Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1884-09-25

| told that he was under the influence of wine
but the fact only seemed to enhance bis
power Of fascination; never was be so brill
liant, never so handsome. Almost could
Ruth have laughed at the sermons preached
by temperance folks, Of the harm sure TO
follow wine-drnking.
| Ii the story could end here. the true story
Of Ruth Holly's life, it would be almos. a
happy one, but. alas, the sunny slope down
which it seemed so easy to slide. daily grew
darker as the wears flew on. How ,hey be-
gan to tell her the fate before her. Ruth
hardly knew.
| A little flush of shame came first when his
step was unsteady and his voice too loud.
Then grieved tear or two wheh h. was un-
reasonable. Then a sorrow tha, KEEP. her
heart aching night and day /; for the man
who had first won inspiration from the glass
now lost it in its depths; lectures to be de-
livered were not given TO the expec,an, pub
| lie because "of the illness Of the lecturer"
| Ruth knew what the illness meant, and
tried TO hide II. Literary work was neg
lected also. Money was lost that might
have been easily won. Debts grew and
credit lessened the handsome suite Of rooms
was exchanged for one quite shabby. Ruth's
dress became poverty stricken, her husband
was out at elbows and ut toes--he was in
! toxicated from morning until night and yet
| she loved him and clung to him, and in his
sober moments he loved her as fondly as
ever. Sometimes the old strength and the
old hope would be aroused in him and he
would struggle TO regain his old position.
I bu, II was all in vain; rum trhlmphed, and
/ five years from her wedding day Ruth found
herself with her one remaining child, (the
| first had died within year Of its blrth,) in
the dingiest Of wre,ched tenement houses
IN state bordering on bcggary.
Edward had been more msdly intoxicated
that day than ever before; he Had even Civ
en- her a blow and now, as the night wore
on. he ma,tered and rayed and called for
/ brandy and cursed her and himself, until
She trembled with fear Al last, as the
clock struck ten. he started 10 his feet and
staggered out of the room, towing 10 ce,
drunk somewhere.
Poor Ruth stood where he had left her
for few moments. The memory of the
past was strong on her that night, Just at
this hour, five years before they had fled
from her father, house together How ten.
der be wa-. how loving, how geut3c! How
be vowed that she shoulI nsver rr:re, that
-l' ~! haH had he krn, thp,e promises r
ii Hal broken every ydw he neither
cherished nor projected herl HIS world,
good, be had Iycn 10 the rayenous demon,
drink; III, lnye hli become something
scarcely worth having md vet she loved
him, ard c.ung to him. She tired to fee!
cold and hard towards him, but she could
no'; >hc s.ray- to remembeF the blow he
Aal given h-r. the oa,hs he hall uttered.
hat SIC answered herself az she did 80. III
WAS not be Who did tit was rum" She
listened to the uncertain, resling foo;s,ep.
in tie stree, below and burst into teas.
MY poor darling" she whispered. a, ,he
thought some grieyou, ca!smay had smitien
him INTO the thing he was, and be had not
himself "pu' an enemy into his mouth io
steal away biz brain, ,"unmiudful of her plead.
inS, unmndfu of hcI woe and of her shame.
She though; of him reelins helplr1,ly along
the street, and feared that SOME harm would
come to him. III might injfe himself. or
some one might inJure him. He might fall
IN some out-of-;he-way place and lie there
undiscovered. and freeze TO death that bitter
night, and ~ her agony of terror poor
Ruth could not restrain herself from fol-
lowing him
Her poor. weakly baby slept; she wrapped
it in a blanket and laid il inits poor cradle.
Then she threw her warm shawl over her
head and FASTENED down the street. busy
this late Saturday night 18th market-yoiny
people Of the poorer classes.
4 little way before her reeled the hand
some, broadshouldereI figure Of her hus-
band. and sEe, a lady bred and born fastid-
ious. elegant, accompishefy reared IN lux
ury. heard poor laborers' wives warn their
children to beware Of the drunken fellow"
She heard coarse laugh, at his expense,
and under the shadow 81 her shawl her
cheek burnt hotly; but for. al that she never
thought Of gong back ana leaving him TO
himself As soon a she icould she gained
his side and called TO him ~ name -
Edward Edward :"
lie turned and stood unsieadily looking
at her, in a bewildered way
"Iou," he sad. you ought to be al
home this time Of night"
80 ought We both" said Ruth. Come.
dear
lie threw her hand off.
I'm my own master. lie said lin not
tied to my womans apron string. :" and stag
gered away again, Ruth following. through
he long streets, with every face turned
toward them a. they passed laughing,
some ContemptuOu>. some terrified out ai
last upon the whares, where the besotted
man sat down more stupefied b. the liquor
he had swallowed, IN that fresh. cold air.
Ruth was lhinlv clad-lhe chill OF the sea
blast seemed ID reach her very heart She
thought OF the bate at home, and tears
cJursed down her cheeks. Again aud again
she pleaded with the mad man at her SIDE
Again and again She tried 70 bring TO his
mind some lingering memory Of tie past davs
when his love and protection had bsen hers.
In vain; Wild fancies filled his brain; demons
born of the fumes Of rum, held possession Of
his senses. Sometimes he thrust her from
him, sometimes he gave her maudIin EN-
brace and blde her brins more liquor. but
70 homc he would not. The distant hum Of
the city died out at last, a.! was st:ll with
the s.ra0ge stiffness Of "a Ciiy The frosty
stars lwin<lesl overhead Now ami then
night boat passed up the river. with meas
urei beat anl thf1h. Ouce a rufflulv look
ing fellow saurtcred past them on The pier
but though hc fun, her an insolent word
and vet more lnsolent laugh, and went
away singing yet more insplently, he did not
approach them. 50 henumbed had Ruth
grown, SO cold to the very heart was she,
that the power Of motion had almost de-
serted her, when at last as the church clock
not far away toled the hour of four, the
degraded man staggered TO his feet and
reeied homeward. She followed feebly;
only by ciinging to the balustrade could she
mount the wretched stairs. 1t was bitter
cold within as without, but she was glad to
find herself at last under shelter Her baby
slumbered and she did not awaken it, Her
frozen bosom could only have chilled the
little creature. There were a few bits of
broken wood in corner. and with these she
made fire il the old stove, and crouched
over il, striving TO gain some little warmth,
while her husband slumbered heavily on the
bed in the corner, to which he had staggered
on his entrance.
Thus an hour passed by. and Ruth also
fell asleep. The silence, the pleasant warmth
at her feet, the fancy that all her trouble
was over for the night, lulled her to pleasant
dreams. From them she was awakened by
the loud ringing of the factory bell, and by
the sounds of cries and shouts in the stree,
below. She cast her eyes toward the
bed-her husband was not there. toward
the cradle it was empty. She flew to the
window-the street below was full of factory
boys, with their tin kettles. Some great
jest amused them nightly. They roared,
they dsnced, they tossed their ragged caps
on high, they shrieked in unmusicai laugh
ter, and the object Of all this mad mirth was
only too evident.