The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1903-01-16
L VANISH AS THE WATERY MISTS BEFORE THE RIsT

holier lives In the year about to dawn
YGu all remember the .Duntons, who
once lived IN such Splendor on the
corner below, and how you looked
with envy on the fine clothes and
jewelry of the children.
Their father was proprietor of the
gorgeous saloon and gaming hall on
Tenth street IL was there OF a Sat
urday night after the weeks labore
were ended the miners were wont to
assemble and spend the night and
most of Sunday in bOisterOus merry
making and drunken carousals and
spend their hard earned money at the
gaming tables. For time he was
prosperous and his money gave him
Influence and standing 10 the COM
munity, but.his evil associations and
the growing indulgence in strong
drink blunted his sensibilitles and
dulled his brain until his wealth
melted away and he was obliged to
give up his elegant home and pros.
porous business and seek a huDble
home for his family in the tenement
| district and run low drinking hole
in the poorer quarter.
"This evening James Dunton, the
once naughty man of wealth, is a sui
eide. His oldest son fills felon's cell
in the state penitentiary, the second
is a fugitive from Justice and yester-
day his young, laughter. the pride
OF his depraved heart, e1oped with a
dissolute, heartless gambler who had
recently deserted his wife and child.
rem In another state. The blow was
more than even poor, degraded James
Dunton could stand and this evening
just as the twilight was stealing on
he took his poor, worthless life with
his own hand, and Mrs. Dunton is
left feeble, broken down old woman,
bowed with her many years OF sorrow,
without husband or children, alone in
the world, without home or friends, II
pltiable object of charity.
"Poor woman, | remember her, a
bright, joyous, young woman full of
mirth and sunshine and how the old
church bell rang out merry peal
when she married James DuntOn and
the people all said what an appropriate
match. She knew the business James
was following but, poor girl. she
craved position and wealth and this is
what she has come to at last. Let us
draw the veil of charity over her life.
Thoughtless, she knew not what she
was doing In the morning Of the
glad New Year, my dear wife, you
and Mary go to her poor hovel and
give her all the consolation you can
and see that her immediate wants are
provided for, and | will see that the
mortal remains Of the once proud and
naughty James Dunton are given de
cent burial while arrangement viii be
made to provide for the heart broken
widow"
There was no more merryInaking
after this recital by the father and
soon the children filed quietly off to
their rooms, and John Hotten and
wife We're sitting alone by their fire,
each wrapped in meditation and
busy with his own thoughts. 1t was
John whu first broke the silence.
MY dear wife," he said, Il was think
ing as we sit here alone with our
children all at home, well and happy,
of the great pleasure and satisfaction
they have been to us and how lonely
this house would seem without them
"For twelve years theanDual return
of this night has been an occasion
looked forward to by US and the
children with the keenest anticipa-
tion. Each annual return of the
happy new year has brought with it
renewed joys and pleasures. We sure
ly have been blessed beyond anything
we deserved, But TnidsG my pleasant
contemplation of the joys Of the years
that are past, the thought arose to
my mind that this is likely to be the
last New Years eve we Will ever cele
.brate as one undivided family. Soon
our dear Mary will leave the old home
to cast her lot In the city with the
one she has chosen for life com
paniOn.
And let us hope she has made nc
mistake 10 her selection, but that the
coming years may add happiness to
her life as it has to ours. Then, in
the natural course of events, as the
years roll around, the other children
will leave Us and in few more years
we will be left alone as we started
These, to me, are solemn thoughts and
fill nv heart with sorrow" Yes,
John, have frequently thought on
the same line, and as Mary's marriage
approaches, many times | am fnc!d
to suspend my work for the blinding
tears that will arise. But John, we
have this consolation. we have train
ed our children as best we could and
tried to instill into their minds the
idea OF right and wrong and i feel
that our efforts have not been In vain
and that they will not dissappolnt US
in our fond expectations for them
when they 90 out to build homes for
themselves"
"Yes, my dear wife, we have reasons
to be proud of our little family and
thankful to the Giver of all good for
the many blessings that have been |
showered upon Us. My only ambi. |
tion now is to see our children happi- |
ly located and know that they are go |
ing to be an honor to the family name |
and able and willing TO so live that |