Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-11-17

watches, the Jewels and pearls, and all the val
uables, that God intended for the honest,
reputable, happy enjoyment of good for his
dependent creatures! And / saw the De-
MON Of Perversion, with sardonic grin, gnash
his teeth upon the jewellers, and raise his
clenched fists on high, not deigning or daring,
at least, to look up
looked sadly toward my trusty Angel, and
at once she hurried me from this scere of
most acise, but most GacfuL instruction, and when
we were again in Gods soft and beautiful
moonlight, she said, in a tone of the sweetest
tenderness: Beloved of God, and my below
ed, | have taught thee the key to unlock all the
mysterious and complicated arcana Of human
misery! IT'S not defect so much as Perver-
sion, that makes this world a wild wilder
ness of woe! Acts of perversiOn-sins of
Perversioni Habits of Perversion You have
seen how the great adversary of God hates
man, and the very word " conUert,'' the first
link in mans returning to God, and happiness
and heaven, to himself and to society, is the
hated and dreaded word in hell! just as in
heaven, there is joy in the presence of God a
mong US, his angels, " OUer one sinner that re-
penteth!" But | must finish my lesson ; and in
an instant lifting me up by the hand, we we're
ascending, till we attained the height of at
least 100 feet above the highest mansions in
the city, and they were all unroQfed before US!
he flashed down the day light of Heaven Oh
dwelling after dwelling. to Impress on my eye
her matchless lessons of hidden wisdom.
] saw a lawyer of fine promise, throwing
his books ont of his windows, and breaking up
his furniture, and beating his lovely children.
who embraced his knees, while his o1ce bloom
ing and peerless wife sat pale, and
broken-hearted, afraid to utter a word, as
if stunned by the change of her once idolized
husband, to a feHd! But | saw the foul
fend, before he entered his heart, that same
night, at the saloon bar-room, and gaming Ia
bic. saw, in an adjoining building, ii venera,
bic old man, dying, broken hearted, by the
profligaey OF two fashionable, fine looking
young sons of his, and of the foul fend q
Perversion! | saw them there, at the saloon
| saw, IN another section, a young bride flying
down stairs, and timidEy rushing through tht
streets, to seek some friendly protector to take
her to her fathers home, even before the hon
ey moon was ended! And | saw tke man ane
the tiend. both at the saloon! | saw caus
and effect, both! | saw q poverty stricken
mother, sitting watching over a dying daugh
Ter, just verglng on WOmanhood, who had civ
E en- up her diamond and jewels to pay her doc
tors bills, so as to get more medicine Ant
| saw the man :! her father, the Jewels, tn
foul tiend, and the hard hearted physician, al
OF them, at the bar room and gaming tables o
the saloon, that same night | saw a beauti
! tui young female kneeling by her couch, an,
!" watching unto prayer" over a cherub-lik
infant, for whom, and for her straying husband
she was pleading with God. And | saw tina
: husband fall upon his knee, in tears Of pen
: t@eEce, and vow TO heaven and her, his entir
conversion! And | saw that deru of the S.
loon that entered into him, cut ont, and fallin
down headlong into the flames of hell! Thou
sands OF such scenes Of horror | saw, an
: only one conversion during that long. porter
: tous night | asked my Angel the reaso
J evil was so powerful, in pervertingy eth
! Church, the Legislature, she slowly spa Ike, til
> courts of Justice, the higher circles Of societ
even the females of education will oppo:
/, conversion till he come, who will come, an
not tarry p She placed her hand on my lip
7 and descended with me, to the street do
step OF my home, and | was alone with Go
and my wife ana children. w. A.. S.