The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1885-12-10
A TEMPERANCE STORY

congressman, in one of the large ho-
tells of the national capitol.
The wife of the congressman was
exceedingly handsome, as were also
the three children. They we're
most affectionate family, but we were
not particularly intimate further
than daily courtesies as we passed
and repassed- going in or coming
out Of our respective chambers. One
bright April Sunday we all went down
to dinner at the same time, and for
some reason, perhaps the peculiar
mirthfulness Of the group, attracted
us more than usual. The father
seemed to be very happy with the
little ones at table, and more than
one happy glance was exchanged, as
he noticed our interest in their bright
cunning ways and speeches. We
were out late in stroll through the
beautiful Corcoran cemetery, and did
not meet again until supper time.
Then we noticed IA flush on the faith
er face, and the children soon re-
tired to their rooms, as also did we.
As the little mantle clock struck
eleven we heard the fathers quick
step in the hall and his latch key in
the door.
Sleep settled On us and the vast
household, unbroken save by the reg
ular tramp of the night-watch on our
floor. Suddenly a fearful scream
aroused us. 1t was like "A mauiac's
voice, and springing to the door, we
had brief glimpse of the congress-
mans wife as she fed down the dim
ly lighted corridor in her white night
dress, her arms aloft, and her long
black hair streaming over her shout
ders 1t was only few seconds un-
til we were in the room-to witness "a
scene that We hope never to behold
again on earth The congressman
was in commissions, and the frighten-
ed servants were holding him on the
bed. The physicians arrived as soon as
ourselves and for perhaps an hour we
toiled and struggled to restore CON
seriousness. The mantle was lined
with empty liquor bottles, and one
nearly emptied was still beside the
bed. For some reason the poor mans
thirst for strong drink overcame him,
that bright beautiful Sunday, and it
was found that he had carried a full
bottle to his room at II p. m.-when
we beard his step as before related.
The wife could not dissuade him
from further drinking and she
awoke and carried in the sleepy lit
tie ones to aid her in the task. While
they were crying over him on the
bed the fatal spasm seized him, and
there we found the little creatures
when we rushed to their relief. The
frantic wife and mother was still "a
eng from one corridor to another,
screaming like a wild, demented spir-
it, as we carried the poor little ones
to- their beds again. Finally the
mother was quoted, and from little
after midnight until help came to us
in the morning, we coaxed, plead and
watched with her in the frequent par
oxysms Of frantic distress. The hus-
band and father was surely and fatal
ly poisoned by his overdose of liquor,
and soon the end was in sight. Skill
full physicians tried one remedy after
another, but with no effect. As his
heavy breathing became struggling
and stertorous, the wife also became
wild to see and speak to him again.
We led her into witness repeti-
ton of the wild agonizing screams,
yielding to a dead faint, as she was
lifted and carried again into our own
room. The dying man, aroused by
her shrieks turned his eyes on her
with a look that is forever daguer-
rotyped on our memory, and with
shudder, he began to gasp, and soon
was gone-foreyer
Within twenty-four hours after we
had watched the supposed happy
iamily-at the dinner table-thi
scene of woe and distress presented
itself. Up to this time we had been
oblivious OF his drinking habits, and
with only partition wall between
US, We had lived for four months side
by side, with one of the most afflicted
families in all that great town and
yet it was safely concealed until that
night Of dismal horror and agony
laid bare the skeleton of the house
hold. The wife lost all control OF
herself; we were obliged to guard
her from springing out the open vim
dows, as She repeatedly affirmed her
intention of selfdesruction. The
poor little fatherless children Wild
eyed and wretched-looked on, as
friendly hands arrayed one parent
for the coffin and others protected the
mother from self-destruction: and
there stood the empty bottles mont
tcrs Of the direful end Of those who
larry long at the wine and hooking
the pItiful grief of youth and inno-
cence