Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1841-05-17

evening short. we would nave no SectarlanlSln,
no politics or arguments. Whoever ventured up
on either was made to take hs-seat; he must tell
his own experience, and not anothers TELL us
how often you have been drunk, and what rum
has done 10 you and your family aud how you
now feel, and what cold water is now doing for
YOU
Total abstinence is the bass-no prescription
of men, ONLY THE LIQUOR. Men who sell
rum may take pledge and join us; and we
would like we'll to have the man who sells 20 hogs.
heads n week come and attend our meetings, and
! it we did not give him enough am misakeu.-
tie KNOWS when the mechanic earns only twelve
dollars week and spends five Of il at his tavern
bar he knows that he has taken his money and
given no equivalent that ii is wrong to veud out
at article that will send millions to a drunkard's
grave. We cover all under rum and rum mtHS.-
You mny talk Of your gin and pine-it is no mat
ter what yon call tive know there is no differ
ence; you may well drink one another
Thirty years ago, we drank everywhere on all oc-
cnsions, aud the question we asked was, doea he
he keep good bottle" aud when we could not
I get good one, bad one would do
] was horn of respectable parents and was ed
ucated by minister, and then bound out to The
hating business in rs perfect grog-shop as ever
existed. few days before | lett Baltimore
found the old books of my master there was the
names of sixty men upon it, and could reco-
ect but one that did not go TO drunhard's grave.
Another halter says it was just on his books
AT one time there were twelve of us as apprent
ces /; eight Of The twelve have died drunkards,
one is now in the almshouse in Cincinnati, one in
the almshouse in Baltimore and here am l.
For awhile was prosperous, Notwithstanding
drank on; | did not expect the appetite to con
quer me. Well, when % years old, in 1918,
went to tile West. AS soon as away from paren-
tai care, gave way, all went by the board, and
my sufferngs commenced. For sx months had
no shoes, and only one shirt and one pair of pan
hon | n nj IN
returned, ragged and boated, TO my mothers
home. When got TO the edge of the town,
was ashamed even TO walk Oh the ground OF my
, nativity. In the dusk of evening crept along to
; my mothers, and was soon dressed up decenlly
My mother only said, John, am afraid you are
| bloatcd!' then drank nothing for awhile; but
it was SO had to do without that at length | took
glass Of ne, and all was over with ne again =
my appetite rushed OH like flood and carried all
before it. And for fifteen years, time after time,
! rose and fell; was up and down; would quitall,
/ and then take little glass. would earn Sl5 n
, week, be happy and well, and with my money in
I hand start for home, and in some unaccountable
way, imperceptibly and irresstibly fall into tav-
ern, and think one glass only would do me good.
But found single glass OF ale would conquer all
my resolutions. appeal to all my fellow drunk
ards if it is not exactly so-if the one glass oiany
intoxicating drink does not annihilae, by revival
OF the appetite, all resolutions to resist drinking
on. l am satisfied this appetite is rooted i'll me,
/ and never expect to get rid oft. tits like mer-.
4 curry in the thermometer-keep heat away from
G il and it will not rise, but apply the heat OF your
finger and it will rise at
June 18TH last, drank and suffered awiully -
can't tell you how much l suffered in mind in
body every thing, but in mind more. drank
dreaduy the TWO first weeks OF June-bought by
the gallon, and drank, and drank, and was about
~tng my ie--drunk all the time. On the I4h
= was wonder to myself astOnshed had any
mind left, and yet it seemed in the goodness Of
IT God uncommonly clear. | laid IN bed long after
my wife and daughter up, and my cor
science drove Inc 10 madness. l hated the dark
ness OF the night, and wien light came | hated
the light. ] hated myself-my existence. ask
ed myself, Can refrain !" is il possible" Not
a being TO take me by the hand, and lead or help
me along and say YOU CAM" ] was lriendess
without help, or light; an oulcast. My wife came
up stairs and knew was suffering, and asked me
TO go down to breakfast. had pint of whlskey
and thought would drink and yet knew il
was life or death with me as decided. Moder-
ate >hinkers beware Take care you don't &c
into this condition Well, | told my wife would
come down presently. Then my daughter cam,
up and asked me down. | always loved her,
More because she was The drnnke.d's :riciid-;a,
w only friend. And then she said, "Father don
send me after whskey to-day" was tormenle,
before, but this was an unexpected torture. TOLD
her 10 leave the chamber, and she went down cry
me. Wife came up again, and asked me to take
some coffee; | told her did not want anythin.
.! her, and covered myself in the bed. sooi
heard some enter the room, ana peeped on
and saw it was my daughter. ] then thought O
my past lie; my degradation; misery of m
friends; and felt bad enough. SO called he
and said, " Hannah, am not angry with you, AM
shall not drink any more" She cried, and S
did !. got up and went to the cupboard ant
looked at the enemy, my whisky bottle, am
: thought, L" Is it possible can be restored AM
then turned my back upon il. Several times Will
: dressing | looked at the bottle but thoughI
n should he lost il yielded. Poor drunkard Their
. is hope for you. You cannot be worse OFT than
u was not more degraded, more slave to aPpe
e. lite. You reform if you will Iryh-hy ii
w felt badly, tell you. There some here to
night, who know how felt know you feel bu
enough. ! have talked with some of you. Som
say we feel bad. Some, we feel better, aud som
- say we feel FIRST RATE. Well, Monday night
ce went to the Society OF Drunkards and there
IS found all my old bottle companions. did nc
- tell any body was going, not even my wife.
d. had got out of difficulty, but did not know hoy
of long would keep out The six FOUNDERS of III
er society were there. We ished together; &C
;e, drunk together. You could not break us up whe
ee drunk We stuck like brothers, and so we do nov
on we sober. One said here is iiaWkn the Greg
n uator," the old brtriSer and they clapped an
nr laughed, as you do now. But there was no laug
III or cap IN me. was TOO sober ana solemn 10
Or, that. The pledge was read tor my accommoda
- ton. They did not say so, and yet knew. The
le, all looked over my shoulder TO see me write m
10 name. never had such feelings before. 1t wa
a great battle. ] once fought the battle at Mort
he Point, and helped to run away TOO, but now ther
wv is no running away. | found the Society had
ed large pitcher of water drank toasts and told
We perences. There laid my plan; ! did not inten
M TO be drone. Alcohol promised me everything
! but found him great deceiver and now inca
lat TO do him all the harm can.
'er AT eleven O'Clock | went home because, whe
went home late, always went home drunk
in Wife Ind given me up again. and thought woul
g- come home drunk again, and she began to Thin
its about breaking ND and going home 10 mother's-
A ,I Z, 4