The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-02-03

Not fret How could help fretting.
Harry had his faults, knew, bgt he
was my sweetheart, and who. asked
myself, was perfect? Axe you surprised,
then, when 1 tell you taat, after six
months service with ms regiment, when
he kept on sending mo letter after letter,
telling me how bitterly he repented the
step he had taken and how miserable a
life he led, that L should listen to his
prayers to find the money to buy him
off?
He knew had a few savings, and l
told myself that they were his, and paid
the money willingly, for he told me that
he could not exist away from me any
longer, and that if / did not buy him oil
he should desert.
Yes; paid the money, and he came
back home TO work, ON and off, with n
little more steadiness, while, poor, weak
girl that / was, L refused to see how he
was changed, and loved him more than
ever.
Then he began to talk Of our being
married, and, though old Mr.. Smith OPP
posed it, Harry's mother was quite eager
that we should be wed. She thought
that, once he was settled down, hewould
be steady and keep to his work, and l
thought the same.
just at that time my mother died
my father had gone years beforehand
this put off our wedding for six months,
though it gave me n comfortable little,
well furnished residence to offer as my
portion to my husband, and very proud
l was, for his sake, OF my possession.
Shall tell you more, or hide the rest,
screening my husbands faults?
/ would, but that think my unhappy
life may prove a warning to those who
acted rs foolishly rs l did, in refusing
to listen to the good advice l received,
and in binding myself SO thoroughly to
the weaknesses OF the man was so soon
TO make my own for life.
For, in opposition to Mr.. Smiths will,
we were married, Harry and ]. The old
man was not angry with me, but most
kind all through.
"No, my dear child" he said, 81
feel as if should be doing you wrong
II / gave my consent. You know Harry,
now, az well as do, and your marrying
him will not make him n better man."
"Oh, yes, indeed-indeed it WILL"
cried.
God bless you, my DEAR" he said,
kissing me tenderly. 81 hope it will,
but | won't be party to the matter"
But you won't be angry with us,
Mr.. Smith?' l said, imploringly.
With you? No, my dear" he said.
Nor with Harry?"
We've been angry with Harry for
five years, and l shall keep on being
angry with him until he drops the pub.
lie house and sticks like u man to his
work."
So we were wed, and-I almost shame
to own it--that day for the first time |
saw my husband SO helplessly drunk
that, in my agony of mind, I believe that
II 1 could have been unmarried then /
should have left him for good.
But was his wife, and he was my
husband, my master, whose willing
slave l became, WORKING for him when
he would not work, striving ever to win
him to our home, but striving in vain.
Before We had been married O year L
was very i'll with an ailment brought on
by grief and anxiety, and when our lit
tie one was born and looked upon its
little face as that of tiny angel sent,
perhaps, to win my husbands love more
to me and home, that little face was
still, the eyes were closed, for my child
had never breathed and never saw the
light of day.
1t was great grief Of mind to me,
but time passed ON, and couple of
years later L held our little girl to his
lips that he might kiss our child, and
then shrank away in misery and despair,
finding ont, AS I did, that there was
which he loved better than
his child and me-the base indulgence
of self.
1t may seem hard to speak of him AS
/ do, but II long career of misery makes
me outspoken. Was ] not left alone
that he might drink, when our little one
lay sick unto death, and / hard pressed
for money TO obtain the necessarles that
might save it's life? The few pounds
my mother had left me had gone long
enough before-every penny spent in
L had not complained, only
strove on, day after day, to win him TO
my side, where poor old Mrs. Smith
would often be watching all night long,
sometimes by the baby's cot. after in
sisting that should take some rest.
1t all seems now, in the dim distance,
like some terrible dream of misery,
wherein see myself, with Harrys
father and mother, following the lit
tie girl to the grave, and they coming
weeping back to try and comfort me,
for Harry had gone away.
Where? never knew, only that lie
would go away for days.
| see, too, as in dream, myself
growing thin and weary, aud SO ill that
Harry, who was back now. and very
kind, persuaded me to go away aud stay
al the seaside with my old mistress, who
had gone there for her health, and pro-
posed that / should go and wait upon
her for month.
Harrys mother joined in persunding
me, and Harry's father said it would be
wise, so l went, and at the end of the
month returned TO find that L had no
home, for Harry had sold all our little
belongings for miserable sum, and the
money was all gone in drink.
/ sat down in the empty room by the
bare hearth, upon the little box that had