The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-10-29

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his 10, was squandered. "Aud for
years." said my informant, " he has
been drunk every day"
But how" / asked, 6" did he get
the money opay for his liquor y
lie has been employed" he replie',
bv Mr.. Ito shoot squirrels in
the woods, and to catch waler-rals in
the marshes and los the skins Of these
he he'd been paid in whiskcy. Nobody
would see him starve and he usually
slept in garret over the grogqcry
Yesterday he was taken sick, very sick,
in the grocery; Mr., li--,inslead of
giving him bed, turned him out of the
house lie was then in a dying stale ;
and, at short distance from the house,
fell in the street. He was taken into a
negro hat, aud laid on the floor. where
he died in less than an hour. The ne-
groes were very ignorant aud superst-
tious, aud were afraid to have the corpse
in their house. 1t was carried to barn.
This poor but pious family, hearing the
circumstances, took the corpse to their
house, aud have made these preparations
for It's burial"
read portion of the Scriptures,
and for few moments dlscourscd to
them on the effects of sn--l dwelt on
the hardening aud fearful effects of in
temperance. But there was no feeling
prayed with them; but there was no
reverence, They all gazed with a va
cant stare, as if their minds had evapo~
rated, and as if the fiery liquid had
burned out their consciences. They
were obviously pas, feeling. The
ccllin was closed aud placed in the
hearse. We proceeded with slow aud
solemn pace to the house appointed for
all the living; aud n feeling Of shame
came over me as | passed along the
street, to be followed by half a dozen
pair of lnvcteraie topers The coffin
was placed upon the bier, and was car
ried by four drunkards, who were aclu-
ally rceling under their load, to a seclu-
ded spot in tie grave yard, where, with
out tear being shed, without a sigh
being uttered, il was covered up under
the cold cloGs Of the valley and the
two brothers went back to the house Of
death. (the grog>shop,) 10 drink and to
die a similar death, aud to 60 early
down to the same ignoble grave. The
others, after lingering for low mos
ments, as if arrested by the thought that
the grave would soon be their house,
followed. stood for short time over
the grave, after all had retired. ponder.
ing tine deepl y impressive scenes through
which had so rapidly passed, " And
is this" said to myself, the grave Of
the drunkardT Aud the prayer almost
unconsciously, rose from my heart TO
heaven, 90, God save my chlldren's
children to their latest generation from
making such a contribution as this to
the congregation of The dead !''
As retired from the graveyard, the
following lessons, suggested and illus.
trated by This narrative, were deeply inn
pressed on my mind:
|. How great is the responsibility of
parents With what moral certainty
they form the character of their chil>
dren after the model of their own
Careless aud irreligious themselves, their
children copy their example : but be-
cause destitute of their firmness OF char
acter. they yield 10 every temptation,
until they can commit sin with greedi-
ness. Were the parents Of this young
man, who was laid down in a drunk ard S
grave, on which no tear OF sorrow has
ever fallen, truly and consistently pious
how different might have been his life
and his death. How many parents lay
the foundation for the temporal and e.
iernal ruin Of their children.
.. How sad the effects which usually
follow the habitual violation of the Sab
bath All need the checks aud the res,
trants which the due observance of tht
Sabbath places upon our depravity
The habliual yiolaiers of the Sabbath
are usually those heardeued in the way
Of sin; aud to become the associate
Of such is to insure the end of the prov
erb, 1.-The companion of fools shall b.
destroyed" Had this young man beei
brought up to remember the Sabbnt
day." he might have been saved to III
Cause of virtue and usefulness, and lroT
an early, ignoble, and unknown grave
The due observance of the Sabbath
; alike necessary 10 the attainment {
temporal and spiritual good.
, 3. How selfish and hard the hearts c
those who live by rum 1t is has
business to sell it by small quanttie
for the sake Of making living. 1t
; in opposition TO divine, and usually
human law. Aud so plainly is it undc
I The ban Of the worlds reprobalion, thi