Holly Springs gazette., 1842-11-11

L referred 10 another place There | read
".Who hath woe2 Who hath sorrow
Who hath wounds2 Who hath babbling
Who hath redness of eyes? They that tar
~ long at the wine. AT last Il bilesh like Il
serpent. il slingeth like IN adder
Il feli like throwing the book from me-
But once mere | turned the leaves. and my
eyes rested upon these words.
Woe unto hnn who giveth his neie hbcr
drink; that putiest The bottle 10 him and MA
kest him drunken
Il closed the book suddenly, and then
threy It down. Then for hall an hour l
paced the room backwards and forwards in
a state OF mind never before experienced.
had become painfully conscious Of the dire
fal evils resulting from intemperance. and
still more painlfully conscious that had
been a willing instrument in the spread Of
these evils. cannot tell how much | suf-
cred duiing that day and night, nor describe
the fearful conflict that took place in nv
mind, between the selfish love ofthe gains Of
my calling, and the plain dictates of truth
and humanity 1t was about o'clock,
think. on that evening, that / opened the
drunkaids Bible again, with kind ofdes-
pairing hope that might find something 10
direct me. | opened a. the Psalms and read
two or three chapters As | read on, with
out finding anything that seemed 10 apply
directly to my case, | felt an increasing de-
sire to abandon my calling because il was
Injurious to my fellow men AGer I had
read the Bible. retired to my BID but could
not sleep. am sure that during that night
| thought of every drunken man 10 whom |
had sold liquor, and all their beggard faml-
lies In the brief sleep that | obtained,
dreamed that saw long lot of lostering
drunkards, with their wives and children in
rags. And loud voice said, who hats
done this2'
The answer, IN still louder voice d.
rec;ed felt, 10 me. Sinote epon me like
peal of thunder
"Thoa art the mant'
From this troubled Slumber | awoke to
sleep no more that night. In the morning
the last and most powerful conflict came.
The question to be decided was
"'Shall | open my tavern, or al once aban-
don the dreadful traffic in liquid poison2'
Happily | decided never TO put to any
mans lips the cup of confusion. My next
step was 70 taEn the snigol of exeLH . keG f
every OaTftl OF spirits, wine, beer or cider,
and let the contents escape on the floor.
Nv bottles and decanters were likewise emp
tied. Then | came and signed your total
abstinence pledge. and what is better, never
rested until had persuaded the man whose
Bible had been Of so much use TO me TO sign
the pledge likewise. %And now Mr.. Presi-
dent, am keeping al my old stand Tenn
perance Grocery, and am making restitution
as fast as possible. There are at least half
dozen families that my tavern helped TO
make poor and wrotched, TO whom furnish
n srna II otIan.iiv of groceries every week in
many cases equal to the amount that used 10
be spent at my bar for liquor -Four of my
oldest and best customers have already sign
ed the pledge By my persuasion, and | am
not going 10 rest until every man that he'll
ped to ruin is restored to himself his family
and society"
A round Of hearty applause followed his
address, and then another of the reformed
drinkers took the floor.