Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1842-06-22
IsCsELLANsY.
Give me back my Husband.
Z BY ELIHUBuRRiTT.

anuciPaiouS OF prosperity ana happiness.
They had begun to realize more than thew
had seen in the visions of hope, when, ia
an evil hour the husband was tempted !. To |
look upon the wine when il was red" and
lotaste Of il when il gave its color in the
cup" The charmer fastened around its
victim all the serpentspells of its sorcery.
and he fell and, at every step of his rapid
degradation. from the man 10 the brute
and downward. heart-string broke in The
bosom Of his companion. hA
Finally, with the last spark of hope
Pickering on the altar of her heart, she
threaded her way into one of those sham
.bles wheresman is made such thing as
the beast Of the field would below al
She pressed her way through the bac-
chanalian crowd who were revealing there
III their own ruin. With her bosom full
Of that perilous stuff that preys upon The
heart she stood before the pandercr Of
other husbands destiny. and exclaim in
tones of startling anguish, 8 GiDs me hack
my husband"
There's your husband" said the man.
as he pointed toward the proslrate wretch.
That my husbandi What have Won
done 10 him! That my husband! What
have you done to that noble form, that
once, like giant oak, held its protecting
shade over the fragile vine that chung 10
il for support and shelter That my hus-
band 49,
With what torpedo chill. have YOU
touched the sinews Of that manly arm 3
That my husband! What have you done
10 that noble brow. which he once wore
high among his fellows, as if it bore the
superscripGon ofihe God head? That ma
husband! What have you done to that
eye with which he was wont TO "look
erect on heaven" and see in bis mirror the
image OF his God2 What Egyptian drug
have ron poured into his veins and turn.
edlhe ambling fountain Of his heart into
black bitter, and burning pitch? Give
me back my husband T. Undo your bas-
lsk spells. and give me back the man
that stood with me at the altar %
The ears of the rum seller, ever since
Ibe6rst demUohn ofthat burning liquid was
opened upon our shores, have been saluted
at every stage of bis traffic, with just such
appeals as this. Such wives, such wild
cws, and such mothers, such fathers and
hlherless. as never mourned ia Israel al
the massacre of Bethlehem. or at the
burning of the Temple, have cried in his
ears. morning, night, and evening. {" Gice
ne back mg hastdnd! Gire me back my
son! Gire me bdek my brother r. :
But has the rum seller been counfouu-
ded or speechless at these appeals2 No.
not be. He could show his credentials
al a moments notice with proud defiance.
He always carried in his pocket written
absolution for all he had done, and could
do, in his work of destruction. He had
bought a letter of indut gence. mean a
license l--n precious instrument, signed
and sealed by an authority stronger and
more respectable than the POpe's. He
confoundedl Why, the whole artillery
Of evil power was ready to open in his de-
fence and support. Thus shielded by the
egis OF the law. be had nothing 10 fear
from the enemies of his traffic He had
the image and superscription Of Cesar, on
his credentials. and unto Cesai he appeal
ed and unto Cesar. too, his victims ap
pealed. and appealed in vain.
Washingtonians! need | say you are
The last court Of these appeals? that the
forlorn hope fthe cause is now centered
upon your exertions? How the stronges
statutes Of human Legislation have sunl
into ridiculous impotence when opposes
,othe progress ofthis mighty ruinl How
have you found them mere characters
written ia the sand. compared with thu
Sublime and eternal principles Of that Law
which you have illustrated and enforced