The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-12-02


and he saw what bitter wrong the
drunkard does not only himself, but all
who have the misfortune to love him.
Sitting in the solitude of his cell, as
memory carried him back to his early
life, he wept to think what he was and
what he might have been; he had sold
the proud birthright of his manhood for
miserable mess of pottage.
Overwhelmed with grief for the loss
of his wife; crushed by the fearful
crime he had committed; deeply hui
inflated by his painful position, Clar-
ence Midway passed through his trial
for the murder of the woman whom he
had sworn to protect. l cannot go
over the distressing details of that pro-
ceeding, when the life of this unfortu-
nate man hung trembling between time
and eternity. On the day the verdict
was to be delivered the halls Of justice
were crowded; silent the criminal sat,
awaiting the words that were to con-
sign him to life or death. They came,
and as he stood up to receive his SEN
tence his ears heard the dreadful
words, Hung by the neck until dead
Then all grew black-black as mid
highland he was led away from the
ROOM"
All this while the girl had refrained
from speaking, but these words
seemed to electrify her, and she caught
her fathers hand convulsively, and
said:
Hung! did they hang him?"
He walked from that dreary scene
in the courtroom, my child, to his cell
in the prison, and prepared to meet his
ignominious fate. In vain his friends
strove to obtain pardon; petitions
were sent to those in authority, but
there was no pity for the miserable
wretch who had murdered his wife in a
fit of drunken delirium.
Time wore on, and the day of execu-
ton arrived; he had pressed his sweet
child to his bosom for the last time,
and rained tears of sorrow on it's young
head. His friends had taken sad and
solemn farewell of him, and now all
that was left for him to do was to
mount the scaffold and give his life for
that precious life he had taken"
The rector shuddered, and his thin
fingers grasped nervously the hand of
his daughter, that lay on his lap.
IL was ~ ioNCiJ udJ iuil VI
and beauty, when a gloomy procession
moved from the prison. The gallows
was reached, and the hangman stood
ready to usher the soul into eternity
There was breathess silence; the
crowd stood around, some plying the
poor wretch whom the demon drink haC
brought to this fearful end. Suddenly
there was a loud Gathering of horses
feet, and a shout went up"
Alice pressed her fathers hand, az
she exclaimed,
"Thank heaven, he was saved!"
A shout went up" repeated thu
rector, A pardon! pardon!' and tina
man, with the rope almost around hi.
neck, overcome by his feelings, fel
fainting to the ground. He was re
moved by his friends from the scene
and in quiet home they nursed hin
lovingly and forgivingly through tn,
long fit of illness that ensued. They
uttered no reproaches, for well they
knew that his poor heart was tortured
by the keenest of all reproaches, self
reproach. When he recovered, takin!
his precious child with him, he left tn,
beautiful shores of England forever.
He selected a secluded village il
America for his home, and, the grace 0
God having visited his heart, he studiet
for the ministry and was admitted t,
orders. On one subject-for the,
knew not his fearful history-the PEG
pie among whom he lived called hin
crazy, and that was the subject of tenn
perance. His heart was stirred to it
depths when he saw the monster drinl
raging through the great republic, blast
ing with his fiery breath the swee
flowers of home; laying bright hopes
low; breaking hearts and destroying
regulations; killing the body and mur
dering the soul. This man went fort
the sworn champion of temperance
imploring men, for the sake of the Go,
who made them, for the sake of tn
friends who loved them, and for thei
own sakes to break the manacles whic
cruel master under whom poor human
ity ever served.
g 1t is this sad, sad history, my child
that comes to me in warning tones an
says, "Save your daughter while ye
you may, from the miserable fate of III
drunkard's wife, lest she, too, share tn
; doom of Alice Midway"
The pale face of Alice Caringto
grew still paler, and she asked, in low
eager tones:
: "My father, who was Clarence Met
way?"
For one moment the rector G
,, Rivington looked at his daughter; the
he said, in tones whose touching pathC
she never forgot:
6 Your father, my child-your poo
father"
She sprang from her seat; she thre
: her arms around her fathers neck, an
, sobbed out, passionately:
; father"
/" He has pitied me, my child, eve
, as you pity me-"
! And the father and daughter sobbe
aloud as they drew nearer to eac
, other in deepest sympathy and tend'
= love.
/, n
e Long years have passed since tt
1 rector of Rivington sat in his qui
4 study and told this sad story of his Ii
e to his young daughter. No long'
o young, Alice Darlington now sits the
: alone; for her father has gone to h
eternal rest.s Her mothers histol
g sank deeply into her heart. and 81