Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-10-11
NOW TO REFORM pRuNKARps.

forward
HOW TO REFORM DRUNKARDs.
AS the Secretary of the American Tem.
perance Society was passing in the public
, stage from Baltimore to Washington, a gen.
teel looking man accosted him. saying,
How does the Temperance cause prosper
now 2 1T goes WE'LL said the Secretary,
: they do the needfui work; it Will not 60
without labor 1T is making great pro-
cress,' said he. in our part of the country.
It is most surprising what it is doing. It's
saving many even Of drunkards. There
has been case ola man in my employment,
,ha, has interested me very much. He was
mechanic of the first order, married into
a respectable family, and was once man
of property. But he lost it, and became a
druakard. He had a large family of sons
and daughters. The mother struggled long
and hard to support them, and sustain the
family but it was too much; she sunk un-
der it. For more than year she had been
confined to her room, the greater part OF
the time to her bed, and she was evidently
sinking to the grave. Not untrequently
they were entirely destitute Of provisions
wha, was earned both by the father and
sons was expended for liquor, till they sunk
so low that nobody could trust them; and
the boys seemed to be stupid. anc in mea.
sure 10 have lost their minds by dissipation.
They were often Idle, and when they work.
ed. thew would undertake Job as quick for
shilling as they would for dollar. They
seemed hardly to know the difference; and
when they GOT it. they would spend oo''ar 90
for liquor as quick as shilling. They
sometimes worked in factory. but they
were so stupid that they could not be trus-
ted to mend band, or oil gudseon, or
to do any such thing. You could put no
confidence in them and the molher being
sick, and no one TO see 10 anything they,
were most wre,cfed, and seemed 10 have
no resolution, energy, Or desire TO do any
thing, excep, just 20 get the means OF 'ntox''
cation. | met the doctor one day, as ne
left the house, and asked him what was tie
matter with the woman he answered, moth
ing she has no disease upon her; It Is
trouble, nothing but trouble, and their desll-
tu,e, wre,chcd condition and that will sink
her to the grave, if she cannot be relieved.
So though, of it, and resolvedthat ! would
make one more effort 10 save them. ]
knew that there was not man IN The coun.
try who could 10 better in my business than
he, would he but keep sober and not drink
anything. One day, when he was sober,
went to him: you know, said |. that yon are
exceedingly wretched, and so is Your whole
family. Your wife is sick and will undoub.
tcdIy die, without speedy relief: The great
cause of her illness strouble. and your con.
di,ion never can bo better until you relin.
quish the use of spirits. lfyou will do that,
| will take you into my employ. III give
you SO much, and pay you every week !;
and in such time will raise yosr wages.
You may yet be a respectable man, supper.
your family, and be comfortable. But It
is all on the condition that YOU do not drink
intoxica,ing liquor and if you do, ! will
have nothing more to do with you. You
know that have no such thing in my es-
tablishment.-Th man thought ofmy offer,
and seemed to be affected. treated him
very kindly, and he finally accepted it, and
came 10 the resolution 10 drink no more
from thut day. The ensuing day he went
to work, and he conducted himself with
much propric,y for about a month. Ills
boys likewise began to show more interest
in their own welfare, and treated him with
more respect, and one another with greater
kindness. Blu, at the close Of about
month he came to me and SAID he could no!
ge, along /; his creditors were calling upon
him daily, and he could not pay his debts
and support bis family. HIS endeayors
were fruilless, and he might as well give up
first as last. His credilors, you see. to
whom he was indebted for liquor, and
whom he before had been unable to pay.
now that he was earning something, were
constantly calling on him for money. /
told him TO keep TO work, he was dong
well, and promised to raise his wages. Whe.
never creditors call on you again, said |,
send them to me, will deal with them. lie
again went 10 work. They soon began 10
have .s,ings more comfortable in their fam.
lily The mother began to recover, and the
boys improved wonderfully. They began
to feel that they had some character. end
being better fed and better clo'hed, and trea.
led with respect and kindness, it had won.
der'ul effect upon Them. The family were
soon all clothed SO as to attend pubic wor.
ship, the children were fitted out to the Sab.
bath schools, and the younger sons and
daughters sent to schoo dunDg the week.
went to the house last autumn. and found
it we'll stored with provisions; they had a
large pile of wood, enough to last them
through winter {; the mother was about the
house, and comfortable; you cannot con.