A Wife Worth Having

The dísfingaish'ed VVilliam Wiet, vjtlVn six cight monihs a fier his first marriage, liücninc nddicted to . inlcmpernnec, tho c:T?ct of whieh operated strongly upon tho mind and henlth of his wife, ond n a few months more slie was nunibièjred [with the dead. lier death led him to leave the, country where.he resid&d, and move to Richmond, where ho soon rose to distinelion. Rut his habils ■huiigntoout him. and occasioüally ho was foiind wilh oüy and frolicsome spirits in bacchnnalicn rovelry. ITis truc friends cxpostülated with !iip. to convince him of the inju; y ne wns doing himsolf. Bul I12 stil] jiersisted.. tl is practico began to íall o(T, .-Li ir 1 inany ïóoltecj upon him as on the spre road Iq. ruin. Ho was ndvised to goj marrieL vii!i a view of correcting his Imljits. This Ie consenlnd to do f the right person ollercd. Ho nccordingly paid his nddrestws to Miss Gamble. Afjr somc moutirs attent ion?, he asked her hand in marrfpge. She. replied: !Ir. Wirf. I have heen wéll aware of your intentions for s'-nno linie back and :'r ..!.; have given you to undcrstaiid ihat your visltsahd attóntions Were "ribt ncce'p';a'j' had I not rc'cfprocatéd the nnectiiui vyRicn you evincca rof me. But i ptnhot yicld my assent until yon máe a pledgo never to táe touch or handle any inio.vicntingdrinks. Tlús vj.ly Ui Mr. $& v. ns as unexpFctCïd as it wns a novel. Hls renly was. mat ho regrirded thp proposition a bar to II fiirtHéV tbnëioeratioii on the sdb; i'ct, ajid icA her. Her courso to him was the suincasevor - hi.srosentmcnt and üegle.ct. In tho courso of a few weeks, hc went náiñ, nnd nnin' feblicüèd hc-r hand. Kut ÍieV'iép)y v.-as, her mind was made up. Me bccame indignant and rcgardod the terms proposcd as insuliing 10 his honor, and vowed it should be the tn.st moeting the.y should ever have. - ile took to drinking worse and worse, and scempci to run headiopg intoruin. One day wluie lying in the outskirts of the city, nnar si üttlo grocen or grogs!iop, deaö diur.k, a young lady who it is not nec'essstn' to naine, was passing that way to her home, not far off. behold him with his face uplurned to tho rays of the -sun. Sho took lier handhcrcljief, with l{or own name marl; od. upon it, and plnccdit over h9 fatíe. After.be had remained in that way for somo hours, hé ïfaa nwakened and his thirst being so greaf, he went into the little grocery or grog-shop to get a drink, when he discovered the handkerchief, which he looked at, and the name was on it. A fier pausing a lew minutes, be exelaimed: 'Great God! who left thls with me? - who placed it on my face?' No one knew. ÍJe droppcd his glass, exclaiming: 'Enough! enough!' He rel i red inslantly from the grocery, forgoltirg his thirsl, bat not the debauch, rhc handkerchief, or the lady - vowing, ifGod gave bim ürength, never to touch, taste or handie intoxicutingdrinks. To meet Miss G. was. the hardest effori of his life. If he met her in her carr riago or on foot, he would dodge tho nearest corner. She at last addressed him a noto under her own iiand inviting him to the bo'.jse, wbich he ünally gathered courage enough to accept. He told her i f sho still bore aftection for bim, he would agree lo her own terms. Her reply war,: 'My conditions are whnt they have been.' 'Then,' said tho disenthralied Wirt, '1 accept ihem.' They wcro soon married, and from that day lie k.ept his word, and hisaifairs briglitcrjed, whüc honors and glory galhored thick on hi.s brow. IIïs name bas been enrollod higli in the temple of fiane, hisdeeds, bis patriotismand renown, live r.ücr tiiin with imperisiiabie lustre. - How iiia;:y noble minds roiglit the young ladies save, ifthcy would follow the exam)!e cl' the heroine bearJ Miss G., the friend of humtinily, of lier country, rnd t!ie relaiive of Lafayclte.