The Columbian fountain., 1845-11-11


ed his mother i'll the face, while an express
sion Of grief and modification passed over
his own. ~ as ~ a@
: II is true,o he at length said, in sub
dued tone, g that ] did drink to excess, last
evening. But donot be alarmed ON that ac-
count will be more guarded, in future.
Andlet me now assure you, most earnestly,
that am in no danger: that am not fond
Of wine. was led to drink too much, last
evening, from being in company where
wine was circulated as freely as water.
thought you looked troubled, this morning,
but did -notdrcam thatit was on my account.
Let me, then, urge you to Danish from your
mind all fears in regard to mesn
6 | cannot Danish such fears, my son, so
long as know that you have dangerous as
sociates. No one is led of, no one is cor
rupted suddenly .
But do not think thatI have dangerous
associates"
g ! am sure you have, Alfred. If they
had not been such, you would not have been
led astray, last night. Go not into the way
oftemptation. Shun the very beginnings Of
evil. Remember Pope's warning declara-
ton ;-- f 8s afia ..A
''Vice to be hated, needs but to be seen,' &c."
!" Indeed, indeed, Ma, you are far too Sc
rious about this matter" 2l
"No, my son, cannot be.n'
"Well, perhaps not But as know the
nature of my associations far better than you
possibly can, you must pardon me for think
ing that they involve no danger. have ar
rived to years of discretion, and certainly
think that am, or at least ought TO be, able
to judge for myself"
There was that in the words and tone of
the young man, that made the mother feel
conscious that it would be no use for her to
urge the matter further, al that time. She
merely replied
"For your mothers cake, Alfred, guard
yourself more carefully, in future" F>
1t is wonderful, sometimes, how rapidly
downward course is run. The barrier, against
which the waters have been driven for years,
is rapidly washed away, so soon as even the
smallest breach is made. A breach had been
made in Mr.. G.ahaln's resolution to he only
asober drinker of intoxicating liquors, and
the consequence was, that he had less pow
er to resist the strong inclination to drink,
that had become almost like a second nature
to him. A few weeks only elapsed, before
he came home so drunk as to expose him.
self i'll the street, and before his children and
servants, in most disgusting and degrading
manner.
Terrible indeed was the shock to his chill
dren-especially to Mary, Ellen and Anna.
His sudden death could not have been more
fearful affliction. Then, they would have
sorrowed in filial respect and esteem, made
sacred by an event that would embalm the
memory Of their father in the permanent re-
gard of whole community; now, he stood
degraded in their eyes and they felt that he
was degraded in The eyes Of all. In his pre-
sence they experienced restraint and they
looked for his coming with shrinking fear.
1t was, indeed, an awful af1iction-such as
few can realiza in Imagination; and espe-
cially for them, as they occupied conspicu-
Gus position in society, and were conscious
that all eyes were upon them, and that all
tongues would be busy with the story of their
fathers degradation.
1t is wonderful, we have said, how rapidly
downward course is sometimes run. In the
case of Mr.. Graham, many circumstances
combined to hasten his ruin. II was nearly
year after he had given away to the regular
indulgence of drink, SO far as to be kept al
most constantly in a state of half-intoxica
ton through the business hours of almost
every day, that he received news Of the loss
of a vessel richly laden with teas from China
AT the proper time he presented the requisite
documents to his underwriters, and claimed
the loss, amounting, on ship and cargo to one
hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars.
On account Of alleged improper conduct on
the part of the captain, united with informality
in the papers, the underwriters refused to pay
the loss A suit at law was the consequence,
in which the underwriters were sustained.
An appeal was made, but the same result fol-
lowed-thus sweeping away lat single blow,
property to the amount of over one hundred
thousand dollars. During the progress of
the trial, Mr. Graham was much excited, and
drank more freely than ever When the re-
suit was finally ascertained, he sank down
into kind Of mororse inactivity for some
months, neglecting his large and important
business, and ndulging, during the time, more
deeply than ever in his favorie polations.
II was in vain that his distressed family en-
deavored to rouse him into activity. All
their efforts were met by an iritability anda