Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1833-08-07

iooI lhC Oiu SChtiClildn grew weary
: preaching, and fell into indiscretions
y which brought him under the censure o
e his church.
! A few miles from our house, livet
, parson c., graduate of Yale Col
lege, and popular pastor and preacher
f While | was mere boy the parson apos
: tatized from the doctrines of his church
= left off preaching and moved to the west
&, where he purchased various expedient
2 for a livelihood, until we ceased to heal
of him, and supposed him dead.
S Nobody seemed to know the cause o
his singular course. Those who knew
him best had confidence in his honesty
land sincerity, and hi. case was thought
very singular.
But within few years the temper
ance society has brought his case to light.
He has confessed that secret intemper-
ance was the cause of his fall And af-
ter giving a pleasing evidence of his
Ipenitence, he died in the faith and hope
he had deserted.
The Domino of the Dutch church was
yearly visitor to our neighborhood and
our house, for my father contributed to
the support of all preachers around us,
though we did not often attend the dom
ines church.
When an unusual number of boys
were seenriding towards the store with a
smalljug in one hand and whip in the
other, it used to be said that the domino
was buying his visits; for he drank moth
ing but gin.
| [ have faint recollection of his
preaching. He was a great and good
man; and so he lived and died without
ever falling into intcmperance; but four
of his sons were deceived by strong
drink; and died IN drunkenness and mis-
cry, bringing down the old mans gray
hairs to the grave.
There was another preacher, who
came often to our house, but was never
very highly esteemed, because he was
thought to be an avaricious man. At
last he apostatized. For long time
was in doubt about the cause of it; but
since | began to write these letters, |
have seen an old man from that neigh
borhood, who told me that those who
had best understood the case at the time,
believed that rum was at the bottom Of
the affair. This case, however, leave
! without expressing an opinion.
| But the case which record with the
deepest sorrow was one with which l
was painfully familiar.-The Rev. Mr.
j was a man of extraordinary tai
ents, and more learning than any preach
er in the country. first saw him when
he came to visit an old lady near our
house, and whom | loved sincerely; for
she was kindness itself. My heart warns
at the distant recollection of her tender
ness to myself on many occasions. She
was the greatest reader l knew. She
could tell stories from morning till eve
ming of the horrors and triumphs of war.
This old lady prevailed upon my father
to send me to Mr.. ito learn survey
ing and some other matters, which our
school could not teach me. So on a bit
ter cold morning, my old grandfather
carried me across the hills and left me
at the house of the clergyman.
1t was my first acquaintance with a
well educated and genteel family. For
while, | suffered from my own igno-
rance and rusticity in comparison with
the parsons children; but most of them
were much older than myself, and they
all employed themselves to remove my
embarrassment. At length | found my
selfa at home in their circle. There was
the beginning of that strange series of
changes in knowledge and fortune, which
has brought me to this hour. And while
l look back to that period, and review
the care and affection which that family
bestowed on the first years of my Or
phanage, l feel tear passing over my
eyelid, which l would gladly follow with
some substantial token of gratitude to
any remnant of the family who has sur
vived his heavy woes.
had not been long in the house, be.
fore observed that the father was some
times mysteriously absent after dinner
and in the evening, and after few
months, discovered that the son kept
bottle in his chamber. l heard whis
pers among the servants and the boys in
the neighborhood, that all was not right
with the father or the son. The old
gentleman was often absent much of the
week, leaving me to the care of his son
and family; and frequently the evening
PRAYERS were omitted until Sunday eve