Page:Drunken husband, or, The fatal effects of drunkenness.pdf/12

 was taken from her, as his reformation gave her reaſon to think they might have paſſed their old age happily together, but at the ſame time ſhe was reſigned to his loſs, as ſhe truſted, that on account of his penitence he would, through the merits of his Saviour, find admittance into a better place. She expreſſe I great ſatisfaction in the reflection, that ſhe had done all in her power for him in his laſt illneſs, and only regretted that ſhe had not borne his faults with more patience formerly; the ſaid, it certainly was a very great trial to a woman, after a hard day's work, to ſee a huſband ſo drunk that he could neither ſtand nor ſpeak, nay, perhaps ſick, and obliged to be carried to-bed, or ſo croſs that there was no ſpeaking to him; but that when ſhe looked back upon the time that was paſſed, ſhe was convinced, that ſhe often made things worſe by her own want of patience, for ſhe was too apt to give way to reproaches; and the heartily wiſhed the had obſerved a more gentle and indulgent conduct to him in the beginning, and perhaps it might have prevented his growing ſo bad, for ſhe could very well recollect that he conſtantly ſought Thomas Briggs's company when ſhe had ſcolded him for getting drunk.

Mrs. Andrews ſaid, that it was now too late to call back the paſt. To be ſure, on all occaſions, gentleneſs and mildneſs were