Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-09-05
Mr. Wayt'S Wjfe'S 'SSiStGr #%~ BY MARION KIRKLAND.
 %s'
BY MARION KIRKLAND.

would drink intoxicating N1n'",. too. wher narcoti,s were not to r." had. believe tho appetite for tho two Is common symptom of the habit. His wife shielded him. then. as she does now, and so success fully that he kept a church in Cincin- natl for four years. Hester was a beau tiful, active child, eight years old. and Q great pet with her father. He does not care for children as a rule, but she was pretty and clever and amused him. One day she begged her mother to let her takC dear papa's' lunch up to him. 1t was always dear papa with her. He had way of locking himseh in his study from morning until night Saturday. Even his wife did not suspect that he wrote his Sunday sermon with glass of laudanum and brandy at his side. He was busy upon set of popular dis courses on Crying Sins of the Day. They drew immense crowds"
 A sarcastic gleam passed over her face, and for t3ie first time tho listener saw likeness to the witty and wise cripple.
 "Hester knocked again and again without getting an answer. Then her father called out that ho was busy and did not want any lunch. She was al- ways willful and he had indulged her unrCasonably. So she declared that she would not go away until he opened the door and took the tray-not if she had to stand there and knock all day. He tore open tho door in a fury, threw the | tray and the lunch downstairs and flung | the child after it. The druggCd drink | had made him crazy"
 March shuddered.
 And that was the cause"
 "lt left her what you see now. Tho effect upon her character and feelings was, If possible, more doplorable. From that hour she has never spoken to her father at all, or of him as papa It is always he and him. to the family, MT. Wayt to strangers. It seems hor- ribly unnatural, but she loathes and despises him. While she lay crushed and suffering for the months that passed before she left her bed, she would go into convulsions at sight of him. Hcr mother begged her, on her knees, to forgive poor papa, who had do- lirious headache when he pushed her away from the door Hester refused pas sionately She Is no more forgiying now. Yet she was so proud and shrcwd even then that she never betrayed ,o the doctors how she was hurt. She let every body believe that it was an acci- dent. had been her nurso for six months before she told mo tho fearful story
 "'rhe truth never got abroad in ClnCin- natl, but flying rumors of Mir. WaYts growing eccCntricities and the possible cause gathered an opposition party in the church. It was headed by a promin- | ent druggist who had talked with others | in the trade from whom Mr. Wayt had bought opium, laudanum and brandy. | He has been moro cunning in his purchases since then. llo was obliged to resign his charge, and became what poorllestcr calls'an ecclesiastical tramp, Ilo controls his appetite within tol"r- ably safe bounds for awhile, sometimes for months, then gives way, and we live on the verge of discovery and disgrace until the crisis comes. The end is al ways tho samc. We break camp and move on.'"
 "Yet he brought clean papers to the Fairhill church."
 A dreary smile went with the answer.
 "Clerical charity sutTCrcth long and is kindl Out of curiosity l attended once, a meeting of prcsbytery that dis missed him from his church and com mended him to another prcsbytery. We had narrowly escaped public eX- posture at that time. The sexton found Mir. Wayt in the condition you have seen this evening upon the floor of of the lccturc-room and called in physician, who boldly proclaimed that the man was dead drunk. The accused put in a plea of indisposi- ton and an overdose of brandy, inad- vertently swallowed. His brethren, as sembled in solemn session, spoke of his faithful work in tho vineyard and the leadings of Divine Providence, and said that their prayers went with him to his new field of labor.
 al don't want to be unjust and cyni- cal, Mir. Gilchrist, and l can see that there is pleasanter side to the case. There Is such a thing as Christian char ity, and more of it in the world than we are willing to admit. However church people may gossip about an unpopular pastor and maneuver to get rid of him, when the parting comes they will not brand him in the eyes of others. And clergymen are very faithful to one another. It Is really beautiful to see now tney try to ulue ldultS dho lo4O4SS' It is literal fulfillment of the com mand: Bear yo one another's burdens. In some-in most of MT. Wayt's charges tho secret of his frequent change c B pastorate was not told. He was odd, and had nomadic tastes Sometimes tho climate did not agree with hi: health. The air was too strong, or toe weak. Twice poor Hester's condition demanded m immediate change. We 7 went to Chicago to be near an eminent surgeon who, after all, never saw her.
 "I will not weary you with the de tails of life such as I pray God few families know. After a few years Hes g ter and became hopeless of any thing better. Wherever we might go, change . and tho probability of disgrace were q mere question of time. My sister never loses faith in her husband and ir