Year: 1873

"Of course ne Will.


"By all means. Only see how ht
acted when his wife was with him.
! Now that she has left him, and al
RESTRAINT is removed, he'll go the res
of the downward way in no time
Poor Nettie! I wonder she stood i
so long"


'Pn give him just a year to b'
buried"


'Pshawl Half that time will tinist
him."


"Well, 1 pity him, too; but I pity
her more. He brought misery on
both"


Such was the gossip Of half a doz-
en- villages who stood in front OF the
principal store one summer evening
while the subject of their remarks
went staggering along the opposite
side of the street.


It was evident that he was trying
to walk straight and not to appear
intoxicated, but such endeavors al
ways seem to make 8 drunken man
walk more crooked. Well, it proved
one thing, that he was not yet lost
to all sense of shame-that he still
retained a little pride and 3 linger-
ing aversion to being ridiculed and
despised.


But Harry Rogers had carried on
at fearful rate for a year or two
past. He had just one yice-drink
but that was enough. He had be.
come an actual drunkard by degrees
and was every day growing more
abandoned. He had married 8
worthy farmers daughter, Nettis Ray
only few years previously and such
had been his conduct during more
than a year past that she, seeing nc
hope of hisTeform, had been Obliged
to cast him loose, to persue his prof
ligate course alone and a legal sepa
rrtion had just been effected. 1t wal
sad indeed, but no other course
seemed to be left her.


Harry's home WAS or little farm
a mile from town. He owned it, bu
then it was heavily mortgaged, ant
in another year foreclosure was Ger
tain.-It was not likely his creditor
would spare him, when he made NJ
effort to meet his obligations anC
spent his time lin riotous and dis
graceful conduct.


A week after that summer evening
on which all had agreed in predict
ing his early ruin-two weeks
three weeks-a month or two. Wha
strange mystery is here2 To the ut
ter bewilderment of the prophesyins
sages, Harry discontinued visiting
the tavern, and was rarely ever seel
in the village. When he did com
to the store, he speedily transacted
his business and went home-sober
But wonders never cease when they
get start. He was next reported
as actually at work on his farm. Hat
but one man seen this and told it il
the village, he would have been mark
ed as a man lacking Yeracity; but
number of neghbors saw it and tol'
lit, and there combined testimon..
was worthy of all credence,


The little farm began to Loo
healthier as the summer wore on
The fence Strengthened up, the weed
disappeared the corn grew marveous
lily, the briars and elders were rootet
up from the fields and fence rows
the animals looked tatter, sleeke
and happier; the little cottage look
ed nester.


Time wore on, and the grea
change was the more strongly mark
ed each day. Harry's creditors call
ed and told him they would not b
hard on him, seeing that he was do
ling his best, and he might have hi
own time about paying his bebt
and clearing his farm of the mort
gage.


The fall came, and the farm yield
ed an abundance of golden corn an
fruit; such crops, indeed, as it ha,
never produced before, and Harr,
found himself beginning to drift
along with the tide Of prosperity.


And Nettie Ray had begun to liv
her young girlhOod over again, as i
were, under her fathers roof; bu
somehow it was not like the happy
Joyous girlhood of memory. 1t wa
sober and quiet now, and Nettie fel
into trains of musing, and every nov
and then passed through her mind
certain sad thOught-she was Meth
er maid nor wife.


She avoided the vicinity of her lat
home, nor had she once seen Harry
since the separation; but she ha
heard of him occasionally, and kneV