ongued serpents reeking with the filth of hell!
Don't ye see I have her with me--my poor sainted little Belle?'

"When I'd soothed him into quiet, with a trembling arm he drew
My head down, 'Oh, Al,' he whispered, 'such remorse you never knew.'
And again I tried to soothe him, but my eyes o'erbrimmed with tears;
His were dry and clear, as brilliant as they were in college years.
All the flush had left his features, he lay white as marble now;
Tenderly I smoothed his pillow, wiped the moisture from his brow.
Though I begged him to be quiet, he would talk of those old days,
Brokenly at times, but always of 'the boys' with loving praise.

"Once I asked him of Lorena--the sweet girl whom he had wed--
You remember Rena Barstow. When I asked if she were dead,
'No,' he said, his poor voice faltering, 'she is far beyond the Rhine,
But I wish, to God, it were so, and I still might call her mine.
She's divorced--she's mine no longer,' here his voice grew weak and hoarse
'But although I am a drunkard, _I have one they can't divorce_.
I've a little girl in heaven, playing round the Savior's knee,
Always patient and so faithful that at last she died for me.

"'I had drank so much, so often, that my brain was going wild;
Every one had lost hope in me but my faithful little child.
She would say, "Now stop, dear papa, for I know you can stop _now_."
I would promise, kiss my darling, and the next day break my vow.
So it went until one Christmas, dark and stormy, cold and drear;
Out I started, just as usual, for the cursed rum shop near,
And my darling followed after, in the storm of rain and sleet,
With no covering wrapped about her, naught but slippers on her feet;
No one knew it, no one missed her, till there came with solemn tread,
Stern-faced men unto our dwelling, bringing back our darling--_dead!_
They had found her cold and lifeless, like, they said, an angel fair,
Leaning 'gainst the grog shop window--oh, she thought that _I was there!_
Then he raised his arms toward heaven, called aloud unto the dead,
For his mind again was wandering: 'Belle, my precious Belle!' he said,
'Papa's treasure--papa's darling! oh, my baby--did--you--come
All the way--alone--my darling--just to lead--poor--papa--home?'
And he surely had an answer, for a silence o'er him fell.
And I sat alone and lonely--death had come with little Belle."

Silence in that princely parlor--head of every guest is bowed.
They still see the red wine sparkle, but 'tis t