Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1837-07-05
:;oesch Ola Sal!or at u Temperance NEE

Spctch 0j a Saf'or az 1tmpe'""'' "'e I
iag.
.sPleasc Your honet.' said the o!d ho7t-
s.w,in. I've come down here by the cap
AIMS o~,les and ftherc's any thing slowed
away in my Old, weather. beaten sea-chesi OF
a head. that may be of any use to brother
s,i,or, or landsman ci,her, they're heartily
welcome. lit will Go any good in such
cause rs this, that you've all come here to
Talk ahon'. YOU may all 60 down below, and
overhaul he lockers Of an old mans heart.
f,,owed the sea for fifty years. | had
'oood & kind parents-God bless 'em boh.
They brought me up to read the Bible, and
keep the Sabbath. My father drank spirit
snarnglv. Ny mother never drank any.
Whenever asked for !aste, he was al
wavs wise enough 20 put me off" MIX
for babes. nv lad," he used to say :" chill
,iren must take care how they NEEDLE with
cdcc tools" When | was twelve. | went
70 sea. cabin boy Of The Tippoo Sab and
the captain promised my father TO let me
have no crog land he kept his word. AZ
.cr nv fathers deah began TO drink spirit :;
md coa,inucd 10 drink it till | was forty
TWO. Inevcr remember to have been 'Ipsy
in nv H!c bu; was greatly afflicted with
headache and rheumatism for scrcra! years.
20. married when | was twenty. three.
We had TWO boys one of !hcm IS living.
NV eldest boy went to sea with me, three
VOYAGES, and finer lad'--Iust then some
thing seemed 10 stick in the old boastwan,s
throat. but he was speedily relieved and pro-
ccedcd in his remarks. 81 used to think
E,.bcr was ovorstrict about spirit, and when
il WAS cold or vet, didn't see any harm in
giving Jack little, though he was only
fourteen. When ne got ashore, where he
could serve out his own allowance, soon
saw that re Doubled the quantity. | gave
him tax. He promised TO do better !;
bu; he didn't. Ieave him another but he
grew worse, anA finally in spite Of all his
poor mothers prayers. and my own, he be-
came drunkarl. II sunk my poor wie's
sp;ri,s entirely, and brought mine 10 the Wa.
,lr's edge. Jack became very bad, and |
Is, Ill control over him. One day, saw
a rang Of men and boys, poking fun at
moor f.Ilow who was rceng about in the
middle ofthe circle. and swearing terribly.
Nobody likes 10 sec his profession dshonor
cl. so thought I'd run down and take him
in tow. Your honor knows what sailors
heart is made of-what DO You think felt.
when I found il was my own son -
conli'nt resist the sense Of duty; and |
smoke to him pretty sharply. But his an.
swcr threw me all ahack, like q white squall
in the Levant. He hcared me through,
and, doubling his first in my face, he eI-
cIaimed.s YOU MADE NE A DSUNKARD ! 1t
cut the laniards Of my heart like a chain
sho' from an eighteen pounder; and | fel,
rs ifI should have gone by the board. >
As he uttered these words, the tears ran
down the channel of;hc Old nlal.'s cheeks
Ike ruin. Friend Simpson was deeply
affected. and Parson Sterling sat with his
handkerchief before his eyes. Indeed,
there was scarcely dry eye in the Assem-.
blv. After whipping his eyes on the sleeve
o!his pen Jacket, the old sailor proceeded.
g! tried, night and lay to think Of the
hes, plan TO keep my other son from follow.
;nr On to destruction, in the wake Of his el-
der brother. gave him daily lessons OF
temperance; held up before i'im the ex-
ample of his poor brother | cautioned him
no, to take spirit upon an empty stomach,
and kept my eye constantly upon nina.
Sill | daily took NJ? allowance; and the
siah, Of rhc dram bottle, the small ofthe L.
c;ior. and the example ofown father, were
able LAWYERS t'orher side saw the break
crs ahead and prayed TO God to pre-
serve no; only my child, but myself; foT
twas sometimes alarmed for my own safe.
". About this time wen, to meeting one
Sunday, and the minister read the account
of the overthrow Of Goliah. AS l return
cd home I'compared intempcrance, in my
own mind, to the giant Of Gath; and ask.
ell mysnlf Why there might not be found
some remedy for The evil as simple as the
means employed for his destruction. For
the first time, the thought Of total abstinence
occurred to my mind : TRo:1 THE BROOK,
AND THE SHEPHERDS SLING! | told my
wife what [ had been thinking Of. She
s,id she had no doubt, thar God had put the
tho. ,ht into nv mind. | called in Tom,
,,y younges, son, and told him had re-
s,iy. ID not to taste ano;her drop, blow high
or bow low. called .or all there was in
The hou:e, and threw it out Of the window.
7 nm promised to take no more. | never
b,I reason to doub', hat he has kept his
nronis,. lie is now first mate oi an lad'1.
NJ. van, honor. ha"n Sai 81