State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-02-23
Temperance Tale--by L. M. Sargent, Esq.l
SEED TIME AND HARVEST.

1t must be nearly midnight, thought /, as
l walked rapidly along. l had travelled
full fourteen miles. The RAIN ,descendcd
in torrents; and, finding ready admittance
at farmers barn, climbed upon n hay
NOW, and threw myself down, thoroughly
wet, weary, and sleepless. What an awful
visitor it is, thought |, Mt the poor cottager's
fireside! How forcibIe and true are the
words of Holy Writ! If wine be "a mock
err in the castles Of the rich, among the
habitations of the poor, Strong drink is
raging There was l, at the age of six
teen, turning my back upon my birthplace,
upon my homo, upon mother and sister,
whom l tenderly loved. As the recollec-
ton of all they had endured already, and
the anticipation of their future sufferings
rushed upon my mind, had almost resell
we'd to return: but, alas! what could | OPP
pose to the ungovernable fury of an unkind
husband and an apostate father! No,
thought l. will fly from that, which can
neither prevent nor endure. | will seek
my bread among strangers. BY the kind
providence of Him, who hath promised
to be the Father of the fatherless, and such,
in reality, am, | may win by honest in
dustry, the means OF bringing comfort to
her, who bore me, when my fathers intem-
pcrance and prodigality shall have made
havoc of all that remains; and when the
last acre of the homestead shall have pass
cd into the rum-seller's hands. Ny reso-
luton was fixed. Sleep was gathering
over my eyelids. lgot upon my knees to
commit myself to God in prayer. could
scarcely give form to my scattered
thoughts;-it seemed, under the condition
ofhigh excitement, in which then was, that
my father was before me, enraged at my
departure, and demanding who had taught
me to pray. 1t was he himself who first
set me upon my knees, and placed my in
FAINT hands together, and put right words
into my mouth, and babe me ask of God to
put right thoughts into my heart. How often
bad he led his little household in morning
and evening prayer! How often, as we
walked to Gods house, in company to-
gether had he led the way! How constant
ly, i'll our daily labors, had he conducted our
thoughts to serious contemplation, by some
sensible and devout illusions to those en-
Payments in which we were engaged -
Lost and gone, degraded and changed he
he was but he had been once kind IA
iher, tender husband, generous neigh
Dor, faithful friend, pious and a profess
ing Christian.
Rum and ruin. hand in hand had entered
our dwelling together. The peace OF our
frc-sidc was gone. The rum seller had laid
my poor misguided father, under the bonds
Of an unrelenting and fatal appetite; he had
won away ltho little childrens bread and
converted our once happy home into an
earthly hell, whose only portal oc exit was
the silent grave.
Ii was very evident to me, that wo were
going to destruction. My fathers interest in
the welfare of us all was at an end. Debts
were accommodating fast. His farm was
heavily mortgaged. His habits, long before,
had compelled the church to exclude him
from the communion; and the severest a.
buse was the certain consequence, wlenev-
er my poor old mother, went singly to the
table of her Lord. / could have borne my
fathers harsh treatment Of myselfand my
poor sister Rachel; but he returned home
Mt last, constantly intoxicated and when
opposed in any thing, proceeded to swear,
and rave, and break the furniture, and abuse
my old mother, who bore it with all the
patience of saint; made up my mind
that could stand it no longer.
wsited cautiously, for favorable OPP
portunty, and asked my fathers permission
to 60 to sea. He flew into n terrible rage
The next morning he seemed to be in a
better frame of mind, and as | was shopping
wood before the door, he asked me of his
own accord, what had induced me to wish
TO leave home, and go to sea. | hcsitated,
for some time; but, as he urged me to speak
out, and at the same time appeared to be
much calmer than usual, "Falher," said ],
"it kills me to see you and hear you talk and
net so badly to poor mother.' lie flew into
a greater rage than before, and babe me
never open my mouth upon the subject
again.
Thus matters continued TO progress from
badito worse. Love is said MOTTO stand still.
This saying is manifes,ly true in regard to
the love of strong drink.
Our domestic misery continued to in
crease, from week TO week. There were
intervals, in which my father was more like
himself more lie the good, kind parent and
husband, whose outgoings, in the morning,
had hecn source of atfeclionate regret,
and whose incomings, at night, had been
subject of Joy to the wife of his bosom and
children uf his loins. have seen the faint
smile of satisfaction brighten upon my poor
mothers pale features upon such occasions;
and | have marked the sigh half suppressed,
which told the secret of an agonized spirit;
and which seemed to say, How precious,
how brief is this interval ofjoy!
II was indeed like the parting sunbeam,
the last, lingering right of summer day,
which plays upon the cold grave, where the
treasure and the heart are destined to sum-
Der together.
In such an example of domestic wretch
edness as ours, the operation of cause and
effect WINS nprfactlV intplli0ihln RIM, ovci
tod into action al! that was contentious in
the nature ofmy parent A keen perception
of his own blameworhiness, notwithstand-
ing tho supplying tendency of the liquor
he had drunken, Increased the irritability of
Gis lennner A unrA lnnL o.. e.a-...-.. G..