Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1834-11-20

lie thereupon bade farewell to his mistress,
and embarked OIL board of vessel, bound Oh
a foreign voyage.
! In the fall of lS-, we put ashore at the
mouth of the river -, on the coast OF
-, for the purpose ofprocuring supply
of wood and water, and such other articles as
the natives might wish TO dispose of. What
was our surprise to find in that uncultivated
portion Of the globe, and among horde of
untutored sayages, the face Of a white man
| enjoyed frequent opportunities OF gong a.
shore, and seldom failed Of meeting with this
strange parsonage. His conversation was
rich with incident and instruction. For sew
era years he had made his abode IN this wild
region, and had become familiar with the his
tory, manners, and customs, of his savage
companions. had perceived strange, tim
id feeling, whenever our eyes met, which
could not account for in one who had evident
" passed through such scenes, as had the
man before me. Every successive day ad-
ded TO my curiosity to know the history Of
this singular being;-and during our stay
here, myself, and several others of our crew,
were taken seriously i'll. Fortunately for us,
our new friend had some acquaintance in the
" healing art :" and to tins he added the ut
most attention and kindness. Opportunity
was now presented me for inquiring into my
friends circumstances. He was one night
watching at my bedside, and yen.ured to IN
terrogate him. Judge of my astonlshment,
when saw CHARLES RUTHvEN,in the strange
being whose kindness | was reaping lie
had recognized me from the first-but could
not have known him, for he was almost COM
pletey metamorphosed. Ills residence in
tropical climate, had given deep sallow hue
to his complexion his chin was unshaven,
and his hair hung loosely over his shoulders.
Yet the noble bearing of his finely wrought
forehead was there, and the lustre Of his
sparkling eye remained undimmed. But
more than once, ] fancied resemblance, be-
fore was aware in whose presence ] was.
i We had not seen each other for many
long, long year, and since my fortune had
made me a wanderer upon the wide sea, had
heard nothing of Ruthven. Freely he re-
counted to me the events of his life, nothing
extenuatng. Many tear did he shed dur
ing the narration, and with convulsive
grasp of my hand, he exclaimed as he finish
cd" That first glass toi,ich drunk on that i'll
fnted night at the Military School IN -.
changed oil my earthly destinies!".
Il Ruthven had become an altered man. lie
had long since dashed the cup that had well
nigh effected his eternal ruin; and by deep
and true repentance he had returned to God,
with the language of the returning prodigal
upon his lips. | subsequently learned that his
time was spent in imparting instruction to the
dark minds around him, and OH the holy Sab
bath he might be found fervently reading the
excellent liturgy Of our church to little
hock and expounding the Scriptures OF Di-
I t~I l.
him to return to his native land but he had
! forsworn it forever! The wound inflicted by
| his parents letter, was an incurable gangrene
him.
Too true, indeed, was the assertion ofRuth-
ven. That FIRST GLASS changed his dcsti-
nies. He who might have shone with lustre,
in the circle of science, and cngraven his
name high upon the temple of true honor,was
by that first glass, plunged into the rayless
abyss Of crime and wretchedness, and uti-
mately driven from the abodes of civilization,
to home in desert wild, where he must a. /
wait the destiny Of mortals, and close che
quered life
= BY strangers honored, and by strangers mourncd"
Alas! how many have found their ruin in
their first glass! The destinies of millions
nave Deen changed ny one gtdSS OF lntoXica-
ting liquor their fairest prospects cut Off
their beauteous promise-buds blighted-and
all life's hopes withered at once. When !
look upon the bloated drunkard, the dilapida-
ted house, the sorrowing, stricken wife, the
ragged children, the teeming graveyard, !
lnwardly curse the first glass. 1t is the dead
Ily Upas-tree and he that comes within reach
of its influence, may ever write misery and
death upon his future pathway! We'll might
the wise man say, look not upon the wine
when it is red )" and another exclaim-" .
thou invisible spirit of wine, if we had no 9TH
er name by which to call thee, we would
name thce-DEvIL!"