Wheeling compiler. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [i.e. W. Va.]) 1829-1831, 1830-04-14

he following description OF the escape
/ of a drunkaTd from the thraII of his fatal
habits, is from the Saturday Evening Post
The Editor declares that it was commune
Gated 10 him IN a letter, and that its gcnu-
Iiueness may be relied upon.
THE CAPTIvE's ESCAPE.
/ ooh! that men should put m enemy into their
mouths, to steal away thei, brains!''
! In my youth, | unfortunately began TO
contract d habit Of drinking, which, how
ever innocent in the beginning grew upon
I me 10 q way that had nothing peculiar in
ia: or different from other cases of the
| kind, GAithad reached an alarming height.
tne manner 10 which It affected me, my
sensations and situation NJ that tune, as
well as the efforts by which J fortunately
'reganed the path OF nature lmean to de-
scribe as nearly az possible. To those
who may be 80 unfortunate as 10 be IN my
situation; and perhaps from my expert
eace, ! may be so happy as to aid them n
5mancipa,iug themselves from the most
powerful and destructive habit.
My situation in life is ne.therri rich nor
Door, requiring active eXertons. q free in
tercourse with mankind, and at times cal
ling for all the natural and acquired talents
that 10 the coolest moments are possessed:
thus, at the age of thirty Eve. found my
self q Naturalization | arose 10 the
morning, arose with the thoughts of the
bottle, and could hardly clothe myself till
| had taken a heavy dram, and if any one
was observing me, trembIed to that dc
gree, that / must shelter myself from
view, uIl l bad got abou, a gill of the
strongest spirits into operation, before !
could expose my palsied hands TO obser-
walton! three or four more drains general
ly prepared inc for small broakGst-~
Although naturally hearty man at my
meals, my appetite lessencd by degrees,
an ate very Sparingy, and cared bat liz
de about ealing at all. About two hours
after breakfast, the system required more
stimulation; but If invited 70 drink In ever
so shorta time, / was sure not 60 refuse;
or if about to ride into the country, / must
drink as much as could bear before start
ng, fearing the spirit would die in me be-
fore my return; further TO prevent which
fl thought should be detained long, |
took bottle along with ne; for the bur.
ueu Of all my rcGcctlous. the beginning
and end of every idea, my sleeping and
waxing thoughts were the bottle, and as
D
longing for the next Sometimes J was
pretty foil by d.nucr but commonly went
past the middle Of day tolerabIy well; by
the middle of the afternoon, sometimes
sooner sometimes d little later, | was IN
the lu! tide Of drinking. Dram after
dram ofmm, brandy, or whiskey, indif
farently, was poured down in company, If
/ could get Ii, Il not, alone, all retired
10 bed drunk, or nearly 50: for ! can safely
say, that for m0RttS, I never went 10 bed
sober! For a long time, plenty Of cold
water would serve me through the night,
placed at my bed side for the purpose;
and often in the course Of a night, have |
broken the ice on the surface of the water,
to come at the cooling draft 10 quench
my raging thrsu Bad as this case was,
a worse followed 10 process Of time. Af
ter the first sleep, on awakening, and Ia
KING the usual drink of water, and adjust
Iug myself again for rcpose, found my
self prevented by o restlessness and anx-
etJ, which by degrees, grew into a fear
fitness & horror. quite indescribabIe; but
which .on to whom this article Is address
sed. will understand. Why need | de-
scribe TO you the horror of those midnight
reflections. when The spirits being eXhaus-
ted within us, the image OF our true sItua-
ton iu gloomy colors, presents itself to-
our view; when q trembling pervades the
aebiitaled nervous system, and the cold
cIammv sweat breaks frlh-.the prelude
of our approaching dissolution. and the
thoughts of gyieved and mortified friends,
q ruined family and an IgGommous death.
rush at once upon our weak and tmld
minds. Thus, from water, was Obliged
10 use spirits, TO support me through the
night. during The day, If ] had aay bu-
si0ess TO ATTEND. ! must be sure to steady
NV nerves sufficiently with spirits before
beran: and some records wi, ever show
10 my shame, my laateutIon, or inability
TO steady my hand, before | began to write
Nviemper became irritable IN the extreme;
with my friends capuous; IN my family
peevish; TO my enemies utrageously nsul-
.unpl My business became much neglec-
ted: uiAes appeared very bur.hensome,
and now putod and dreaded to the last
an almost childish timidity peryaded my
mind: bodily eyertion was as much as
possible avoided, for when performed,
trembling succeeded; a morbid sensinn-