Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-07-16

/ iCiA ttCE tOl a tCW IL
memory of the past was strong o.
her that night. Just at this hou
Eve years before they had fled iron
her fathers home together. H0N
tender he was, how loving, HOY
gentlei How he vowed that sht
would never regret that night
and how had he kept those prom
ises He had broken every vow
he neither cherished nor protected
her. His worldly goods he hae
given TO the demon, drink, his low,
had become a something scarcely
worth having, and yet she loved
him. She tried to feel cold anC
hard to him, but she could not sht
strove to remember the blow he ha6
given her, the oaths he had uttered
but she answered herself as she die
so, "It was not him who did It'll
was rum." She listened to the un-
certain, reeling footsteps in the
street below and burst into tears.
my poor darling,'' she whisper
ed ,as she thought some. grievous
calamity had smitten him into the
thing he was. and he had not him.
self ssput AN enemy in his mouth to
steal away his brairl," unmindful
of her pleading, unnlindful of heI
woe and of her shame. She thought
of him reeling heIplessly along the
street, and feared that some harm
would comet to him.. He might fall
in some out-of-the-W 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.
Her poor weakly baby slept; she
wrapped it in a 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-gO-
ing people of the poorer classes.
A little way before her reeled the
handsome, broad-shouldered figure
of her husband, and she, lady bred
and born, fastidious, elegant accom-.
plished, reared in luxury, heard
poor laborers' wives warn their chill
dren to beware of the "drunken fell
Iow."
She heard course laughs at his ex-
pense, and under the shadow of her
shawl her cheek burnt hotly, but
for all that she never thought Of go
ing back and leaving him to HIM
self. As soon as she could she gain
ed his side and called to him by
name:
"Edward Edward!'
He turned and stood unsteadilyl
looking at her in a bewildered kind
of way.
"You ?" he said. "You ought to
be at home this time of night"
$50 ought we BOTH" said Ruth.
HCome dear"
He threw her hand off.
"I'm my own MASTER" he said.
"I'm not tied to any woman's apron
string! and staggered away again,
Ruth following through the long
streets with every face turned to-
ward them as they passed-some
some contemptuous. some
terrified /; out at last upon the warves
and there the be,otted man sat
down more stupefied 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 at her
side. Again and again she tried to
bring to his mind some lingering
memory of the past days when his
LOVe and protection had been hers.
XXTslI ffilnI hi
brain, demons born of the fumes of
rum held possession of his senses.
he thrust her from him,
he gave her a maudlin
and bade her bring him
more liquor, but go home he would |
lot. The distant hum of the city |
lied out at last, all was still with |
he strange stiffness of city night.
rhe frosty stars twinkled overhead.
Now and then night boat passed
I'D the river, with measured beat |
md throb. Once a ruffianly-lOok-
ng fellow sauntered past them on /
he pier, but though he flung her an
nsolent word and yet more insOlent
augh, and went away singing yet
more insolently, he did not APP
roach them. So benumbed had
Ruth grown, SO cold to the very |
Ieart was she that the power of mo- /
ion had almost deserted her, when
t last, as the church clock not far
way tolled the hour Of four, the de-
raded man staggered to his feet
nd reeled hOmeWard. She follow
Il feebly. and only by clinging
D the baIustrade could she mount
he wretched stairs. 1t was bitter
old within as without, but she was
lad to find herself at last under
helter. Her babe still slumbered
nd she did not Waken it. Her
rozen bosom could only have chill
d the little creature. There were
few bits of broken wood in one
Orner, and crouched over it, striv-
lg to gain some little warmth,
1hiIe her husband slumbered heay-
" upon the bed in the corner, to
yhich he had staggered on his en-
rance.
Thus an hour passed by, and Ruth
lso fell asleep. The silence, the
leasant warmth at her feet, the
lncy that all her trouble was over {
)r the night, lulled her to pleasant ;
reams. From them she was AVA I
ened by the loud ringing of the
lctory bell and by the sound of I
ries and shouts in the street below.
he cast her eyes toward the bed {
er husband was not there ? toward s
le cradle-it was empty. She flew
the window-the street was full
factory boys with their tin ket-
es. Some great jest amused them {
lightly. They rOared, they danced {
icy. tossed their ragged caps on
igh, they shrieked in unmusical
lighter, ard the object of all this
Iad mirth was only too evident. II
On the steps of the liquor store OPP
)site stood Edward Holly, holding c
s child in his arms and exhibiting '
+ the benefit of the delighted
owd all those antics of which an
toxicated man alone is capable.
e called on the grinning master of A
e gin-cellar to 'tgive this child
me brandy;n aud turned the
roaming infant about in a manner
at left no doubt that he would end
z dropping it upon the broken {
lvement. y
Wild with terror Ruth rushed out Y
to the street, and made her way +
rough the crowd to the spot y
here her husband stood, but before Fl
e reached him the scene had Fl
S
Some boy more brutal than the s
st had thrown & handful of mud s.
to Edward HOlIy's face. and he. a