king hold of his father's arm, urged him to come home. The
cruel rebuff he received is known.

The blow was no sooner given by Ellis than repented of; and this motion
of regret prompted him to express his sorrow for the hasty act, but
when he turned to speak to the lad, he was gone. Almost maddened by
thirst and excitement, the poor wretch caught up from the counter a
pitcher of ice water, and, placing it to his lips, took therefrom a
long deep draught. Then slowly turning away, he sought a chair in a far
corner of the room; where he seated himself, crossed his arms on a
table, and buried his face therein.

The pure cold water allayed the fever that burned along the drunkard's
veins. Gradually a deep calm pervaded his mind, and then thought became
active amid thronging memories of the past. He had once loved his home
and his children; and the image of Henry, when a bright-eyed,
curly-headed, happy child, came up so vividly before him, that it was
only by an effort that he kept the tears from gushing over his face.
For years he had cherished, in mere self-justification, the bitterest
feeling towards his wife; and hundreds of times had he given expression
to these feelings in words that smote the heart of Cara with crushing
force. Only a little while before he had spoken of her, in the presence
of Wilkinson, in a hard and unforgiving spirit; but now he thought of
her more kindly. He remembered how patiently she had borne with him;
how uncomplainingly she had met and struggled with her hard lot; how
many times she had tried to smile upon him, even through tears that
could not be restrained. Never was he met, on his return home, with
coldness or neglect. Wife and children all sought his comfort; yet he
cared nothing for them, and even filled their paths through life with
thorns. And his boy, Henry, whom he had just repulsed in so cruel a
manner, to his labour was he indebted, mainly, for the food that was
daily set before him. How this thought smote him! How it filled his
heart with shame and repentance!

Musing thus, the unhappy man remained, until, gradually, his thoughts
became confused. The temporary excitement of feeling died away, and
sleep overcame him. In his sleep he dreamed, and his dream was vivid as
reality. Not as of old did he find himself; but, in the vision that
came to him, he was still in bondage and degradation, with a horribly
distinct realization of his condition. His vile companions were around
him,