Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-05-27
A Wife's Devotion.
PATHETIC SCENE WITNESSED ON BOSTON
COMMON.

COMMON
1t is not necessary to go to works of
fiction for pathetic scenes to show how
the demon of intemperance can destroy
the happiest homes and make miser-
able lives. Dramas of this kind are
happening about us every day. The
following account of a recent scene in
Boston could not well be more touching.
A writer in the Boston Journal says
that n little before dark, few evenings
since, group of dozen men. with one
woman in their midst, stood on one of
the side paths of the Common. Near
the woman. who was young, neatly
dressed and of intelligent appearance,
was man, about thirty years of age,
whose staring eyes and vacant express
sion showed that he was intoxicated.
A stalwart policeman had his hand
ON the drunken mans collar. while the
woman chung to him and besought him
to let her husband go.
This is what had happened a moment
before AS the staggering man, half led.
half supported by the woman, turned
from the fremont street mall. he
pushed her, so that she fell violently to
the ground. She rose and again was
thrown down, but IN spite of all chung
to his side, and walked with him, he
striking and pushing her as they went.
In q minute dozen men were rushing
after him, and it would have gone hard
with him if policeman had not been in
the front rank. AS he stood there with
the policeman's hand on his collar, he
did not utter word, but stared about
stupidity ut the men, whose angry faces
and clinched hands showed how strong
was their feeling, and there were rough
looking fellows among them, too.
But what was the use ?-every blow
given him would have made the poor
little wife suffer ten times more than he.
When the burly policeman had mas
tered his indignation sufficiently to per-
NIT him to speak, he blurted out,
''What do you mean by stricking
woman ?"
"Sbe's m wife," was the sullen reply.
'And what if she is, you brute isn't
that all the more reason why you
shouldn't harm her ?"
And right there came in that touch
of feminine nature by which thousands
of times wives have before aroused Mt
once the anger and admiration of the
officers of the law.
ooh, he didn't hit me |" and then,
when a dozen men said, 81 saw him do
it, and she saw how useless it was to
deny it, her flushed and tear-stained
face dropped and she said tremblingly,
81 mean, he didn't hurt me-"
Then the policeman said to the be-
sotted wretch, "Come alongw and
started as if to drag him off, but in an
instant the wife was upon them crying
and pleading that she might be allowed
to lead him away.
Hes always good to me" she cried,
''and he wouldn't have done it only the
liquor was in him. We came in from
Cambridge this afternoon TO look for q
tenement, and all the way in he was
talking about our little place but he
met some friends, and then-then" and
she could not say any more.
What was the big, soft hearted po-
liceman to do? His feelings were like
those of the angry, sympathetic men
about him-when he looked at the man
his grasp frightened and his body
Strengthened when he turned to the
woman his hold relaxed, and at last he
let go, and pushing him slightly
toward her, said,-
"Well, take him = and then to those
standing around-'It does seem to me,
and I've seen good many cases like
that, that women are queer lot. 1t
seems asst the more you licked EN- the
better they liked you"
Then the little woman drew the
drunken mans arm under her own and
started off up hill, and il he had abused
her while he was i'll sight, the owners
of the score of eyes that were eagerly
following them would have had an &C
countto settle with him.