Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1842-10-26

feelings then had, wished to avoid, and so
referred TO another place. There read---
"Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who
hath wounds? Who hath babbIing? Who hath
redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the
wine At last it biieth like serpent, it sting
eth like an adder
81 felt like throwing the book from me. But
once more turned the leaves, and my eyes
rested upon these words:
"'Woe unto him who giVeth his neighbor
drink; that pultest the bottle to him and makesi
him drunken
81 closed the book suddenly, and then threw
it down. Then for half an hour paced the
room backwards and forwards in a state of mind
such as never before experienced. | had be-
come painfully conscious of the direful evils
resulting from intemperance, and still more
painfully conscious, that | had been willing
instrument in the spread of these evils car
not tell how much | suffered during that day
and night, nor describe the fearful conflict that
took place in my mind, between the selfish love
Of the gains of my calling, and the plain dictates
of truth and humanity. Il was about o'clock,
think, on that evening, that | opened the
drnkards Bible again, with kind of despair
ing hope that might find something TO direct
me. | opened at the Psalms and read two or
three chapters As read on, wihou, finding
anything that seemed TO apply directly to my
case, felt an increasing desire to abandon my
calling, because ii was injurious 10 my fellow
men. After had read the Bible, retired to
my bed but could not sleep. am sure. that
during that night | thought of every drunken
man to whom had sold liquor, and to all.their
beggared families. In The brief sleep that OBJ
tanned, | dreamed that | saw long procession
of ,olterlng drunkards, with their wives and
children in rags. And a loud voice said "who
hath done this?'
"The answer, in still louder voice, direct
ed, felt, TO me, smoe upon my ear like peal
Of thunder--
"THoU ART THE MAN"
'sFrom this troubled slumber awoke to sleep
no more that night. In the morning the last
and most powerful conflict came. The ques-
ton to be decided, was
"Shall | open my tavern, or at once abandon
the dreadful traffic in liquid poison?"
"Happily decided never 10 put TO any mans
lips the cup of confusion. My next step was
10 turn the spigo of every keg, of every barrel
Of spirits, wine, beer or cider, and let the con-
tents escape on the floor. My bottles and de-
caniers were likewise emptied Then came
and signed your total abstinence pledge, and
what is better, never rested until had persua-
ded The man whose Bible had been of so much
use to me to sign the pledge likewise. And
now, Mr.. President, am keeping, at my o!d
stand, Temperance Grocery, and am making
restitution as fast as possible. There are at
least half dozen families that my tavern help
ed TO make poor and wretched, to whom / fur
nish a small quantity Of groceries every week,
in many cases equal TO the amount that used to
be spent al my bar for liquor. -Four of my old
est and best customers have already signed the
pledge by my persuaton, and am not going to
rest until every man that have helped 10 ruin,
is restored 10 himself, his family and society"
A round Of hearty applause followed his ad-
dress, and then another Of the reformed drink
ers took the floor.