Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-11-02
TaAifa' Department.
The Effects Of Intemperance.


abode in apartments near my first residence.
/ owed my acquaintance to an introduction
Mt n course oflcctures, in which was a%ssoci-
atcd for the benefit Of one of our dispense
ries Anatomy, and the physiology of the
viscera were my subjects, and | observed
from his excessive p~aleness, that he was af-
aicted with some internal congestion, or
that his circulation at any rate, was not of
n high order. A great degree of curiosity
on the subject Of enlargement of the liver
from the excessive use of brandy, with a
desire to know the earliest indications rem
dering abstinence indispensable to preserve
life, gave me a hint Of the reason of his list
~lessness, and the cause Of his inattention
20 business. lie was a lawyer, and had a
few years before been actively occupied In
the lower courts; going home one night at
late hour from ono ofmy midnight enter
prises, where the good rule of cash on de-
livery meets no favor with our poor patients,
notwithstanding the abundance of the COM
modify delivered, / observed him stagger-
ing before me in such a manner that | fear
Cd my aid would be necessary. He was
excessively proud and tenacious of his cha
racter, and / therefore avoided his observa-
tion, walking slowly behind him until a
violent fall compelled me to interfere, and
raise him, being obliged, indeed, almost to
carry him to his house, a small and degraded
residence, TO which his habits had reduced
him, and the rent forwhich, as subsequent
w learned, his delicate wife paidby painting
maps and prints for the booksellers. My
first impulse was TO leave him as soon as L
should hear the approach of the servant in
answer to my summons. Ibid not antlci-
pate the possibility of the absence of the
single servant | knew they had some time
kept, but their poverty had obliged them
to discharge her, and the bell was almost
instantly answered by the gentle being who
knew, poor child, the nature of the sum
mons. She was in her day dress, and had
not removed it, she told me, for several
nights, having been obliged to watch the
return of him who should have been her
hope and her ark of refuge, and whose strong
arm should have interposed between her
and all harm. Alas drunkenness had dim
med the lustre Of that eye that once looked
40 kindly on her, and withercd the arm
that should have protected her, and nought
remained for both but the quiet grave
W. none of us imagined how near it was.
Never SHALL forget the look of heart-bro-
ken anguish with which her gaze met mine
rs the fame Of the hall light fell upon
us. Those tears are imprinted on my very
soul; nor do | think any man with a spark
ofhumanity in him would nothave answered
them in kindness. l carried him to hischam'
Der, and after examining and dressing the
wound on his forehead received from his
fall, and knowing that my absence woulc
be most acceptable to the true wife, l tool
my departure, begging her instantly to senC
freely in the event of any trouble or new
misfortune. did not repeat my visit, wei
knowing what her suifcrings must have beer
AMI that she wished to bear them
1t was some DAYS before Iagainsaw then
and | fondly hoped, from a short appearance
Of renewed attention to business and seeing
his wife occasionally walking armand arm
with hun, plainly but respectfully clad, tina
he had turned over a new leaf in the black
ened and defaced volume Of his life. Blu
alas hesoon relapsed into a lower state thar
ever, and often staggered by my office, occa
s%ionaliy, looking in, and uttering some maud
lin nonsense. vas poweAess; he was Xix
many others, addicted to the loathsome vic
and had not mind enough to appeal to. H
resented the least hint for reform and ono
gave me to understand | would do well t
concentrate all nay mental powers on my wv
business, assuring me land God knows l fe
the truth Of the remark) | wonld find no 81
percuous ability. The poor fellow never fol
gave me for carrying him mp stairs, thong
L.. s,H.r,pue .,Ic. a,,Il,l VnapfiOptup m,
name To him uuiea ~ n medioHl WIGHT.
A few months after the incident wbic
brought me into the family, the Cholera
- came on. 1t was soon apparent that III
disease confined its most fearful ravages
the wretched and debilitated. None wi
forget the sickening and heart.rending scene
Of that awfu! visitation. The Angel ofDeat
lid indeed, spread his wings on the blast
but he did not always tear the demon of pa
from the couch OF poverty, rs | have oftC
remarked. True, the fight ofthe spirit wi
often f%earfully speedy and painless in Il
wrctched and Incorporate. but the stror
man struggled f%earfully against the terrib
and unknown enemy, and the nerves of II
diving frame were wrecked, and let loose Il
strong muscles, till they played terrible a
ties UeiOre the powerless physician. Or
often thought Of the LAGOON, but looked
vain for the Serpent.
One evening, at Ave o'clock, orthereabo
| had thrown myself exhausted from n
horse into my Office chair, after a visit to n
little deaf mutes in the Asylum, and was
dulging in my favorite luxury, a cup ofgrc
tea, which | preferred taking away from I
family, for the simple reason, that no IN
whose heart was in his professor, could ia
time to make himself an acceptable guest
the tea table with such fearful music S
ringing in his ears; few of us indeed pi
needful attention to our personal comfort.
Whatever be our %quarrels, to our credit a
body be it said, we shrink not when
seals that close the pestilence are remov,
and the poor demand our aid. | was Ii
tily slipping my tea, when my poor you
friend, with his feeble body and sickly lau
thrust his head into the office door, and ca
lessly asked how the cholera came on, rema
ing, with the usual f%lippancy of the thong
less, he supposed that we were not patti
larly DESTROYS Of its disappearance
Poor man his remark grated upon
ears for | knew the condition Of his delic
wife, and that their chances would be at 2
from the drst IL they should be attacked
Something about his face, that every exE