Page:Peterson's Magazine 1842, Volume I.pdf/205

170

discovered him sitting by a table, with his head leaning on his hand. She approached him, and putting her arms affectionately around him, inquired if any thing unusual had occurred, and why he had remained so long from her ; but he made no reply.

George, dearest George, have I ever done aught to displease you ? Come to our chamber, for it is very lonely without you-will you not notice your wife who loves you so dearly ?" He sarcastically reiterated " loves. ' "Yes," she continued, " though you are deaf to my entreaties, and leave me night after night alone and wretched, though you have lost all respect for yourself and love for me, still I love you with that same deep and fervent love as when I first called you husband. Dearest husband leave off these dreadful habits, for I feel there is yet much happiness in store for us."

Leonard, like all drunken husbands, construed all his wife said into a reproach on his evil ways ; he was highly excited, and in his violent fits of drunkenness often spoke to her in the most harsh manner ; he arose from his seat, and commanded her abruptly to leave his presence. Poor Louisa, almost heart-broken, slowly retraced her steps to her solitary chamber, not to sleep , but to give vent to her feelings. Next morning, at the dawn of day, she heard him call his servant, and order him to pack his trunk. She immediately entered the room, and inquired if he were going to leave home ; he replied, " yes !"

"Will you not let me go with you, dear husband ?" He told her she could not go with him, that he was going to Savannah. He ordered his servant to take his baggage to the boat, and arose to leave the house. His wife clung to him and wept, imploring him to tell her what had occurred, for she saw something unusual in his looks.

Dearest George," she cried, " will you not give me a parting kiss ?" But in sullen silence he pushed her from him, and hastened from the house. Louisa paced the room in the greatest agitation, conjecturing what could take him from home, and why he left her so abruptly. Her faithful waiting-maid entered the room, and tried in all the simplicity of her soul, to console her mistress ; she told Louisa that her master had left a letter on the table. Louisa ran to the table, on which were placed writing materials, and found a sealed letter ; it was not for her, but was directed to one of his most intimate friends. Hoping to find something in it connected with the strange conduct of her husband, she opened and read it ; the whole mystery was revealed to her. He disclosed the whole course of his life, from the time he left College, reproached himself for neglecting his amiable and excellent wife-he had been faithless to her-he was wholly unworthy of her-he was going he neither knew, nor cared, whither- he would rather die than that Colonel Sanford should look upon him again



he had sunk so deep in infamy it was impossible for him to reform, and he hoped his wife would return to There were many things in it which I forbear to relate. Accompanying this letter was a sheet, on which was written a transfer of his house and all his servants to a banker, from whom he had borrowed large sums of money. Louisa could bear no more, she wrung her hands in despair. " Oh ! am I never more to see his face, am I thus cast off by him I love so devotedly ? Though he has abandoned himself to every vice, still, still my heart clings to him ! Oh, George, my dear husband, come back to me, and I will forgive you for all you have done, and forget that you have been what you are. I cannot endure this miserable life ! Back, back thou rising thought !-Spirit of my sainted mother look down in compassion on your miserable child ! Oh, my father, would to God you were with me !" Louisa ceased her raving, dried her tears, and seizing a pen, she hastily wrote a few lines, and giving them to her faithful maid, ordered her to send a servant to deliver it to his master if he could find him in town. Scarcely had she left the room to attend to her mistress's commands, before she heard the report of a pistol and a scream ; she hastily returned and found Louisa on the floor, with a pistol clenched in her hand. The servants soon alarmed the neighbors with their cries ; and living next door to Mrs. Leonard, and being much attached to her, for her many amiable qualities, I hastened to the house ; and there, oh, horrid sight ! lay Louisa, the once beautiful, light-hearted and happy girl, all pale and bleeding. . I put my hand to her heart—it had ceased to beat-I gazed upon her beautiful face--but that told " The change whose pulseless hues reveal The place where death had set its seal." The ball had entered her temple, and killed her as quick as thought. And thus ended the lovely, and the beautiful, the pride, the idol of her fond parent, and the admiration of all who knew her ; and three years had produced this mighty change ! Her father was sent for immediately, and reached the house of his dear, unfortunate daughter just as the church-bell was tolling for her funeral. Poor man, words are inadequate to describe his feelings ; he sank under the blow, and soon followed his daughter to the tomb. Leonard, the miserable husband and bloated drunkard, was in town, and received his wife's letter, and intelligence of her horrid end at the same time ; it produced but little effect on him at the time, for he had drunk until he was almost callous to every thing. Such, reader, are some of the dreadful effects of drinking. If man would be beloved and respected, and do his duty toward his fellow creatures, let him spurn the poisonous cup ; no one can tell the good it does, but the evils would fill volumes. How
 * her father, and forget a creature so worthless as himself.