The Columbian fountain., 1846-04-01
For the Columbian Fountain.
THE LAST VISIT.

bAoI Floll.
One bright beautiful day, in the summer of 1927,
set out with relative on visit | was to see my
cousins and spend week in the quiet and to me
doubly interesting village of --, for it was the
place of my nativity, and remember yet many little
of my childhood. My father taught the vii
iage school, and we'll remember the small frame
house, with the fruit trees in the garden, where
have SO often played in the happy days of childhood
The thought then, ofthis visit filled my young heart
with joy for was then full ofyouth and hope, and
my spirits free as air. Our walk was long and tire
some, and right glad was / to find it ended; and
then my cousins welcomed me with SO mach love
and Kindness that my joy snemed full but alas for
all real pleasure. Fatgued and thirsty, asked for
cup of water, that purest and best af all drinks
but they gave toddy, and said that water
not good after SO long walk. | had then
heard of the total abstinence principle, but this
disguised me. l never could see why people prefer
red toddy TO water Who has not felt how refresh
ing after long walk rambIe through the woods
summers day, how delicious to dip up the pure
water from the spring it gushes forth as free as
when Moses smote the rock for the children of Is
rael! how it strengthens us; but no, must drink
toddy, and when gave to my Aunt fifty cents
which my kind mother gave to me when left home
(for we all poor) my Aunt gave it to her son,
telling him to buy whiskey, Ithoughtmy visit would
be any thing but pleasant and soon wished myself
home again. l saw to my modification and sorrow
that most Of what earned by hard labor was
spent for spirits to drink, that there was no peace
but quarreng; all the result of the poisonous cup
for when persons form appetite for the adessroy.
ing draught, they bid adieu to peace and happiness
and often to health and prosperity for the drunkad
will never prosper. He abuses his health and de-
stroys his soul, "for no drunkard shall enter the
kingdom of heaven, 2and yet there many, very
many, who daily drink the poison as if there no
fear Of their ever becoming drunkards; SO perhaps
might this family have thought years ago; they only
drank little, and they thought there was no harm
in glass of toddy Poor unfortunate people! there
was poverty and disgrace hidden in the glass that in
toxcates and pleases the appetite, but destroys the
senses and ruins whole families. So it proved with
my poor unfortunate uncle. Would that the tempe
might have been redeemed and made happy by
pledgiag themselves to drink more spurious IL
quors My uncle is reduced to the lowest depths Of
poverty. / saw him some three years ago pass by
nv window, and if I mistake not, he was soliciting
charity, and my aunt called to see me five or six
wears since, and the fumes of the disgusting poison
told too plain that she too was still victim of in
temperance. Their eldest daughter, brought up by
such PARENTS inherited their shame and poverty. But
she has long since gone "where the wicked cease
from trouble and the weary are rest"
Their son has grown up drunken sot, or in the
words of my informant, "a hard case" without learn
ing and without trade, and their other chd-may
that at least be saved from destruction and intempe-
rance. Thus it is with the victim Of intemperance,
the father drinks the poison and the son becomes
drunkard. That son, and the father too, might, but
for intemperance been an industrious and respectable
member Of society 1t is sad truth, that not one of
nv relations has signed the saving pledge theI
cousin is the only TEMPERANCE MAN.