The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1888-06-08

the complexion. Earlston frowned heav-
lily, but said nothing.
That night Marion, who had alwayE
loved her brother fondly, took him aside
alone in the library. Then, with a burst
Of confidence, the miserable story came
out.
Crawford was right, and / was wrong,
Marion" said Earlston. sadly. 81 should
have insisted on Maud becoming a total
abstainer before ever | married her.
After marriage, | observed how strong a
hold the habit had upon her. She would
not give it up-refused point-blank; and
for the last four years she has been going
downhill as fast as she can. At first |
tried to put a check upon her-I refused
to have wine at dinner. What did she
care for that! She could have it beside
her all day when | was out. Her grocer is
licensed; she ran up the bills there to an
outrageous amount | could not check
that without creating a public scandal.
Oh! Marion, my sister, what a life it has
beenl / have come home in the evening.
and found her lying-not ill-but in a
stupid, dead sleep on the sofa. / have
Weakened early in the morning, and found
her mixing brandy and water by the bed
side. | have been with her at a dinner
party. and taken her from it'll, perhaps
the guests might think-hopelessly inebri-
ated, I knew. Can you imagine a life like
this, Marion ?"
sob, Jim!' his sister whispered, shnd-
derinG. Earlston vent ON, bitterly.
"A Thousand times a day ! wish one of
us were dead, Marion-I do indeed. Ny
one cause for thankfnlness is that there
are no children. If there had been-I
dare not think of it,
MY poor JIM" said Marion again.
1t seemed so dreadful that her greatest joy
should be the very gift he was thankful
had been denied him. 'Can we do moth
ing to save her?"
Nothing, y replied Earlston, gloomily.
"llave not | tried everything? Until
sometimes, Marion, / think there is Moth
ing for it but to let her drink until it kills
her.
"Husl-oh, hush!'' she cried. 'Jim,
We must do all we can. Let me try"
And the noble little woman did try
going into the work with all her heart.
But, alas! Who can remove the poison
that the fang of the serpent, deeply rooted
in the heart, leaves? Maud wept in a
muadlin way when she recovered from
her stupor; vowed she would renounce
the evil habit-not take the pledge, f'she
needed a little, or it would kill her. she
said-and become a new woman; but the
morning always did away with the i'm
pressions OF the night, and Maud was as
bad again.
Were this a tale of fiction | would prob
ably end it happily, with Maud's reforma-
ton and Earlston's happiness; but this is
not how such stories end in real life.
Another year of Maud's continual ex-
cesses, and Earlston found his prosperity
beginning to desert him. The drain on his
purse by his wife, the acknowledgement Of
his household. the extravaganza of SER
wants, were bringing him down fast.
Something must be done. Following the
advice of his family doctor, he shut up
IIaddley House, left the management of
his business to his junior partner, and took
his wife to one of the German spas, hop
ing that the change of scene md air might
have a s~alutary effect. Mrs. Earlston
proved they had for a day or two; but the
old craving returned stronger than ever,
and the shattered system was too far gone
now to stand its indulgence. A weekafter
| their arrival at Saltzbach Maud Earlston
died, at the age of twenty-seyen, and James
Earlston had only his wife's ~lifeless re-
mains to take back with him to Scotland.
Terrible as it may seem to say it, | am
not sure but that her death was a relief to
Earlston. lie has married since, and looks
at the present time ten years younger than
he did ten years ago. Needless to say he
and his wife are both total abstainers, and
Jealous in tho cause. James Earlston will
never forget the lesson his early marriage
taught him-that neither beauty nor breed
ing, love nor wealth, stand in the way of
the terrible disease whose end is DEATH
By Hannah Mackenzie IN "Se0;tisA Reform,
err"