Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1850-11-29
From he Richmond Era.

ANoTHER DRoP OF BITTERNESS FROM
TILE WoRM OF THE STILL would not
ruthlessly invade the sanctuary of domestic
grief under any circumstances. This l hold
under ordinary circumstances, alike sacred
with the memory of the dead And hope
if those, upon whom the affecting dispense
ton of Providence, of which am about to
speak, has fallen SO heavily, should ever
look upon the record of this sad event, that
they will not regard it as wanton allusion
to this sad bereavement but as warning
against the evil consequences of the abomi-
nable vice which has produced the death of a
young man in the bloom of health and
promise.
On the day, 1849, there was insti-
tuted in the county Of, a Division of
the Sons of Temperance. A short time
thereafter, there was a young man, who was
solicited and became exceedingly anxious to
join, whereupOn he made application to his
father for money to pay his initiation fee /;
and was sternly refused.
The Division was in very fourishing
condition, and every induccment offered to
this young man to join and he became so
exceedingly anxious, that he was prompted
again to apply to his stoical father for per-
mission to join the Division, and was met
by this encouraging declaration. No,
you shall never join the Order while exer-
else legitimate control over you. I mean
to buy barrel of whiskey, and we'll drink
when we think proper; and before long
some of these Sons of temperance will be
hankering around my cellar like sheep after
salt. This promise was complied with
The prediction however has not yet been
verified. Before the barrel of whiskey was
out, the abundant crop Of fruit with which
Heaven has scourged the abusers of his mer-
cies was ready for distillation About the
1st of September the Devils tea kettle COM
menced boiling, and the nectar of woe to
run from the worm of the still but few
weeks afterwards, this young man, who in
all human probability had not, up to the
time of his application to his father for per-
mission to join the Sons of Temperance,
drank pint of distilled spirits in his life,
was confined to bed of afflictien, by the
use of New Brandy. In vain was all the
medical skill of the country exhausted upon
him. Five days after his attack, l followed
him to his last resting place. Who, in the
day of final retribution, will be responsible
for the premature death of this young man
Oh what horrors will tear the soul of his un
natural father, as vending his way to the
Bar of God he meets his murdered son, who
will write, in blazing letters upon the fore
head of his father, the word murderer, thai
he may 90 labelled with his crime Truly
F this nectar of woe-the Devils peculiarly
fostered and fayorite agent, provides deatf
. with rich banquet, and its author witt
numberless victims. The most remarkable
+ feature displayed in this work of the Devil
is that while his agents are almost constant
ly clad in mourning, and their sun of peace
i happiness, and love, is constantly shut ou
from their view by the dark cloud of smoke
from the distillery, they are kept profoundly
ignorant Of the desolation and woe will
which they overwhelm themselves and thei
fellow-men. You who are nursing an ap
petite for this horrid juice in your children
beware, lest you find them in the arms o
premature death, and the sight write upol
your soul, with the sting of scorpion, tn,
conscious conviction that thou art the man
, who perpetrated the hor1id deed. Beware
No 293.
j Charlottesville, Oct. 25, 1850.