Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-10-23

| entered the parlor and desired him to fol-
low me. He entered with a cheerfulness
which gIaddenel me, and closing the door.
seated himself beside me upon the sofa.
took his hand gently between mine. and look
ing him up in the face, with as much tender
ness as | could assume, | began to speak of
our first acquaintInce-of our early love-
Of our marriage, and the bright prospects
which were then opened before us. spoke
of our present standing and influence ia So
ciety-of the high Respect with which we
were treated by all and then I brought the
question home to his heart, whether he was
not fearful that all these fine prospects might
he ruined. it he continued to indulge his ap-
petite for ardent spirits. lie listened to Inc
atteniively, and smilingly answered, when |
had finished, "thata glass Of wine or brandy
could do him no hurt. He wa, not afraid of
becoming a slave to the habit; he could break
off when it hurt him, for he understood his
own interest too well ever TO become a to-
per-
This was eighteen years ago. No Tenn
perance Societies had then been formed /; and
public opinion was not so much enlightened
as il is now. | knew it WIS fashion ihle t.
keep all kinds Of ardent spirits ia the house
tn treat every caller; and our standing in
SbCtttN was SuCl l!ltl ONI 0DlNP WIS DllPn
lhronged with v sitors. | knew we should
be drrided if we blnished liquors from the
house; aud yet. So thoroughly WIS con
vinced that my husband WIS a ruined man,
unless i, was done, that | determined to make
the attempt. | proposed it to him he look
ed at me with surprise. mo! No!' he
exclaimed, that shall never be; our less
wealthy neighbors aft ,rd it. and so must we;
I r1pp,t aud Nill npf pnnsApt Il, tbat n,o
glass of wine cannot do any one any pnssi-
bic hurt. | shall drink one whenever | want
to-"
81 agree with you, my dear husband, that
one glass of wine can do 10 hurt. 1t is not
of ONE glass | complain. / have noticed. of
late. TINT you drink many in the course of a
day. The habit has grown upon you with
fearful r%apidity, and | frhr-a tear started
] do fear the consequences"
"Poh! Pnh! nonsense" he replied, good
naturally, it is all Imagination"
"ImaIin1tinn or mt, my dear husband. it
has affected me as much as though it was a
painful reality. 1t was but yesterday, | saw
our two eldest boys around the Switchboard.
looking wislfully at the wine; and, will you
believe il, our little Will CT hold of some.
and had TO 20 to bed before four o'clock, 50
tipsy he could not stand"
"The sidP-bOard must then be locked"
coldly reioincd my husband sit " i'll not do
to be so questionable as 10 turn our liqnnr
out of doors. Our parson keeps it-and so
do our deacons-anl 50 do our professors of
religion; and surely If such men as these
think there is no harm in it, we may safely
allow it to remlin."
What could | say? Alas! it was too true
that our parson kept it; and often have L,
when | visited his house, accepted a glass of
wine or some other stimulating drinks. Our
parson also, used to drink it before his break
fast, and before he went into his pulpit on
the Sabbath. One of our delconS also kept
it for sale; and several members of the church
had their drunk trd manuficiori IS in fail ope-
rltion. Alas. | did not then dare question
the piety of these men; aud after my hush md
had quoted such hlgh authority, | felt con-
strdIneI 10 be silent.
a few more weeks rolled away, before my
husband again ,taypd out after hiS'uSuaI hour.
When he calne home this time. he WIS con-
siderably intoxicated. He pushed me rough-
" aside, us he entered the house. unmindiul
of my fast falling tears. My nights and days
bee IN now embittered with cprtiin fearful
looking for sorro'. My cheek beclme pale.
and mine eyes ed with weeping.
For about five wears after this. mv huSblnl
frequently cIme home lntlxlclrpd. IL vain
| reasoned aud demonstrated. te,tel him
with all the tenderness of which was capa.
bie-did all that | could to anticipate his
wants and made his lireside cheerful and
agreeable, yet, for it all, | was frequently re-
paid with harsh and brutal abuSrs. When
sober, kindly alfecliunate, and he would
make every promise in the world t. amend.
lie seemed deeply conscious of The injury he
had done me. Sill the enemy was allowed
a fortress on our sIdr-bOlrd and sill my hus.
band thought there could be no harm IN oc.
ctsionaIly dallying with him. Alas! the
holt was fXed-lepply, incurably fixed
de had become a slIve to his passion. lie
could no longer resist the tempt ton. The
nel was thrown-the victim had been CAUGHT,
and all The prayers, and agonizing s|upp!ira
tons of a wife; and all the tears If five
shamed and wretched children, could not sci
the captive free.
Two more years passed AVA, of deep an,
indeScrlbable wrrtchedness. Every thin.
went wrong. My children, who at Grstwer
shocked at their fathers disgrace, now, il
turn. began to rldicule him. His bushes
WAS neglected, and the first intination that
received of the bad state of his Affairs wa
an execution levied by one of our rum-spl
ling professors upon his store. immedi
ateiy gave 4 mortgage on my house to re
lease my husbands effects in trade. II
promised amendment-l believed him, an
placed in his hands all the property whic
my deceased father had settled upon me-
This however. wac soon sacrificed, like In
rest and sixteen years after my marriage,
found myself "A wretched outcaSt upon IN
world, with No place that | could call IN
own, In which to lay my head.
Well do ] remember IA bitter cold morning
In January. 1922, my husband had been at
sent all night, and | was seated before
I cheerful fire, in our large southeast parlo
? was thinking over the days that were pas
4 and my Imagination was busy amidst the in,
! Gus scenes of my youth. had forroIte
= that my eye had lost its lustre, that my che,
? was colorIess, aud that | had evpprienced' 5
7 many years of sorrow. | was thinking :
= my father ana mllher, now dead and zone
and how trnderly they loved mc-nf II