Year: 1871

and lucrative practice, and was 500


in possession of immense wealth.


had married young lady the daugh
ter of an eminent friend of my ia
1ther, whose dowry doubled tn,


amount of my possessions. Fo


two years, our cup of happiness was


unmixed with single drop Of bitter


ness, and the birth of a daughter


added to the store of my enjoyment


My profession necessarily brought
me in contact with the world, and
| all its turbulent spirits. After long
entreaty and much solicitation, I was
induced to join some of the fashion
able clubs established in the city,
where the song, the story and the
jest, were freely INDUCED, and the
wine-cup constituted the very centre
of the attraction. Gradually, and
by degrees, 1 acquired relish for
the Intoxicating draught, and from
that hour the happiness 1 had known,
fled forever from my reach. My
progress downward seemed to be
with the rapidity of lightning, and
in six months l was a confirmed sOt
a ruined man. The pale and anxi-
Gus countenance of my wife had no
power to stay me in my career,-he1
silent tears fell upon my finty heart
as the rain drop falls upon the rock,
producing no impression. The de-
mon had seized and chained mel
was his victim, and it seemed as
though all the powers of earth and
heaven were unable to tear me from
his grasp.


The meetings OF the club were
held alternately at the dwellings OF
the members. 1 had delayed invit-
ing them to my house, for lost as ]
was-I was not quite ready to shock
my amiable wife, by a display of my
utter degradation. But the time
had come, and 1 could avoid it nc
longer. The appointment was made
The meeting assembled, and after s
few bottles were emptied, my scrup
les were forgotten. l could caroust
at my own table,with a freedom thai
surprised me-and make a hell oI
my house without one misgiving OF
'reproach of my conscience. Consci
ence? I had none. The poison of
the accursed bowl had destroyed it,
and l felt knew that / was no
longer a man.


The club that night was unusual
boisterous. The glass circulated
more freely than usual, and before
twelve o'clock, many of the members
gave indications of taking lodgings
for the night under the table. The
fund of story and of song was ex-
hausted. The rude jest had ceased,
and political topics of an exciting
character, had taken it's place. The
argument ran high-loud words and
rude gestures succeeded, and length,
provoked at being branded a liar at
my own table, I dashed full in the
face of my antagonist, the contents
of the goblet in my hand. This was
past the endurance of the drunken
brute, and seizing an empty decan-
ter by the neck, swung it over his
shoulder, and aimed it with all his
power at my head. Drunk as l was


[ could comprehend the extent OF
my danger, and just as l was prepar
ing TO avoid the blow, a shriIl voice
exclaimed, "Spare him, o, spare him
and a light form interposed between
me and my assailant. Remembered
no more. / had fallen to the floor,
borne down by something, l knew
not what, and for hours lay still il
the stupor of drunkenness. HOrri-
ble dreams took possession of my
fancy. The world was lying upon
me, crushing me to death, and in my
agony 1 struggled and awoke. Oh,
would to CID, that sleep had been
my last,-then 1 should have been
spared the deep, the burning agony
OF the waking hour. The lamp was
burning dimly upon the table, and
casting faint light over a scene, the
very recollection of which, makes
my beast bleed to this hour. Sew
eral men we're lying on the floor
dead drunk,-chairs were scattered
over the room, the table covered
with the broken glasses and decan-
ters, and across my breast lay in the
stiffness of death, the form of my
angel wife. l rased her up and gazed
INTO her face. Across the forehead
was a gastly wound, from which the
blood flowed freely over her face and
bosom,-her eyes were closed, and
her pale cold lips seemed sealed for
ever.


1t was long before l could feel the
reality of the scene, or bring to my
recollection the occurrences of that
night. At length they burst like
thunderbolt upon my mind. Had
the fires of hell flashed in my face,
the sensation could not have been
greater, or the shock more excrucia-
ting. The decanter aimed at my
head had taken effect upon my in
nocent wife. She had sacrificed her
life for the preservation Of a brute,
and 1 looked around and Selt as did
Cain, when his hands were imbIued
with the blood Of his brother.


1 arose and placed my wife upon
the sofa, and was bathing her temp
les with water, almost unconscious
of what l was doing, when the muir
derous wretch got upon his feet,
oaths and threats Of ven
geance.


Had Il scorpion stung mel should
not have been more starded. My
blood boiled in my veins, and loOs
ing all restraint, l seized him by the
throat and hurled him headlOng over
the table. In his fall he upset the
lamp, and the light coming in con
tact with a pool of liquor, with which
the carpet was literally soaked, set
the whole in a blaze. 1 rushed to
the door, and ran through the street
giving the alarm of fire. The cIti-
zens rushed to the spot, and still |
pressed on l cared not whiLher. l
ran until / was tired, and set myself
down upon a stone, and looked back
upon the city. The glare Of the fame
could be distictly seen,-the noise OF
the iremen and the shouts OF the
multitude, came feebly to my ear,
and I gazed until my eyeballs seemed
to be Scared. My head ached, and
I grew weary of the sight Again l


4 f,f Gts,.