Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-09-27
THE ROAD TO RUIN.

children. Filming him IN the ncio III "ofh,
fo, Inc was a farmer. walked out INTO the
corn field, and en;ered into conversation
with him. In the course OF conversation,
he remarked, Z" Why, yes Sir. | have every
ching pleasant around me here. have
good wife healthy and interesting children t;
n very fnc farm, and | do not owe dol,r
in the world, but" he continued, and his
lips trembied, md he stuck his hoe spasn'o'
ideally INTO the earth,"l am tse0m'ns
drunsard."
Said he, as we continued the conversa.
tiou, 4. have gradually and necessarily ac-
CURED so strong an appetite ior aFue"' sP's"S'
tuat when temptation comes as IL does every
time that 60 10 market, am utterly uns-
bIe 10 withstand" Said he, i see perfec-
Nv to what this habit is leading me, aud !
nm as wfetchcd as man can be shall
i probably come home staggering drunkard,
and break the heart. and perhaps personally
abuse my poor wile--besgar my children,
become disgrace to myself and all my
friends, TIL we finally all become the nlser.
ab!e inmates Of the poor house. | toresee
1t al, sad he, and yet whenever | 60 to
The. Store and see others drink, and am lnvl.
ted and urged by them to partake, have
no power 10 resist" and he covered his
face with his hands and wep, like sobbing
child. ....e
= | endeavared 10 lead him TO look to God
for strength and to make it his daily pray.
er, at the family altar, and in secret, thai
God would aid him to overcome temptation.
Some" said he, "go TO The house and pray
Tor me-" We went to the house. He cal.
led his wife and E;,lc ones, and The mo'her
oG his wife, who lived with them, aud was
3,iepenient On them, together, and we knee
led around The kcl,eu hearth in prayer for
tina, mental strength SO fear(ully NEEDED.
A month or two passed away, | occas.
ionaIly hearing that he was continuing the
downard path, I'LL was unexpectedly cal
led to his house to attend the funeral OF his
wife, who died of a sudden fever, probably
aggravated BY The apprehension otthe woes
before them. As observed in his flushed
couuienance the evidences Of cnire self
abandonment an despair, could no, re-.
frain from feeling that 1t would have been a
mercy # his children had also been ly,nS
in the coffin with ti,cir mo'hcr.
A day or two after the funeral, visited
him, and we couvorscd freely upon what he
called his appro .ching and inevitable ruin.
Aud as spoke of his mothcrless, babes,
and the new Responsibilities, now dcvoving
upon him, he sald, Sometimes am able
fora week, or a fortnight, TO abs'rain al:o.
g.,her. do not allow myself 10 keep a
drop in my house. But am compelled oc.
casiona.ly 10 60 10 market, aud there the
very brealhiof those | meet, fans into a
very sight maddens me the peruassion OF
those who are drinking finishes the ternp'a-
ton, and am gone"
A few months passed away, and | was
suddealy sent for, one bright summers al
tcrnoon 10 visit him, for he was sick. rode
out 20 his farm, for he lived two or three
miles from my house, found him in all lhe
horrors of the delrium tremeus. Did you
ever see person in the de'rium .remens !?
ifpot, God gran, that you never may.
= A few more months passed away, and |
learned that he had abandoned his quiet
farm, and entered into the trade in horses,
and that under the influence Of ardent spir
its, he was making very foolish bargains,
and was fas, loosing all his property.
A few mouths since, as | accidentally
took up newspaper, saw the record OF his
death, d, The age, believe, Of lhr'y- two.
And here we sec the legitimate effects OF
filing our village stores andour country bar
rooms will. rum. How many are there at
this moment, xho are going to ruin as mi
serabry, and rs surely. as did this unhappy
man. o, how far aud wide are the rum.
selling shops and ,averns spreading this woe
and death. And when the legislature de.
cides that this ruin must be arrested that
this fend like traffic shall no longer be al.
lowed, lnen, profrssln, to be respectable and
phiIanthrophic. rise,up among US aud say
that the cause OF temperance and human
happiness demands that the tavern and the
gros-shop must be we'll replenishcd with
rum, and they will ronsack the allays OF the
city, and the hedges Of the country, to oh.
tain a force with which indignantly to re.
peal iha, law Of prohibition, which the sac
in its parental solic,ude and compassion
has so n,erc,fuiiy enacted. o where has
n,ercyfied, that men can now, with all the
tight Of the present day, vote 10 perPe;uate
the retail sale of rum.
Southern Christian Advocate.