The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-09-25

| never had KIND look, or word, or care from
| you, and alive or dead, L never will forgive
you. Die when you will or how, will be with
| you. speak as dead man now, and warn
/ you, father, that as surely rs you must enc day
stand before your Maker, SO surely shall your
| children be there, hand in hand, to cry for
Judgment against you" He raised his mana
cled hands in threatening attitude, fixed his
eyes on his shrinking parent and slowly left
| the room; and neither father nor sister ever
| beheld him more on this side of the grave.
When the dim and misty light of Ssswinter's
! morning penetrated into the narrow court, and
struggled through the begrimed window of the
! wretched room, Warden awoke from his heavy
sleep, and found himself alone. He rose, and
| looked round him; the old flock mattress on
the flonr was undiSturbed everything was lust
as he had remembered to have seen it last ;
and there were no signs of anyone save HIM
self, having occupied the room during the
night. He inquired of'the other dodgers, and
of the neghboTs; but his daughter had not
| the streets, and scrutinized each wretched
face among the crowds that thronged them
with anxious eyes. But his search was fruit
less, and he returned to his garrett when night
| came on desolate and weary.
For many days he occupied himself in the
| same manner, but no trace of his daughter did
| he meet with, and 10 word of her reached his
ears. At length he gave up the pursuit as
| blity of her leaving him, and endeayoring to
| gain her bread IN quiet, elsewhere. She had
left him at last to starve alone. He ground
| his teeth. and cursed her.
He begged his bread from door TO door,
| Every half penny he could wiring
| from the pity or credulity of those to whom
| he addressed himself was spent in the old
way. year passed over his head; the roof of
a Jail was the only one that had sheltered him
| for many months. He slept under arehways
and in rickfelds-anywhere, where there was
some warmth or shelter from the cold and
rain. But in the last stage of poverty, disease,
and houselesS want, he was drunl1ard still.
AT last, one bitter night, he sunk down on a
doorstep faint and i'll. The premature decay
Of vice and profligacy had worn himto the
bone. His checks were hollow and livid, his
eyes were sunken and their sight was dim
His legs trembled beneath his weight, and a
| cold SILVER ran through every limb.
And now the long-forgotten scenes of mis-
| spent life crowded thick and fast upon him.
| He thought Of the time when he had home
| a happy, cheerful homeland of those who
peopled it and iiocked about him then, until
| the forms OF his elder children seemed to rise
| from the grave and stand about hm--so plain
| so clear and so distinct they were that be could
| touch and feel them. Looks that he had
! long forgotten were fixed upon him once more ;
| voices long since hushed in death sounded in
his ears like the music fviliage bells. N . st
| was only for an instant. The rain beat heavily
! upon him; and cold and hunger were craving
| at his heart again.
He rose. and dragged his feeble linbs stfew
| PAGES further. Iile street was sI}eaT aud
| empty; the few passengers who passed Sss' at
that late hour, hurried quickly on, and his
tremulous voice was lost in the violence Of the
storm. Again that i,eavy chill struck through
! his frame, and his blood seemed to stagnate
beneath it. He coiled himself up in project
ing doorway. and tried to sleep.
But sleep had fled from his dull and
| glazed eyes. His mind wandered
The well-known shout of drunken mirth
sounded in his ear, the glass was at his lips,
| the board was covered with choice rich food
they were before him he could see them all ;
he had but to reach out his hand and take
| them-and, though the illusion was realiey
itself, he knew that he was Sitting alone in the
deserted street, watching the rain-drops as
| they battered on the stones; that death was
coming upon him by inches-and that there
were none to care for or help him.
Suddenly he started up, in the extremity of
| terror. He had heard his own voice shouting
| in the night air, he knew not what or why.
Hark A groan "a nother! His senses
were leaving him. half-formed and incoher-
ent words burst from his lips; and his hands
sought to tear and lacerate his flesh. He was
going mad, and he shrieked for help till his
voice failed him.
He raised his head, and looked up the long
dismal street. He recolected that outcasts
| like himself, condemned to wander day and
night in those dreadful streets, had
sometimes gone distracted with their
| own loneliness. lie remembered
! to have heard many years before that home
! less wretch had once been found in solitary
| corner, sharpening a rusty knife to plunge into
his own heart preferring death to that endless
weary, wandering TO and fro. In an instant his
resolve was taken, his limbs received new life !;
| he ran quickly from the spot and paused not
| for breath until he reached the riverside
He crept softly down the steep stone stairs
| that lead from the commencement OF Water
loo bridge, down to the waters level. He
| crouched into a corner, and held his breath, as
II 4 Ill 4 YsNrfa lt..nr
throb with tile hope OF liberty and life half so
! eagerly as did that of the wretched man at the
prospect of death The watch passed close to
I him, but he remained unObserved and after
waiting till the sound OF footsteps had died
away in the distance, he cautiously descended,
| and stood beneath the gloomy arch that forms
| the landing pace from the river
The tide was in, and the water flowed at his
feet. The rain had ceased the wind was
| iulled, and all was, for the moment, still and
quiet-so quiet, that the slightest sound on the
! opposite bank, even the ripping Of the water
| against the barges that were moored there, was
| distinctly audible to his ear The stream stole
! laneuidly and sluggishiy on. Strange and
fantastic forms rose TO the surface, and beck
oned him 10 approach; dark cleaning eyes
| 1eered from the water, and seemed 10 mock
! his hesitation, while hollow murmurs from be-
| hind urged him EDWARDS. lie retreated few
PAGES, took a short run, desperate leap, and
! plunged into the river.
! Not five seconds had passed when no rose TO
the waters surface-but what change had
taken place in that short time in all his
thoughts and feelings. Life--lile in any
form, poverty, misery, starvation anything
but death. lie fought aud struggled with the
water that closed over his head, and
screamed IN agOnies Of terror. The curse Of
his own son rang in his ears. The shore but
one foot Of dry ground The could almost touch
the step. One hands breadth nearer, and he
was sayed-but the tide bore him onward I'M
der the dark arches Of the bridge, and he sank
TO the bottom.
Again he rose and struggled for life. For one
instant--for one brief iustant-tho buildings
on the rivers banks, the lights on the bridge
through which tho current had borne him, tho
black water and the fast-hying clouds
were distinctly yisibie-once more he
sunk and once again be rose. Bright
flames o. fire shot up from earth 10 heaven, and
reeled before his eyes, while the water thun-
dcred IN lis cars, aud stunned Inn with t8 ia
rious roar.
a week afterwards the body was washed
ashore spmctuilrs down the river % swollen
aud drlgreI mass. UusecoWizgd AID unpit
Jed. it was borne 80 tho grave and there h la.
long since moa.dored away
II Marshall J.. Wilder can induce Him 20 d,
~ the prince % Wake Wil Pay this country q yisi
next summer Hr Wilder became very ohnmml
vili The prince on ~ last visit 70 England. an,