The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-06-16

and In his sober moments he loved
her as fondly as ever. Sometimes
the old strength and the old
hope would be aroused III him
and he would struggle TO regain his
lost position, but Il was al in vain,
rum triumphcd, 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 wretclled tenement
houses, in n state bordering upon beg
gary.
Edward had bccn more madly intoxi-
catcd than ever before; no had even
given her blow, and now, MS the night
wore on, he mnttered and raved and
called for brandy. aud cursed her and
himself until she trembled with fear.
AT Inst, rs the clock struck 10, he
started to his feet aud staggered ont
of the room, vowing TO get drunk some
where.
Poor Ruth stood where lie had left her
Tor few moments. Tho memory Of the
past was strong ON her that night. just
at this hour five years before they had
fled from her fathers home together.
How tender he was. how loving,
how gentle! How he vowed that
she would never regret that night, and
how had he kept those promises? He
had broken every vow--hc neither cher
iSllcd nor protected her. His worldly
goods he had given to the ravenons de-
mon. drink, his love had become some
thing scarcely worth having, and vet
she loved him md chung to him She
tried to feel cold and hard toward him,
but she could not: she strove to renem-
her the blow lie had given her, the oaths
llc had uttered. bnt she answered herself
as she did 50, 1T was not him who did
it. II was rum. She listened to the
uncertain. Keeling footsteps iii the street
below and hurst into tears.
my poor darling" she whispered, as
she thought some grievous calamity had
smitten him into the thing he was. and
he had not himself put an enemy in his
mouth to steal away his brain" unmind-
full Of her pleading, unmindful Of her
woe and II her shame. She thought Of
him Keeling helplcsslv along the street,
and feared TINT some harm would come
to him. He might fall in some out-of-
thc.way place md 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 blanket and laid it in
its poor cradle. Then she threw her
warm shawl over her head, and fastened
down the street, busy this late Saturday
night with market-going people Of the
poorer classes.
A little way before her reeled the
handsome, hroad.shouldercd figure Of
her husband, and she, a lady bred and
born. fastilions, elegant. accomplished,
reared iii luxury, heard poor laborers'
wives warn their children to beware Of
the drunken fellow"
She heard course laughs ut his ex-
pense, and under the shadow of her
shawl her cheek burnt holly, but for all
that she never thought Of going back
and leaving him to himself. AS soon ms
she could she gained his side and called
to him by name:
Edward! Edward!
He turned and stood unsteadily look
ing ut her in bewildered way.
"You?' he said ''You ought to be
ut home this time of night"
$50 ought We BOTH" said Ruth.
"Come, dear"
He threw her hand of.
I'm my own master" he said. I'm
and staggered away again, Ruth follow
ing through the long streets with every
face turned toward them rs they passed
txsre rfss.a
some terrified: out ut last upon the
wharves, aud there the besotted man sat
down more stupcfied by the liquor he
had swallowed. in that fresh, cold air.
Ruth was thinlv clad--the chill Of the
sea-hlast 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
Mt 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. In vain.
Wild fancies filled his brain, demons
born Of the fumes of rum held possess
sion If his senses. Sometimes he thrust
her from him, sometimes he gave her a
Mandlin embrace. and babe her bring
him more liquor. but 60 home he would
not. The distant hum Of the city died
out Mt last, all was still with the strange
stiffness Of city night. The frosty
stars twinkletl overhead. Now and then
a night boat passed up the river, with
measured beat and throh. Once ruff
fianly-looking fellow sanntered past
them on the pier. but though he flung
her MI insolent word and yet more inso-
lent laugh, aud went away singing vet
more insolentlv, he did not approach
them. So benumbed had Ruth grown,
80 cold to the very heart was she, that
the power Of motion had almost deserted
her, when Mt last, as the church clock
not far away tollel the hour Of four, the
degraded man staggered ID his feet and
reelcd homewari. She followed feehly,
and only by clinging to the halnstradc
could she mount the wrctchcd stairs. IL
was bitter cold within as without, but she
was glad to find herself Mt last under
shelter. Her hahe still slumberel and
she did not waken it. Her frozen bosom
could only have chilled tho little crea-
turc. There were few bits Of broken
wood III one corner, aud with these she
made a fire in the old stove, andcrouche,l
over it, striving 10 gain some little
warmth, while hei husband slumhcre.l
heavily upon the bed in the corner,
to which lac had staggered on his en-
trance.
Thus mn hour passed by, and Ruth
also fell asleep. The silence, the pleas.
ant warmth ut her feet, the fancy that
all her trouble was over for the night,
lalled her to pleasant dreams. From
them she WAS awakened by the loud
ringing IL the factory bell and by the
sound OF cries and shouts in the street
below. She cast her eyes toward the
bed-her husband was not there to.
ward the cradle--it was empty. She flew
10 the window-the street was full Of
factory boys with their tin kettles Some
great Jest amused them nightly. They
roared, they danced, they tossed their
ragged caps on high. they shrieked in
nnmnsical laughter. and the object Of
all this mad mirth was only too evident.
On the steps Of the liquor store op.