From Wealth to Poverty | Page 4

their delicate tracery across her low, broad
brow. Her mouth was small, but expressive, and her lips red and fresh
as a rosebud. She had glorious gray eyes, large and expressive,
luminous and deep, which in repose spoke of peace and calm, but
which, when excited by mirth or by a witticism, glowed and scintillated
like wavelets in the golden light of the sun.
Two such spirits, so alike in taste and yet so opposite in temperament
and complexion, could scarcely fail to be mutually attractive; for he
was dark and she fair; his temper was as the forked lightning's flash,
quick and sometimes destructive, while she was ever calm, gentle, and
self-possessed. In fact, they were the complement each of the other, and
it was not long ere he had wooed and won her, and obtained the consent
of her guardians to make her his wife.
They were married one beautiful day in the bright Spring-time, when
nature had donned her loveliest dress, and the air was fragrant with the
breath of flowers and vocal with the songs of birds. As they stood
together at the altar--he with his wavy raven locks swept back from his
broad brow, with his dark eyes flashing with intelligence; she with a
face that rivalled in fairness the wreath of orange blossoms that
crowned her luxuriant tresses of gold--they presented a picture of
manly strength and sweet, womanly beauty that is seldom equalled and
scarcely ever excelled.
As the guests congratulated them upon the happy consummation of
their ardent desires, and expressed the hope that life would be to them
as a summer's day with few clouds, they had every reason to believe
their most sanguine hopes would be realized. Alas! many a day that has
had a rosy morn, sweet with the breath of flowers and jocund with the
voice of birds, has been dark with clouds and flashing angry lightnings
ere noon. What a blessing it is that God in His mercy allows us to revel
in the sunshine of the present, and does not darken our clear sky with

the clouds of coming woe.
CHAPTER III.
ON THE DOWN GRADE.
A short time after their marriage Richard inherited the business and
property of his father, whose health had been failing for years, and who
died quite unexpectedly. His mother never recovered from the shock,
but in a short time followed her loved husband to the grave. So the son
was left with a good business and ample means, seeming to be on the
road to opulence.
As the years rolled on business prospered, and the prattle of children's
voices gladdened their home. First a boy came, with the fair hair and
large dreamy eyes of the mother; then, two years later, a girl with the
dark eyes and the raven black hair of the father, and their cup of bliss
seemed full to overflowing.
Circumstances, however, had already occurred which caused Ruth very
much uneasiness of mind, and sometimes when a friend called she had
to absent herself for a short time until she had removed the traces of her
tears.
Richard had joined the "Liberal Club," and as he threw his whole soul
into anything which he deemed worthy of his attention, his wife soon
had grave fears that it absorbed too much of his time. Hours which
should have been devoted to business were spent in discussing the
political issues of the day, and she felt they suffered serious loss, for
there were left to his employees important transactions which should
have had his undivided attention; and the course he had pursued had
alienated some of his best customers. The Liberal Club of which he
was a member was composed of the most ultra of the Radicals in that
section of country--in fact a great many of its members had been
participants in the Chartist agitation, and, a short time after Ashton
joined, they invited Henry Vincent, the celebrated agitator, to deliver an
address, he, while he remained in town, being the guest of Ashton. This
gave great offence to many of his best customers--not only to those

who were ultratories, but also to the whigs, and, as a consequence,
many of them left him and gave their patronage to rival establishments.
This, however, was not the worst feature of the case; there was another
and a stronger motive power to accelerate his already rapid descent. He,
with many more of the prominent members of the "Liberal Club," was
also among those who are called liberals in their religious views. This
could not be tolerated for a moment by those among his customers who
were decided in their religious convictions, for they were fully
convinced that a person who held such opinions was a dangerous man
in any community. They