From Wealth to Poverty; Or, the Tricks of the Traffic. A Story of the Drink Curse

only in tenderness. And when many of her friends went so far as to advise her to leave him, and so save to herself and children some remnant of her fortune, she indignantly protested aga

s. "Oh!" she said, as she mourned over her blasted hopes, her vanished dream of bliss, "I never expected this." She suffered as only such a sensitive, noble,

g tenderness to win him from destruction; and when she found this did not avail

nearly all deserted you. You are fast losing your self-respect, wrecking your health, and dragging your wife an

madden him by a taunt or unkind word, but to save him if possible by love and gentleness. He as yet, though harsh and peevish to others, had never spoken an unkind word to her. He had once or twice been unnecessa

invariably broken. The fact was he had become a slave to drink, such a slave that neither what he owed to wife, nor children, nor man, nor God, could restrain him. His wor

n; for his thirst for spirituous liquor had become so strong that he would sacrifice everything he held de

er have been tried. People who boast of their purity and strength may never have

nds of his, and who were members of the "Liberal Club," casually met on the street. After the usual compliments, one said to

ry rapidly of late. Who would have thought he was so weak? I take it that a man who cannot drink a soc

was the master spirit of the society. Not one of all the members could approach him in culture, in brilliancy, or in legislative ability. You remember that in a former conversation we thought it strange he should associ

is he complet

ds left to take him to America. I pity his wife. She was a charming girl, so beautiful, so clever, and yet so modest. Many a man envied Ashton his prize. And you know that many an eligible girl would like to have stood in her sh

we are speaking, found absolute ruin staring him in the face, and he now knew he must either sell or be so

she had received, and it was a severe trial to sever the cords which bound her to those whom she had known so long, and to leave her dear native land and old home to go among strangers who were thousands of miles away. But though it was hard to part, she thought it would be for the best-it could scarcely be for the worse. She was rashly advised by some not to go, as they said, "there was

he small remnant of his fortune together, and he and his family set sail for that land of promise-America.

ters, there was a feeling of inexpressible sadness took possession of her. She involuntarily drew closer to her husband, and gave expression to the emotions of her soul by sobbing as though her heart would break. He lovingly threw his arm

iced porch, which was in summer-time covered with honeysuckles; and the cottage was embosed in flowering trees and morning glories. It had at the back a very fine garden, which also contained numerous peach trees and a delightful snuggery of a summer-house, whose sides were covered

paratively small; but when his capabilities were recognized, his employer, who was a man of gentlemanly instincts, and was also generous in his dealings with those of his employees who were ca

o join in a friendly glass for the sake of "Auld Lang Syne." He met Ruth when she ran to the gate to welcome him that night with what seemed to her loving heart a cold repulse, for he was drunk-yes, my dear reader-crazily, brutally drunk. His poor wife was as much stunned as if he had been brought home dead. She stood pale as death, with lips tightly pressed, with wide open eyes staring wildly. Poor little Eddie and Allie

was unable to secure another. He also became dissatisfied with the country. It is generally m

hton had to endure a great deal of this; for, in the hotels he met a great many returned soldiers, among whom there was a large percentage of the Fenian element; for the majority of the rank and file of these miscreants were tavern loafers. Their denunciation of England was not only strong, but blatant and couched in language both blasphemous and obscene. This Ashton felt he could not endure, this l