The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1845-02-27

proach. But the fires of conscience were
not entirely quenched; for, oIlen in his
sober moments, he would listen to his
wife, as she rehearsed the story of Beth
ehem's babe, and on her knees entrea,ed
hun TO return to his Fathers house. His
feelings as he seriousI y thought of his
condition. as he looked upon his wife, his
babe, what they once were, how happy
how confding in him; how wre'ched he
had made them, all rushed upon his mind
with four-fold weight. He formed the
maddening resolution to leave them, to
soolhe, if possible, by absence, the up
braidirgs of u guilt.slrcken conscience
He fled his home, and left his wife and
child unprotected, except by their own in
dustry, thrown upon the cold charities OF
The world. But she met the worlds dark
frowu with fortilude. "She had faith and
struggled on' For seventeen years he
wandered in parts unknown to his friends,
working occasionally by the day and at
night would resort to the GROCERY to
sip Of the liquid fire, until maddened by its
influence, he would blaspheme his
God and 10 his lodgings reel intoxicated.
At last scene transpired in the neigh
borhood where he lived. that for short
time, had a serious bearing upon his
mind 1t was the murder of family by
the hand of husband and father, while
in state of intoxication. This for a mos
ment aroused the finer feelings of his ma
,ure, and caused him to reflect on by>
gore days, on other scenes, the aftiuent
circumstances in which he was once
placed the thought of home once so hap
py- his wife and chld-old friends-the
graves of his parents-and a lhous-
and incidents connected with his early
history, awakened emotions, deep and
powerful in his breast. Twas too much
for his shattered intellect 10 endure.'-
Reason left her throne. He became a
raving maniac and wandered he knew
not whittier, 'unknowing and unknown.'
And Oh the horrors of guilty con-
science, who can describe? Inlemperance
drives out every good thought, and leaves
the soul void Of God, a barren wilderness,
bowling waste, full Of evil, of terror and
dsmay He oflen.imes iancied himself
upon Hell's perilous brink, and shadows
of the damned, in horrid apparilion, pass.
ed before his vision. He thought he saw
the glare Of hollow eyes, peerng from the
skirts OF internal night! He saw the souls
of the wicked, who like himself had be-
trayed Calvary's suffering Son, hearsed
by devils through the regions of black
despair-heard the weltering OF the waves
OF wrath, and The burnings of the fumes
Of the pit. And, as if 10 fill his cup Of
misery to overfowing; he thought he saw
before him, the worm that never dies.
holding colIoquy with eternal death, thus
giving The wretch an unwelcome forease
of the wrath TO come But there is
brighter side to this picture. Just seven
teen years from the time that he so un~
gratefully left his home, he was walking
the village he had left, unconscious that
it was the same until he came directly in
font of what was once his dwelling, when
he suddenly paused, and gazed around in
utter bewilderment. La a moment the
truth flashed upon his mind, thatl was
the home of his early youth. Reason
again belook herseIflo her lbrcne. But he
was so changed none knew him, and he
was looked upon as an outcast and beg
gar, until he made himself known, and
enquired for his wife and child. They
were soon made acquainted with the fact
Of his return, and FASTENED 10 embrace
and welcome 10 their home which by
Industry they had made comfortable, the
returning prodigaI. They met and em~
braced -father, wife, and son, and the
scene that followed, language is too mad
equaIe 10 describe. Tears gushed forth
in copious illusions, and the words father,
son, wife, husband, were only ar,iculale
amid sobs and tears. After the excitement
had passed of, be was presented with the
Washingloninn Pledge be took il. sinned