Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-09-29

etltaole COON thaI awaits the drunkaTQs lerrl-
bic end than he
! Let us pause moment in our nsrrative,
to reflect and ask what had brought him to
what he now was-a drunkard He was
once jewel of citizen and one oftle bright
est ornaments of the city where heliyed, but
he had now fallen from that hightstate and
the beasts of the hills might walk over him
and trample him in the dust. What wrought
this pitiful, lamentable change? A few years
ago, his kinsman placed in bis hands, as gifts
OF kindness and love, rich draughtS Of wine
anu bid him drink and be merry :. and he
obeyed, blessing at the same time the gene
rous donor. A ranking poison lurked be-
meath the sparkling Wayelets of the ruby wine,
and this too was eagerly swallowed 1t ran
sacked his -ssEStem ccErsed- tl.rSS9s oh exerv
blood-yessel diseased every physical fibre ;
set on fire every trembling nerve deluged
the brain with its lava and changed his men
| tai faculties-his soul-blotted, furnished its
once commendable purity and changed it to
a hldeous, deformed mass Of corruption !
| He was charmed with the Witchery of the
poison and he lay at Wingfeld's and poured
draughts of it down his throat to murder him
by piece-meal. For this privilege he dropped
dime after dime of his earnings into the draw
er of Allan's Bar. The old bar-keeper re-
/
! liquor out at Layton's commands, and Yhis-
tied carelessly and with satisfied look that
| he knew it would be So, proving the saving
that he knew more of the science Of drunkard
making than most men.
At Layton's home, there too was change.
/ proving the deplorable truth of his dissipation.
! True, there stood the mansion SO far as exte-
! rior appearances were concerned, as happy as
ever; but, cross its Threshold, enter the family
circle and there you would find the picture
of sorrow on every face. The husband and
father that once was as the sun to the house
hold, Shedding warmth and comfortable hanni-
ness on those who gathered around him, look
ing IN confidence to him as guide and protec-
tor, was now seen sitting apart from the dis
consolae wife and the children, who had learn
edto "fear and shun him. sitting in moody
and sullen silence, or slowly breaking the ten
der heart OF his wife with his harsh curses and
bitter mockngs. Time once was when Emma
! gladly met her husband at the door of their
comfortable sitting room with welcoming smiles
/ beamlng on her face, and led him to his pasy
rocking char near the warm CRATE, where he
tocnd the soft slippers waiting for him and the
gown and the warm cup of tea all waiting to
make him one Of the happiest of men; but
those scenes were strangers now; for how
could she smile and be happy when her bosom
tnend-her husband, cursed her for any and
every advance of love or kindness she might
presume to attempt Alas the haIcvon eve
nings-the bright days of the past were fled
and gone forever from the drunkard's home /!
there were the Children, bright and happy
once, but now hiding from the fiery eyes Of
their father when he came home mad with
Wino6elds poison. The children were un-
happy and felt glad when the father they
once loved was away; they were not sent to
school, as they once were, which they thought
very strange-the children we're unhappy be-
cause their father treated them so cruelty when
he came home drunk The voice Of song and
slee was no more heard in the house where
Emma spent her miserable days; for how could
she sing? The fountain Of song was scaled in
her bosom and no more did the glad lays OF
ioy warble in her home The few first years
of her married life were years of unsullied bliss
and she was happy; wealth with its purchased
treasures was showered around their hearth
stone and no want was left unsupphed. q
husband was all that she could wish; kind anC
affectionate to his family, attentive to his buSl
ness and industrious in laying up garnered rich
!, es for them in a future day. She was happy
! But, alas the destroyer came; the Raven G
f Drunkenness tapped its deadly wings abou
. the household and changed and withered wit
. its poisonous breath every flower Of JOY tha
i sparkled there She saw inevitable poverty
. destruction and death coming upon them wit
is fearful speed, ravenous to swallow them as
ol morsel She felt the pangs and the agony {
10 being drunkard's wifel She began to tet
the glowing flames Of hatred in her wretche
~ bosom against the man who had led her hui
IIos IF
7d this world the fires of hatred began to bun
~ AGAINST her brother, who she began TO fear ha
he ALWAYS been seeking the ruin OF Layton und'
nd the mask of hypocrisy! She was unhappy al
or she wept. She remembered the sayings
w. poor crazy Nelly, who was gone from her, co
M cerning earthly happiness, and she began to
lieve that it was as her unhappy friend b;
warned her," vain bubble, gilded butte
fly ofa moment, breath, perishing flowe
ak- an empty sound!"
The mercantile business in which Lavt
- was engaged was still carried on by Wal
arc under the same name of " Winefeld and L.
loo TOM but the entire duties of the business
ch- volved upon Walter; for Layton was entire
us- incapacitated for the active responsibility re
al inc on salesman The business still cont
ms ued to flourish under the careful auspices
no. Walter; Notwithstanding the report had
re. tanned currency that one Of the firm wa
ess common street sot, yet for all this the credit
/ of the house still continued unimpeached 3
His yearly declared large dividends of profits
oilv The profits were of little use to Layton;
nan as fast as they came into his hands they W
lem foolishly squandered, large portion of it
nan. ing into the drawer at Wingfeld's Tavern
his himself and for the numerous friends he
foul made in his visits to the den of infamy.
.me. ma visited her brother Allan, and implo
the him to not sell any more liquor to her husba
un- and 10 this Allan promised to speak to his
the keeper concerning it, and in short time d
man so in the following words
etch $50, Mr. Barkeeper, your words conc'
be- ing Layton becoming drunkard have Pre-
dis true g"
l!lk "Precisely, Mr.. Wingfeld,' said the
dan keeper; :" knew it would be so; have
nm the like before"
from Z" Pity for the poor devil" replied A
lnsei "his wife was to see me about it to day
plan begged me not to let him have any more Eq
'nlng but you see, Mr. Barkeeper, he has pl
the of money. and if do not let him have his
lunc- some one else will, so l might as we'll hav
death vo1, &c apv ona else II hpino all IN tbn "a