Another life and another destiny are bound up in mine,
and there is no help for me. God bless you and comfort you, and keep
your hearts from turning against your loving
BLANCHE."
In all their fond looks forward to the day when their beautiful
child should stand in bridal robes--and what parents with lovely
daughters springing up toward womanhood do not thus look forward and
see such visions?--no darkly, brooding fancy had conceived of
anything like this. The voice that fell upon their ears was not the
song of a happy bride going joyously to the altar, but the cry of
their pet lamb bound for the sacrifice.
"Oh, madness, madness!" exclaimed Mr. Birtwell, in anger and dismay.
"My poor unhappy child! God pity her! "sobbed the white-lipped
mother, tearless under the sudden shock of this great disaster that
seemed as if it would beat out her life.
There was no help, no remedy. The fatal step had been taken, and
henceforth the destiny of their child was bound up with that of one
whose inherited desire for drink had already debased his manhood.
For loving parents we can scarcely imagine a drearier outlook upon
life than this.
The anger of Mr. Birtwell soon wasted its strength amid the shallows
of his weaker character, but the pain and hopeless sorrow grew
stronger and went deeper down into the heart of Mrs. Birtwell day by
day. Their action in the case was such as became wise and loving
parents.
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