Library of the best American literature / Containing the lives of our authors in story form, their portraits, their homes, and their personal traits, how they worked and what they wrote; choice selections from eminent writers, embracing great American poets and novelists, foremost women in American letters, distinguished critics and essayists, our national humorists, noted journalists and magazine contributors, popular writers for young people, great orators and public lecturers

by Unknown

Promised eternal love and truth,

But who, forsworn, hath yielded up

This promise to the deadly cup,

And led her down from love and light,

From all that made her pathway bright,

And chained her there ’mid want and strife,

That lowly thing,—a drunkard’s wife!

And stamped on childhood’s brow, so mild,

That withering blight,—a drunkard’s child!

Go, hear, and see, and feel, and know