Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1848-11-14
4 TERRIBLE LESSON.
r.om ths Nsm 1lann.lire n,sIeg.aph.


One evening soma weeks since there came into
our office, aman OF some thirty five years OF age,
in a stale ofalmOsth helpless Drunkenness. Seal
ing Himself upon a stool, he threw back his cap.
which in theefftt fe;t upon the apor, aud 'strik,
ing an atlLtnle,' as we s;uY of The players, some
lines, DC. asked il we had ever seen lin before.
After anssSttnination, we t"'d him that we did
not remember ever having that honor. lie then
said the last time we met, was at Baltimore. al
the Great Wing Convention in 1871. We re-
membered him atsonee aslleNsass then editing a
leadlngsN Nhig paper in This State with marked
saccess.and was hi HONOR d dsleaaleto hat con:
senfia1. tllouaii 1tea had seen st#ange pfsrisitinies,
inshis day. and had been IniIsh addicted TO M
tsFnpetanges
He now steod & fcn US IN astaten flaaiIso
drunkenness, and asked tie privilege III sieeplha
upon ouz office flaor. We Told him that We could
notdo that-tnut in spite ofhiS condition, we could
not be content to give u fellow craftsman, whom
we had know in better days, so poor accontnoda.
lions as that. but he utterly rptnsrdtu accept anv
thing else. He was too drunk. he said. for any
thing else. We finally spread down a large lot
OF orr old exchanges, and fixed hin up as com
Portable a. we coIlL. and LETT lin FOR the night
In The morning we Eound him sober and rational.
and we embraced the opportunity to talk 10
hin of bis habits, though We had small hope
Of good from it, Notwithstanding his most solemn
promises. He wanted TO borrow live dollars
We had 10 money TO lend 10 such as he, but we
gave him freely a small sum Of tnoney-mOTc
than was for his good, we spprehended-and he
lett us with the mVVt heartfelt thanks for our kind
| deeds, and kind words. We Heard no more from
him until last week, when We came across an
item stating that a maa named Thompson was
fround druM ned in Lawrence. Though we had
no knowledge OF his whereabouts, we thought in
stantlv that il was lie. The truth realized our
amiicipattons. 1t was Henry G. Thompson, a
man connected with some OF the best families in
this Siiate-Uf decided talent and genius. who
hut for The terrible habit OF incompetence might
have filled a prominent place in society.
The lesson should not be lost. TO our readers
he waS unknown, but there is hardly one Of them
who does not know of parallel cases, less distin-
gmiSllcd, perhaps, and not so shockinG!y fatal
We can name them Ivy scores, mcn possessing
every natural qualification to adorn society, but
who instead OF ornaments have become its pests.
That man who goes Keeling home L" his family,
night after night, was once ills Ornamen and it's
pride. The appetite for strong drink was in.
dulged in. aud now. instead of the intelligent
and gcnilemanly citizen, lie is al tines little better
than a dwelling IDIOT; these things come from
very small beginnings. The young men who
Indulge in even an occasional glass of wine. on
a festive occasion, may escape this end, possibly
they think they shall escape it-so did poor
Thompson-so did every man, who now fills a
drunkard's grave, or is reeliug towards it Bat
they should know that there is no safety but i'll
abstinence. Tie appetite grows with what II
feeds on" and there is not one Of them who may
not come to as sad an end as his who has called
forth this article. Let the young men of this
community think ~oftl!ese things, and he warned!