The North-Carolina standard., 1843-05-31
Sign, Bill" said uncle simon; "sign, Bill,

was evidently IHlRR2ng ABOUT Sonetnlng, dnC
!, this required an effort suspect he was think.
ing of the lecture and his own lazness. Pres.
4 emily he spoke.
, II s'pose might sign it, and make speech
too,' he said: ''for though Pm little lazy now.
a-days, seeing there's nothing to do, used to be
t as smart as any fellow in Pepperelboro.''
$50 you was" said Simon ''now sign the
Thonpsonian Society, Bill, and make a Speech -
81 guess, on the whole, I had better wait, %
t said Bill; perhaps some other time will do as
WE'LL
But the stranger insisted, for full half an hour,
and strange to say, Bill finally signed the Pledge.
''And now make Speech was the cry from
every part of the house. But Bill Wouldn't
make speech that night, and the other topers
wouldn't sign the Pledge till speech had been
made.
"Pll come here next Tuesday night, and make
good long Speech said Bill, with more energy
than he had displayed for months before; "if un-
Gle Simon and the rest Of you will come and hear
me.''
"Agrced agreed !'' was heard from all parts
of the house. And then the audience dispersed.
! CHAPTER ".
IT'S strange what havoc intemperance will
make of intellect and ambition. When William
Smith was twenty-five years of age, he was con-
|
ble-heartcd of all the young men in his native
town. He was the pride of all the circle in
which he moved, and bid fair to shine a bright
ornament in the most respectable society. He
married him wife, and for time lived happily
But the seeds of intemperance had been planted
within him, and in ten years he had become
'ELaZy BILL
But Smith went home that night, after the tenn
perance meeting, and told his wife with some eff
fort, what he had done. Owe signed the total
abstinence pledge, by thunder, Kate hit or miss
and next Tuesday night I'm going to preach."-I
At first his wife would lot believe a word of it
but the next day, the indications of change for
the better were too strong to go unnoticed, and
she admitted that ''something must be in the
wind.'' The signing of the Pledge dated from
Wednesday, and on Friday, Bill did what he had
not done before for two years: he worked all |
day-mending his windows, put new shingles |
on his roof hauled firewood OF his land-sled.
&c, Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday, were SIM
llarly spent and when the temperance meeting
came on Tuesday evening, he brushed up his
old coat, took his wife by the arm, and trudged
silently to the old school-house
The audience had got there before him. for
every one was anxious to hear what Lazy Bill
could say on the subject of temperance. Old
Simon had seated himself close to the desk, that
ne might have the better opportunity to play off
his pranks' and exercise his powers of ridicule.
But when Smith entered-looking so changed
so noble-so digni6ed, comparably the old man
crept away, abashed, and apparently astonished.
'Can this be Lazy Bill!'' he mentally asked ,
and the more he asked the question, the more
he was puzzled to answer Pretty soon Smith
Zen years ago was respectable, industrious
and happy. L came into this neighborhood,
bought me few acres of land, built me small ,
house, got married, and went to work We us
ed to have social parties i'll those times and Sa-
'ah there, (pointing to his wife) and used to G
attend them. Sarah learned to knit edging and
ell stories, and learned to drink wine Very p
oon began to find myself occasionally ilapa- a
lent for the time of the next party to arrive and
when it came. was equally impatient to see the d
vine go round. Finally drank to excess-even L
Intoxication-at one of these parties; and c
rom that time, though for while heartily ashanl- i
ID OF my conduct, had less of selErespect, and
nore OF the appetite for liquor. began to visit
ne tavern, and the little rum shop down there a
the other village, and with others of like in q
llnations and appetites, l spent my time in /,
2unging about these groggeries-sitting. now in
ne sun, now in the shade but never engaged in
ny more active business than whiting a pine n
tick or tipping decanter of New England rum. r
lost, by degrees, all my ambition became law W
nd lndolent, and you called me Lazy Bill At b
rst my wife fretted and scolded at my changed b,
onduct; but this only made it worse. Then 10
he cried and entreated, but this had the same tb
fect, produced trouble and drank more rum So
} 'drown' it. Drunkards are sure to find trou- ar
e enough when rum has become its only anti he
ote- drank,-lost the little property 1 had Sc
cunulated-broke the heart of my wife, and fri
7came finally, needless of every thing. So I or
red along, till last Wednesday nj ght You tn
low what we heard then, and need not saw tb
at was convinced rum made me Lazy Bill sb
ID caused all my trouble. signed the Pledge, an
ID till now 1 have kept it inviolate; and God he
lPing me, I'll never drink another drop of IL tai
or as long as live. Already begin to feel tb,
e fires of ambition again in my breast, and to 20
aglne myself a man. My wife there, is happi- str
and looks healthier; and my little boy smiles 10,
eetly when l take him in my arms. In short, pr,
am new man, with new feelings and new
pes, and now I am going to lead a new life be,
5ain, if possible my character and my proper tin
and be happy. And 1 want my old compan- inc
IS to 60 with me. Some of you promised to ind