The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-08-22

DuJ Ou WudC JOY IL IucduD IOr me.
That little bow of blue"
The town clock was striking the
hour of midnight on Christmas Eve,
as Will Larkins was stumbling home
ward through the snow-laden streets
of the city of New York, after having
spent the evening drinking heavily in
the company of a number of men
whose habits and characters were far
from being "spotless. At last he
reached his home on East Side, which
his patient and true little wife Nell
managed to keep neat and tidy, de-
spite the reckless ways of her hus-
band, who, when he was under the
influence of drink, (Which of late had
become almost constantly would tear
up and throw around the household
effects in any manner, it not matter
ing to him how much his wife plead
ed with him.
When Nell heard his unsteady
steps coming through the dark hall
way she hastily wiped away the tears
that were coursing down her cheeks,
for she had been thinking about her
two dear little children, Helen and
Dick, aged S and 3 years, respectively,
and what would become of them in
the future if their father continued
very long in the same reckless man
ner, he not seeming to care whether
his family was in want or not.
ooh, WILL" she cried as he push
ed open the door of their apartments
in the fiat in which they were living.
II did expect that you would come
home earlier this evening, and in a
sober condition, for tomorrow is
Christmas and our dear little children
were waiting for their papa. They
wanted you to wait for Santa Claus
when he came and ask him to bring
them some presents. "
1fwhaC do I care about Santa
Claus" he growled, as he roughly
pushed her aside. YOU'RE always
thinking of lot of tommy-rot like
that. 1t is your place to look out
for the children. 1 haven't any time
to bother with them have other
matters to attend to"
EYES," she cried, as her heart over
flowed and her grief turned to anger.
"You have no time to bother about
your wife or children now. You
don't care whether they live or starve.
You only have time to spend with a
lot of tramps and drunkards, who
have wrecked their own homes and
are helping you to wreck yours. All
you think of now is the company you
associate with and the rum you drink.
If were a man I'd be-"
But before she could utter another
word he struck her a cruel blow in
the face.
ooh, Will p was all she could
gasp, and then she swooned and fell
to the floor. He only glanced at the
PROSTATE form of his wife and then
left the house again, not to return
until very late in the morning.
When Nell recovered from the blow
an hour or so later, she went to the
little bedside where Helen and Dick
were costly resting, and knelt in pray
er, asking God to forgive her hus-
band and to guide him into the right
path, and to protect her and little
ones.
x 4 x X x i
We go back six years, and we find
Will Larkins, aged 22, and beautiful
Nell Garland, aged 20, standing at
the altar in the old church situated in
the little town of their birth in Mas
sachusetts, and vowing to be true to
each other and to share their sorrows
and joys through life. At that time
Will Larkins was sober, industrious
and promising young man and was
engaged at small salary as clerk in
the town bank.
But hardly year had passed when
through the influence of several prom
inent friends he obtained the position
of book-keeper in the offices of the
Grand Central R. R. in New York
city. By careful attention and coll
tinuous activity his employers began
to form quite good opinion of him
and he was advanced as rapidly as an
opportunity presented itself.
When they were married little more
than year little Helen was born.
Both were happy and they little
thought that some day matters would
change for the worse. Two years
later Richard, or "Dick" as his faith
er fondly called him, was born. 1t
was then that Will and Nell Larkins'
heart throbbed at the highest notch.
But Dick was only about six
months old when there came serious
change in Will Larkins, and from the
careful, painstaking man who would
always go home to his wife and babies
after the days work was done at the
office and remain with his family the
entire evening, chatting pleasantly
with Nell and the children, he began
to come home later in the evening
than in former days and became very
indifferent about their affairs. He
had made the acquaintance Of NUM-
Der of ''the boys" who were always
out for good time" and as he be-
gan to spend his money very freely
he was proclaimed to be suc ch a
"good fellow, that he felt they were
the most agreeable companions he had
ever met, and gradually Nell and the
babes became of such little interest tc