Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-01-28
TRIAL AND TRIUMPH.

George Tudor, stand up. You are
charged with neglecting to support
your wife. How do you plead-guilty
or not guilty?'
A young man, not more than thirty.
yet old-looking in the dissipated lines
and hue Of his face. A good face once,
with high forehead and the contour of
an intellectual brain. Now the bloated
cheeks and lack-luster eyes, soiled Skin
and carelessly-worn, shabby attire rem
dered the whole aspect of the man
positively repulsive.
The contrast in the appearance of his
wife, standing up erect and sternly de-
termined as his accrser, was almost in
credible. The bystanders involuntarily
started in surprise to see such woman
announce herself as the wife of such a
man. Enthusiastically a lady in look,
speech and manner. Tall and shapely
of figure, elegantly attired in well-fit-
ting, dark-colored garments, her white
face, albeit now, hard and stern, had
the stamp of superior education and
high breeding; and so great was the dis
similarity between this woman and her
husband it was almost impossible to
conceive how they could ever have
lived together.
The painful story was soon told It
was the old, pitiful tale that is con-
stantly enacted in every day life, whose
sad denouement is brought into our po-
1iHn
menced their married life nearly ten
years ago with the brightest prospects
OF happy, prosperous future. They
had a well-furnished home, and his
ability as a salesman commanded q
salary much more than required for
their needs, and they looked forward
to the day not far distant when he
would be at the head of lucrative
business of his own. Each month a
portion of his earnings were placed
in the savings bank, and his wife cheer
fully assisted to the utmost in her
power in the care and frugality of her
household arrangements, in swelling
the amount of money laid by.
In an evil hour George fell in with
cOnyivial companions, who gradually
drew him into the downward path Of
drunkenness, followed by the still
more ruinous habit of gambling. In
vain the wife pleaded and used all her
wifely arts OF attraction to keep him
at home and Wean him from these hor-
rible habits; spell of irrepressible evil
seemed to enthral the whole power Of
his will, and he steadily sank lower
and lower into the dark path of hope
less destruction. He lost his position;
savings were soon SWalloWed; furni-
ture was sold to buy food, and now
fair manhood, his wife was living in
small, scantily-furnished upper room,
ekeing out a half-existence by her
needle.
"Does he not give you any money for
your support?" asked his Honor.
81 have not received one dollar from
him in three months. He drinks and
CANDLES every cent he earns.''
'She is harsh and cold. She refuses
to live with me-" said the man, in a
husky voice.
'While he continues in his present
debased condition l would rather die
than associate with him." the woman
quickly interjected, with shudder Of
disgust.
''Still you insist that he shall support
you?" said the judge.
'While I bear his name it is my right
to be supported by him. But all ask
now is that he will give me as much as
will pay the rent of the room occupy.
1 will struggle through to attain my
own livelihood"
"But would it not be better to Live to-
gether, if he promises to provide for
you?"
81 lost faith in his promises years
ago. God only knows what | have SUI
fered in the meantime. And l ask you,
judge if you think woman with any
sense of refinement and self-respect
could bring herself to live with man
who has sunk to the loathsome condi-
ton to which he has attained?
Here the woman pointed finger d.
rect at her husbands repulsive face,
and the man dropped his eyes and cow
cred in conscious abasement. The next
moment, with strange look of blend
ed tenderness and scorn, she added:
Looking at him as he is now, 1t
brings sense of shame to me to think
that I once loved him with every pulse
of my heart. Now, if he will enable me
to pay the trifle of three dollars a
month rent until I may be in posi-
ton to earn it myself, and keep away
from me, will not trouble him any
more
The promise being finally given, the
woman. with set lips and the same
white. stern face, passed out OF the
court room.
George" said loafer companion Of
his, as they passed out into the street
'.that's pretty bard lines for . man 10