The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1903-10-09

ards wife. The scant furniture OF th'
dilapldated room was shabby an'
worn, and not even the most meagrl
comforts OF life were TO be found
within rs squalid interior.
The dying wife. with two daughters
OF the respective ages Of three ant
fourteen years, comprised the half
starved aud otherwise neglected fam
ily OF Enoch Goldwalt The half-nnket
children were waiting out their misery
aud gtlcf 90 their mothers bedside
for she had Just acquainted Ruth. The
elder. with the startling fact that The
dreaded moment In which she mus
leave them TO the cold morcles OF the
world was now rapidly approaching.
Enoch Goldwalt was stretched oul
upon The bare boards In drunken
atupor. % quart bottle half filled with
whisky within easy reach OF him. Ht
WINS snoring heavily. his face purple
and hlOnicd. and his whole appear
hnce betokened n most miserable aud
degraded wretch. But IN the midst
OF his besettlng sin Enoch Goldwali
was not without some redecming quail
lies.
He never was known 10 abuse or NAL
treat his family either by word OF
blow, but through hiH inordlnate love
for strong drink was led 10 neglect
them In n most shameful and unpar'
honable manner. To use trite phrase.
"rum had mastered h,m"-had got the
complete upper hand OF him. II II was
20 be hut one thing. either drink for
himself or food for bis family, he
would have taken the drink, though he
naw the gaunt figure Of starvation
staring his sick wife and hungry chill
dren In the face
lie knew that his wife was falling
daily. and that the physician who at
tended her a. a matter OF humanity.
not pay-to hla praise be II spoken
encouraged no hopes OF her recovery;
and yet 10 bis stupened senses 4 could
only appear that she must ever con-
tlnuc the drudge and martyr she had
been. He could not seem 10 realize
the possibility Of her dying. or the
sllll more startling reality that II was
himself who was killing her
He had once loved her truly and
earnestly. and would atlll were not all
bis senses hluntcd or paralyzcd by the
poison. But now. a. he lay out
stretched upon the bare boards, hloat-
ed and beastly. and odorous with the
disgusting eniuvla Of vile rum. he
looked. as he really was. hesotted
brute; and yet this man had been
blessed by nature In the beginning with
more than average intellect
For some minutes the dying woman
had been lying quito atiil aud calm,
scarcely seeming TO notice The heart
rendlng grief az the children, when
she suddenly aroused herself from the
temporary state Of apathy into which
she had fallen. Gnd snld;
Ruth. darling. wake your father.
must not die without making one last
effort 10 reclaim him. when lrst
knew him no truer or more loyal heart
aver beat IN the breast Of man; but,
alasi the accursed rum has deadened
oil its finer impulses"
Ruth. the older daughter. went hast
ily, aud shook her father somewhat
roughly by tho shoulder before she
could arouse him. a. length he raised
himself on his elbow. and his blood
shot eyes wandered yncantly Tor O
moment around the dcsolate room, HC
then reached FOR HIS bottle. exclalmlng
~ he did 30:
whats hic-up7 Nobody hurt-l
guess not"
"Hushw said Ruth. tearfully. 81
fear poor mother Is dying, and sh'
wishes to talk with you Don't drink
again. papa-at least not now-it viii
only stupofy you; you won't remember
what she says"
without needing ihe chlld'a appea
or the sad means OF the hearthroker
wife. he drew out the cork with a.
unsteady hand. and took deer
draught OF the fiery poison.
TITS vlctuals and drink, Ruthy," h'
said. staggering 90 hls feet, ana ap
pronchlng the bed. whats the mat
Ter. Susle-hlc7 Amt the neighbour
brought In nothlngr
III Is not OF the nelghhors' kindness
or neglect that would now speak,
said Susie Goldwalt. IN feeble In
enrnest voice. 1T Is OF you. Enoch
ma the wretched end you are surel,
coming TO unless you abandon tina
which has hrutnllzed. aud viii destroy
you body and soul. have Away
been q good and true wife 20 you; nj
ways willing TO take my share, an'
much more than my share. OF the bur
den"
"IIicl know Il. Susie. You're I
nice old gal; but what the deuce 4
upT interrupted the inebrlate, with I
maudlln attempt 20 make light OF Ia
wlfe's solemn warning
"In the last ave years have drudgel
myself to death for you and the chIl
dren. and rum-accursed rum-ha
been ths whole cause OF H. I do no
mention II 70 eensure you for the past
or waste further words about wha
might have been. Hut n IA OF IN
future that would now speak; FOR
am dying can air ally feel th
touch OF death upon n -"
"Ter yon Amt GO 20 de 'tni
Susie" interrupted tr ttly stnrtle
inebrlate. stubbornly rell yo'l-h
no such thlngl Liy, IN yenrs longol
Nnf 4vunaf fffa On n