The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-06-02
NUMBER 9.

\ slope adown which it seemed SO easy to
slide, daily grew darker as the years dew
| on How they began to tell her the fate
before her, Ruth hardly knew, vs5 s5sss,.,
A little flush Of shame came frst when
his step was unsteady and his voice too
loud. Then grieved tear or two when
he was unreasonable. Then sorrow
that kept her heart aching night and
day, for the man who first won inspir-
alton from the glass now lost it in its
depths; lectures to be delivered were not
given to the expectant public because
ssof the illness of the lecturer" sasa
Ruth knew what that illness meant,
and. tried to hide it. Literary work was
neglected also. Money was lost that
grew and credits lessened, the handsome
| suite of rooms was exchanged for one
quite shabby. Ruth's dress became
poverty-stricken, her husband was out
| at the elbows and at the toes-he was in
toxicated from morning until night, and
yet she loved him and clung to him,
and in his sober moments he loved
| her as fondly as ever. Sometimes
the old strength and the old
hope would be aroused in him
and he would struggle to regain his
lost position. but it was all in vain.
| rum triumphed, and in five years from
her, wedding day Ruth found herself
| with her one remaining child; the first
having died within year of its birth, in
the dingiest of wretched tenement
houses, in q state bordering upon beg
gary. a3-.E q-ssls a.s=s- ~
| Edward had been more madly into1i-
| L. LII
given her blow, and now, as the night
called for brandy. and cursed her and
| himself until she trembled with fear.
| At last, as the clock struck 10, he
started to his feet and staggered out
/ Of the room, vowing to get drunk some
| where ssEs SEQ 81. e5aJa saa sf53 {
Poor Ruth stood where he had left her
past was strong on her that night. just
/ at this hour five years before they had
4 fed from her fathers home together.
How tender he was, how loving,
how gentle! How he vowed that
she would never regret that night, and
a how had he kept those promises? He
had broken every vow-he neither cher
\ ished nor protected her. His worldly
goods he had given to the ravenous de-
4 mon, drink, his love had become some
thing scarcely worth having, and yet
4 she loved him and chung to him. She
tried to feel cold and hard toward him,
but sine could not; she strove to remem-
.ber the blow he had given her, the oaths
he had uttered, but she answered herself
as she did so, "It was not him who did
1 tit was rum" She listened to the
uncertain, reeling footsteps in the street
below and burst into tears. lss,sss - So
as''My poor darling, " she whispered, as
4 she thought some grievous calamity had
smitten him into the thing he was, and
he had not himself ssput an enemy in his
mouth to steal away his brain, unmind-
full of her pleading, unmindful OF her
woe and of her shame. She thought Of
him reeling helplessly along the street,
Il and feared that some harm would come
to him. He might fall in some out-of-
tile.way place and lie there undiscovered
and SO freeze to death that bitter night,
and in her agony of terror poor Ruth
could not restrain herself from following
him. q ssasszf zss eafs7 .r..st
Her poor weakly baby slept; she
wrapped it in blanket and laid it in
its poor cradle Then she threw her
warm shawl over her head, and hastened
down the street, busy this late Saturday
night with market-going people of the
poorer classes. Is --.e-.l.--,.- ss7-a .,.-
IA little way before her reeled the
handsome, broad-shouldered figure of
her husband, and she, lady bred and
I born, fashdious, elegant, accomplished,
reared in luxury, heard poor laborers'
4 wives warn their children to beware of
1 thu Columbian fo11ow
She heard course laughs at his ex-
4 pense, and under the shadow Of her
Shawl her cheek burnt hotly, but for all
that she never thought of going back
and leaving him to himself. As soon as
she could she gained his side and called
4 to him by name:
4 stIISsdward! Edward!
He. turned and stood unsteadily look
ing at her in a bewildered way.
r@s'sYou?" he said. 'You ought 60 be
at home this time of night" asq b saga-i
$50 ought we both," said Ruth.
sssCome, DEAR" s3;s-. =
I'm my own MASTER" he said. 'sTm
not tied to any woman's apron string!P
and staggered away again, Ruth follow
ing through the long streets with every
4 face turned toward them as they passed
j3--some laughing, some contemptuous,
4 some terrified; out at last upon the
wharves, and there the besotted man sat
down more stupefed by the liquor he
had swallowed, in that fresh, cold air.
Ruth was thinly .clad-the chill of the
sea-blast seemed to reach her very heart
She thought of the babe at home and
tears coursed down her cheeks. Again
and again she pied with the mad man
4 at her side. Again and again she tried
to bring to his mind some lingering
memory of the past days when his love
4 and protection had been hers. In vain.
Wild fancies filed his brain, demons
{ born of the fumes of rum held posses
sion of his senses. Sometimes he thrust
her from him, sometimes he gave her a
maudlin embrace, and bade her bring
him more liquor, but go home he would
not The distant hum Of the city died
out at last, all was still with the strange
/ stiffness of city night. The frosty
= stars twinkled overhead. Now and ther
a night boat passed up the river, witt
measured beat and throb, Once q ruf,
fianly- looking fellow sauntered past
her an insolent word and yet more inso-
ient lauSn, anu went away SlnGlnR ye'
more insolently, he did not approach
80 cold to the very heart was she, that
{ the power of motion had almost deserted
her, when at last, rs the church clock
not far away tolled the hour of four, the
I degraded man staggered to his feet and
reeled homeward. She followed feebly,
and only by clinging to the balustrade
4 could she mount the wretched stairs. II
: bwas bitter cold within as without, but she
: was glad to find herself at last under
shelter. Her babe still Numbered ani
: she did not waken it. Her frozen bosom
could only have chilled the little crea'
ture. There were q few bits of broker