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While he was brawling out these al
most unintelligible commands, door O.
pened from an adjoining apartment,
and his wife entered. Her little girl
followed, with eyes red with weeping.
She shrunk from her degraded father,
with concealed dread. But for her
mother, alas, / hardly recognized her.
Dry sorrow had drank her blood" an
unnatural paleness fingered on her vast
ed features, and an unearthIy glare bea-
med in her yet undimmed eye. She
looked the very picture Of despair.


Grey "begged to be excused" ashe
passed with tottering steps from the
room. | referred to former times, their
change Of residence, &c. The poor, a
bused wife told me in few words, with
what an awful calamity that family had
been visited. Intemperance had been
there. The husband, the father, in two
short years had become confirmed
drunkard. Affliction had gathered upon
happy circle, and unmixed sorrow had
poured upon the innocent. could hear
no more. The contras. between our first
and second meeting kept crowded upon
my memory; felt that in continuing
the conversation, | must be imparting
and receiving pain. ] kissed the little
girl, ard as | opened the door to retire,
the light fell on the Family Group, thro'
the green gauze with which it was en-
velop+d. There were the same curls
which had heen bodied forth by the ar
tist, the same speaking eye, which after
inebrie,y had rendered dim and express
sionless. There, too, were the beauti-
ful mother and child. And as looked
upon the pictured group, and then upon
the auenuate being before me, whose
hand clasped with a mothers fondness
the opening bud in her arms; whose
poverty and sorrow awaited, my heart
melted, and woman as | was, the tear
rose unbidden to my cheek, and passed
the Threshold with an aching heart.


This is no fancy sketch. 1t is, alas !:
too true, as one at least will testify, If
ever this hasty tale should meet his eye.
1t may be, that in his wanderings, the
friend of my youth may see this record
of early scenes. and recogrizeit, as rea-
div as he would a portrai. from his own
features. Vermont Statesman.