THE RUINED FAMIL Y

by WASHINGTON IRVING.
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! The depopulating pestilence that walketh


in MONDAY, The carnage Of cruel and de-


vastating war can scarcely exhibit their vic


Tins in more terrible array, than in exter-
minating drunkenness. have seen prom
ising family spring up from the parent trunk,
and stretch abroad its populous limbs like
a Towering tree, covered with green and
healthy foliage. have seen the unnatural
decay beginning upon the yet tender leaf,
and gnawing like worm, in an unopened
bud, while they dropped off one by one, and
the ruined shaft stood alone, until the winds
and rains Of many sorrow had laid it too
in the dust. On one of those holy days,
when the patriarch, rich in virtue and in
years, gathered about him the great and
little ones of his flock, his sons and daugh-
tiers, ! too sat at the board | pledged


therein hospitabe health, and expatiated
with delight on the eventful future, while
the good old man warmed in the genial
glow of youthful enthusiasm, wiped tear
from his eyes He was happy. met Ihem
again when the rolling year brought the
festive season round. But all was not
there. The kind old man sighed as his suf-
fused eyes dwelt on the then unoccupied
seat but JOY yet came to his relief, and
he was happy. A parents love knows no
diminuton-time, distance, poverty, shame,
give but intensity and strength to that pas
sion, before which all others dissolve and
melt away. The board was set, but the
guests came not The man cried, "Where
are my children ?" and echo answered
"where J" His heart broke, for they were
not. Could not heaven have spared his
grey hairs this affiicton? Alas the de-
mon Of drunkenness had been there. They
had fallen victims to his SPELL And one
short month suliced to cast the veil of
oblivion over the old mans sorrow, and
the young ones shame. They are all
dead