Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1830-04-21

morning bitter was called for, to chase
away the ennui arising from the mid
night debauch. This impaired the relish
for breakfast. Coffee became insipid-
appetite for food diminished. The bit
ters in the morning required rejoindel
at eleven and a surrejoinder at one.-
And it was not until frequently found
myselfin state of intoxic alton, and some
OF my friends began to whisper, "this is
the road to ruin," that l first suspected
myself of being reprehensibly intemper-
ate. Ihad completely entered the camp
Of the enemy, before discovered the
presence of danger. Every effort to
retrace my steps proved vain 7 the only
avenue Of escape was barred as by a
giant, t,rby burnings and cravings, insa-
table as the grave. Every fit of intem-
perance operated upon my constitution
with more than ordinary force : it led to
distracting frenzy, and extravagant ex-
cesses. My friends could weep and
yet | wanted resolution to dash the fatal
poison from my lips. Unwilling to blast
every prospect, in city still dear to my
recollection, removed to another, under
the vain hope that a change of place
might lead to a change of habit.
| From that period till the commence
mcnt of my present Imprisonment, in
1894, an interval of | ! years, ! have float
ed over the surface of the world, without
any settled purpose of life, and there rs
scarce section, in two empires, in which
| have not temporarily resided. My re-
sources were soon exhausted, and found
the necessity of adopting some means
for livelihood. have been the pre-
ceptor of school in fifteen different vii
lagos and nei ighborhoods have conduct
the editorial department of eight different
newspapers, to three of which my name
was attached and have worked as a
mechanical printer in thirty or forty DIFF
fercnt Offices. But so completely had
the desire of spirituous liquor acquired
the ascendancy, that the earnings of n
month were not unirequcntly squandered
in week; and it was never till my pock-
cts were emptied, that | left the tavern,
or the grocery, in quest of employment.
But an empty Purse was the least of all
the evils occasioncd by this bcsotting and
! bcsctting sin. The same stimuants which
heated the blood, and inhamed the ami
NAL spirits, overpowered reason while
the feet tottercd, the aims trembled, and
the tongue faltered, the soul was in
the widest frenzy Three times have
been led to excuses which fell within the
cognizance of municipal law and i'm
prisonment followed twice for a few
days, and once for a little more than @
year.
/ The details of my unhappy course
would fill volumes. will merely men.
ton two or three additional incidents.
/ One of the instances of Imprisonment
which have already mentioned, was al
Salem, Washington County, N ", Gi
a transaction at Whitehall, where l had
been the actual though not the nominal
editor of the Whitehall Emporium. l
left the prison pennyless and Mr.. Steven
son, Secretary of the Washington County
Bible Society, and one Of the proprietors
of the Salem Post, received me into his
Office for few days, for the charitable
purpose of repairing my exhausted funds.
AT my departure he cautioned me with
much tenderness, to guard against
''the sin which so easily beset me"
and requested me to read the Scri iptures,
placing at the same time, copy of the
New Testament in my hand / did
not leave Salem before my money was
squandered at the tavern and that l
might indulge the sinful propensity to
the uttermost, l sold the book, which was
given me for very different purpose, to
an inn-keeper, and received the quid pro
quo from the bar. cannot but view this
as the blacklist action of my wicked life.
l should do injustice to myself, ifI did
not add, that at the first moment ofrehec-
ton, when the maddening influence of ar
dent spirit subsidized, my soul shuddered
at the thought that l had been base
enough to convert the generous feelings
that would have reclaimed me, into the
means of a further sinful indulgence ;
and perhaps the purchaser, who was
aware of all the circumstances, was little
less guilty than myself Again dcsti-
tutc, | wandered as / could to Troy,
where my necessities were supplied by
by literary gentleman resident at that
! place.
Il i entered the borough ofEaston, Penn.
at another time, on my way from New
York to Harrisburg, at which latter
place | had business, and where, some
years before, ! had conducted the edi-
torial department of a newspaper. was
a stranger in Easton, and Satan seemed
to whisper that might here CRAFTY my
favourite propensity better than at a
place where | had any character at
stake. Having squandered the small
funds then had, $50, which were d.