The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-02-17

4 girl that I was, / refused to see now he
was changed, and loved him more than
ever. Rsf
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, he would
be steady and keep to his work, and l
I thought the same.
just at that time my mother died
my father had gone years beforehand
this put OF our wedding for six months,
though it gave me n comfortable little,
well-furnished residence to offer as my
portion tony husband, and very proud
was, for his sake, of my possession.
Shall L tell you more, or hide the rest,
screening my husbands faults
/ would, but that think my unhappy
life may prove a warning to those wbc.
acted as foolishly as | did, in refusing
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 L should be doing You wrong
If L gave my consent You know Harry,
now, as well as / do, and your marrying
him will not make him a better man.
.'Oh, yes, indeed-indeed it will, /
cried.
''God bless you, my DEAR" he said,
kissing me tenderly, 81 hope it will,
but 1 won't be party to the matter.
But you won't be angry with us,
Mr.. Smith % said, imploringly.
With you g? No, my dear, ," he said.
Nor with Harry 2"
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 man to his
work
So we were we'd, and-I almost shame
to own 1t-that day for the first time I
saw my husband so helplessly drunk
that, in my agony of mind, L believe that
if could have been unmarried then L
should have left him for good.
But l 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 a year I
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 a great grief of mind TO me.
F,rrAf ,F
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 out, as 1 did, that there was
something which he loved better thap
his child aud uae-the bsso iad~l -
OF self.
1t may seem hard to speak of him as
1 do, but a 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 its life? The few pounds
my mother had left me had gone long
enough before-eyery penny spent in
drink-and 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 1 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? =? l never knew, only that he
would go away for days.
L see, too, as in a dream, myself
growing thin and weary, aud SO i'll that
Harry, who was back now, and very
kind, persuaded me to go away aud stay
at the seaside with my old mistress, who
ha3 gone there for her health, and pro
posed that 1 should 60 and wait upon
her for a month.
Harry's mother joined in persuading
me, and Harry s father said it would be
wise, so / went. and at the end of the
month returned to find that / had no
home, for Harry had sold all our little
belongings for a miserable sum, and the
money was all gone in drink.
i sat down IN the empty room by the
bare hearth, upon the little box that had
been my companion at the seaside, and
asked myself what / should do For
few moments hot feeling of indignation
came over me, and recalled too much.
for L vowed that would leave him now
never to return; but the next minute
the memory of his old love came back,
and my vow to be his faithful wife; and
the cruel thoughts were cast away and /
STAYED.
Ten Ay, fifteen years are gone, and
I still drudge on, patiently bearing my
lot. A few kind words and smile are
the rewards 1 pray for, but they seldom
come now, since he's so much changed.
/ see the change at times. but not often,
for 1 blindly cling to the old memory OF
our love. and. come what may, nightly
pray for the strength that shall make
me his patient, forbearing wife unto the
end. - - ---------------