Year: 1863




suffering as had not the manly courage
to meet, without tie aid of stimulants,
which have worked my ruin


Resting a few moments from weari-
ness, the Invalid thus continued his sad
story -


Soon after my marriage the painful
truth came home to my heart that do
nestle peace and happiness were not ar
ticle5 of merchandise, to be bought and
sold at a price, but purchased only in the
union Of true hearts. The affinity of
soul with soul,--and l saw, alasl too
late, that my marriage altar was an altar
of sacrifice, on which lay, blighted and
withered, the noblest affections of my
nature


Marion Hubert, in the general accep-
taton of the term, was to me a true and
faithful wife but she was an equally true
and faithful devotee at the shrine of FASH
ion, where she daily and nightly paid
homage, to the neglect of home and all
its duties. As the days Of her aimless
life passed on, she laid aside the hmsy
veil Of deception, and stood revealed be-
fore me, a cold, heartless, unloving wife.
felt the Justice of the retribution, and
murmured not. But | had not the Chris
tian courage and fortitude to accept it as
SAVIOR OF life unto life, but have made
it SAVIOR of death unto DEATH


4 became an habitual frequenter of
drinking and gambling saloons, sinking
lower and lower in the scale Of degrada-
lion, till found myself friendless and
beggar having squandered my own
property, and that belonging to my wife,
at the gaming table. When the news
was communicated to her of our poverty
and disgrace, her delicate constitution
sunk under the heavy blow, and for days
she raved in the wil3 del:rium of brain
fever, cursing me as the author of her
ruin and unhappness.


The wildness of the fever abated, Tut
the physical laws of her nature had been
so outraged and violated they could no
longer impart strength and vigor to the
enfeebIed body, or paint on her wan and
colorless cheek, the rich bloom of health.
Slowly she faded away, till six months
ago, death freed her imprisoned spirit
from the tenement of clay, leaving one
innocent, helpless child to the care of
their misguided and wretched father


Now Louise he continued, as she
bathed bis burning brow, you have heard
my sad story, but o, you can never know
the mental suffering and agony | have
endured, and can you bestow on one so
unworthy, your blessing and forgiveness


Bending her head till the hot tears fell
upon bis pale face, she said, in a voice
trembling with emotion;


Edward, freely, as hope fox Gods
blessing and forgiveness, so do l bless
and forgive YOU


A smile of inefable joy irrodiated the
face Of the sufferer, while tears of graft
tude rained down his pale cheek, as Lou>
Sc sealed her blessing and forgiveness
with a pure kiss of afection,-the affec-
ton which had lived for him, through
long weary years in her heart, SO often
faint uuto death, with its hidden sorrows
and cruel disappointment. 1t was sorrow
that,


Took up the harp of life and smote on all its


strings with might;


Smote the cord of SELF, that trembling passed


in music out Of sight


For several moments an unbroken sill
ence reigned in the sick mans room, but
in that short interval of time, both The
occupants were busy in the realm of
thought, travelling over again the wind
ing and devious ways of the Past, pau
sing often by the thorny way-side, to re-
peat the sad, sad words, 1t might have
BEEN.


Edward opened his large, lustrous eyes,
over which the film of death was slowly
gathering, and gazing long and earnestly
into the sorrowful face of his companion,
each seemed intuitively to read the soul
of the other, and understand as by elec-
trio affinity its emotions and thoughts.
Taking ber hand again in his he said;


Louise, in your retrospection Of the
Past, sad and mournful as many of its
memories must be, you are not Knocked
by the ghosts Of mis~spent years-mis-
spent in the pursuit of vain and idle
pleasure, and in the indulgence of evil
habits that blackens the pure manhood
and womanhood of their unhappy vic
Tins. o God he fervently exclaimed,
stretching out his trembling hands tow
ards Heaven, 'must it be thar my child,
my darling boy, will fall prey to the
wiles of the tempter, and his feet become