Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-04-18
A Danger Signal.

exercises of college which was situated
about three miles from the town in which
we lived. Our own carriage was filed with
guests and driven away, aud my mother
and accepted seats in the carriage OF a
neighbor. This neighbours horses were a
pair Of frisky young colts-beautiful, spir.
tied creatures-not long since broken to the
harness, and the gentleman who undertook
TO drive us was friend from distance
who was little accustomed to the manage
ment of horses but no trouble was appre.
hended, as the horses was not at all vi
cious, and the roads were excellent. We
had proceeded only short distance, how
ever, when we noticed that the horses did
not go with their usual fine, steady gait.
They began to prance and fret, and
to act decidedly nervous. Our driver
only irritated them by his efforts to control
them, and at last they broke away, and
dashed into run. My mother clasped me
swaying and rocking dangerously over every
inequality of the road, when suddenly, just
as we were giving ourselves up for lost, a
young fellow with the figure of an athlete
sprang out from the roadside, seized the
horses by their heads, and with one power
full movement turned them toward the
fence, and stopped them. They were quiv-
ering in every nerve, and with the touch
and tone OF born horseman he began to
soothe them, meanwhile examining the har-
ness with knowing eye.
"Why," said he, these horses are hitched
up wrong. 1t is no wonder they ran away"
And he began altering straps and buckles to
rectfy the mistake.
By this time the borses were much qui-
eted, and my mother had recovered herself,
and she called the young gentleman to her
side | shall never forget his bright, gallant
face, and his noble bearing, as he came for
ward to receive the thanks with which she
overwhelmed him.
This was the beginning of our acquaint-
ance with this young man, and it will not
harm him now if give the history of that
acquaintance until.its close. 1t may per-
haps serve as sort of danger signal to
some other young man who is possessed of
a similar temperament, and who is begin
ming TO travel in the way he went. Let us
call him for the time Of this story Harry
Belden.
After the college exercises were con.
cluded, my mother spoke TO the president,
who was an old and much valued friend Of
our family, and related our adventure, and
spoke in warm terms of our preserver.
cab" responded he, ait was Harry Bel
den, was it I? wish, Mrs. H., that you
would invite him to your house."
~ have already done So" said my mother,
somewhat surprised. "He is coming to tea"
He is the son of my old friend Horace
Belden of l." explained the president
speaking somewhat gravely. Heis to spend
his vacation with me at my house, and next
fall he enters college. The fact is, he is some
what dissipated, and l have promised my
friend Belden to do what can for him, SO
he is to be under my own eye, and we hope
a good deal from quiet, country life. He's
a charming fellow, charming" he added
emphatically, "and he is too young to be
lost. l shall be glad for him to have your
house to go to, for it is cheerful place, and
he will enjoy it."
Every tender feeling in my mothers heart
was reused for this young fellow who had
saved her life and that of her child, and
yet was so near to making shipwreck of his
own. She and my father made him thor
oughly welcome at our home, and as the
president had prophesied, he did enjoy it.
My two young lady aunts who resided with
us filled the house with life and gaiety, and
Harry Belden's frequent visits made the
bright summer days seem brighter still. He
was indeed charming fellow" bubbling
over with wit and mirth, generous, kind.
hearted, and obliging, and gifted with a
handsome face, and the manners of a
thorough gentleman. l do not think that
in all his life he had known, or that he ever
did know in after years, the sensation of
physical fear. A thing to be really enjoy
able to him must have a spice of danger; a
situation that would justly alarm another,
but produced sense of exhilaration in him.
1t was but pleasurable excitement. 1t
brought his &c blood up" as he himself ex.
pressed it, and then, whose foot so fleet,
whose hand 30 firm, whose nerve so steady
as hisf OF course, possessing such dis
position, he excelled in all manly exercises.
A good shot, q fine rider, an excellent swim
mer, and devoted to athletic games. In all
these things he was more than fine, he was
recklessly daring. But, alas this craving
for excitement was his ruin it made all
simple, normal pleasures seem dull and
tame, and he turned to Intoxicating drink
for satisfaction. He understood the danger
he was in and appreciated President F.s
efforts in his behalf. June and July had
gone by, and the last days of August were
come, and still Harry Belden had made no
slip from the right path, and his friends
were hoping that a reform had really be-
gun, when, alas one August evening
he did not return home as usual. Nine, ten
O'Clock passed, and still he did not come.
Then President F. drove to the town and
instituted search through its liquor sa-
looms and in one of them Harry Belden was
discovered almost dead drunk. He was as
sisted into the buggy, and taken home and
cared for by his kind friend. When he
came to himself he was very penitent, and
the grief and disappointment of the dear
old "Prex," as the boys all called him,
affected him greatly.
aim not worth It sir" he said to him,
"You had much better let me CO."
But President E. would not let him go,
and he called upon him by every sense of
duty and honor that he possessed to fight
the demon which had conquered him, and
he promised to try again. Perhaps the
most discouraging thing about him was the
ready way which he would promise to CO.
operate with any efforts which were made
for his reform for, with the first sharp
temptation he would break every promise,
and yield apparently without an effort.
Autumn came, and the students returned
to college, and Harry joined the sophomore
class. He proved to have quick and re-
rentiye mind, and the president hoped that
the necessity of steady and regular work
would be of benefit to him but far from
it, As soon as the novelty of his position
had faded, he began to associate with the
worst characters of the class, and one night
under his leadership they INDUCED in a
wine supper, which ended in such scene
of debauchery as was disgrace TO the
whole college. This could not be over
looked it was q case for expulsion, and
Harry knew it.
ats no use, sir" said he TO the presi-
dent. al told you 30 months ago but don't
think that do not remember your kindness
to me. l do, though have abused it so
shamefully."
Harry Belden went home to his parents,
and we never saw him again but the rest
OF his sad story can be told in few words.
He made two or three futile efforts to re-
form after this, and during one of them he
married lovely young girl of his native
city. She had but few months of happi-
ness he fell again, and deserted her, going
TO distant city. There, under an assumed
name, he married another young lady. But
his fraud was soon discovered, and he is
now serving out sentence for bigamy in
the prison Of his native state.
This is sad story to read. II has been
a sad story to write. And If it were not
for the hope of arresting some careless foot
steps who are beginning TO tread the down
ward path which Harry Belden trod, it never
would have been written.
People used TO say in a kind OF sad OK.
cuae for Harrv'a doinpa that q ha waa hia