Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-02-16
IN THE SHADOW.

can't be with you long, John anu
then what will become OF baby ?"
A weary, little woman, with wan
and haggard face, and poorly and
thinly clad, stood in the tioorwsy,
and thus pleaded with her hus-
band.
Only the evening before John had
come home Keeling drunk, as he
had so often come before. He had
thrOwui himself on the bed and had
passed the night IN stupid sleep.
sDo try 10 get some work To-
day." pleaded the wife. 81 feel
that will not be able to finish the
coat to day. and can get no money
until Id is done. III you ever loved
me, John, no not get drunk again.
God knows 1 need some help, some
Encouragement, am broken down,
and what is worse, John my. heart
j. breaking"
There's no use talking that way
Mary" said John, impatiently. yet
in n kindlier tone than he had used
for days. "I'll get something TO do
to-day. I'll go right away and look
for work."
John didn't like scenes. He had
had enough of them in his life. Yet
as he walked away, his conscience
was stung to the quick.
What his poor wife had said was
too true. She was broken down.
How patiently, how constantly she
had worked day after day, night
after night, while he, base, unwOr-
thy man, Ind been wasting his
time, running his character, max
ing worse than a beast OF himself.
How unmanly he had been! Con-
tent to subsist on the hard earned
money of the wife whom he had
promised to protect and support.
The memory of the happy years
came back to him, the years when
his wife looked up to him and trust
ed him, and when 1t was his pride
10 provide her with all that she
could desire.
When they laid their first baby in
the grave, how she chung to him for
comfort and support How he
cheered her and made their little
home bright and happy again J
Thea when the second little one
was taken out in the coffin, he sat |
by her bedside and kissed away her |
tears, until she said at last that she
could be happy with so dear hus-
band; that without him life would |
be drear indeed.
But u sad change had come, He
had fallen into bad ways. How il
grieved the little vile, and how Of
ten he had promised to do better,
and how gradually but surely his
continued dissipation had under
mined the wife's confidence.
Yet she did nor desert him, but
throughout all the weary years
had been faithful and true, when
other friends had abandoned him
and cast him aside.
As these thoughts filed Jonn's
mind, all that was left of manliness
came to his help. He determined
once for all that he would reform.
There was a mOmentary joy in
his heart as he made this resolve.
Already the future seemed brigh
ter.
When he reached the corner he
paused. He thought of going back
to the cherries cottage and taking
the little tired body of his wife in
his arms as of old, and kissing her
and saying: MARY, cheer up, my
sweet wife; look up! | am deter
mined to do better. | have prom
ised this SO often you may not be
able to trust me, but only hope
again, Mary-only wait and see.
have not deserved all of your pa
thence, your long suffering kindness
But, my little wife, know there is
still place IN your heart for for
IL II that l
will trust me implicitly once more"
But the cruel fact that he had as
yet no work and that he had lost
the confidence of those who knew
him, checked this impulse, and he
went on.
lie went from place to place
asking work. He did not care what
kind of work. so that it was work.
But at each place he was turned
off Some had no need of a man
Others said they had tried him time
and again but he had always deceiv-
ed them. They wanted nothing
more 10 do with MIN.
He was fast lOOsing all hope. III
seemed that the world was against
him, but he thought of his wife and
child and tried again, only to be re-
fused.
AS he passed on towards the river,
turned away from every door, his
heart grew harder. Why should he
of all others have nothing to do in
the world? He cursed the world
and its people.
Then came the devil of temptation
and showed him a way to get the
goods, which the world withheld
from him. Happily the occasion
was not offered when he might steal |
fear of certain detection.
Else he might have yielded to the
tempter.
AT last he reached the river. The
great turbid stream, rolling silently
bv. had s strange attraction for
him.
Again the tempter was with him.
WHY not end all i? 1t would be but
for a moment and then there would
be rest, What cared he for what
was beyond? 1t could be no worse
than this life.
But the wan features of his wife
seemed to come up before him and
he paused.
Then the tempter seemed to whis
per, You would not leave your
wife and babe starving. Why not
take them with you to death There
are other ways of dying than by
He moved away from the river re-
this dark thought in his
mind.
at is better plan" he said to
himself. 1.-The world does not care !
for us. Why should we care for the
world? We might as well go to- !
gether."
AS he came back on his way !
home, dOwncast, gloomy and re-
DelliOus, he was hailed by a man
standing in grocery store.
"HOw are you, John, What's !
he matter?'
IL was an old acquaintance who,
lespite all of Johns shortcomings.
till spoke to him pleasantly and
The cherry tone raised a feeble
rope in Johns heart.
"I'm i'm a very bad way" said he
topping and taking the extended
land. Then he told this friend OF
thor dayS his trOuhlp frankly