and warning finger, may have fitted
his mlDd--or v sion OF child
hoods happy home, geutle sisters
rar-ss, or til. carols of mirth IN child
hoods day, may family re-echo through
the iutlalned channels of his Intellect,
and cause him TO reflect on the sad
.bauge that time has wrought-o'e
apparently an neir to wealth and hap
piness, and now filling the place of a
boy 10 tb. village blacksmith shop.
Reader, this IS no fiction, but "im-
pls staten mt Of iacts al they passed
nn1er my own observation hut few
niles frou Philadelphia, whore | lived
N my you'h. have refrained from
Using the correct names Of tue charac-
.ers iu my story, not wishing to touch
he feelings Of surviving relatives or
'riends, WLo we're blsmeless of the
,ours. chosen by the principals in this
,arra,iv.. would here state that |
vas not present at the sad death of
u asp, yet my relations to him we're
uch as to make on hearing it, a deep
nd lasting Impression on my melnory.
iy mothers maiden name and his
4 the same--we were cousins.