New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-05-14
THE EFFECTS OF 1NTEMPERANcE.

THE EFFECTS OF INTENPERANCE.
Mr.. - and his young wife took up their |
abode in apartments near my first residence. l
owed my acquaintance to an introduction of lec- |
lures, in which l was associated for the benefit |
of one of our dispensaries. Anatomy and the |
physiology of the viscera were my subjects, and
1 observed from his excessive paleness, that he |
was afflicted with some internal congestion, or
that his circulation at any rate was not of a
high order. A great degree of curiosity on the
subject of enlargement of the liver from the ex-
cessive use of brandy, with desire to know the
earliest indications rendering abstinence indis-
psnsable to preserve life, gave me a hint of the
reason of his Gstlessness, and the causeof his
inattention to business He was lawyer, and
had few years before been actively occupied in
the lower courts going home one night at a late
hour from one of my midnight enterprises,
where the good rule of 4" cash on delivery - meets
no favor with our poor patients, notwithstand-
ing the abundance of the commodity delivered,
observed him staggering before me in such
manner that feared my aid would be necessa-
ry. He was excessively proud and tenacious of
his character, and | therefore avoided his OBJ
servation, 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, small and barely decent resi-
dence, to which his habits had reduced him, and
the rent for. which, as | subsequently, learned,
his delicate Wlle palu ny painting luapS anu
prints for the booksellers.
My first impulse was to leave him as soon as
should hear the approach of the servant in an
swer to my summons. l did not anticipate 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
summons She was in her day dress, and had
oxaI she fold M fnr spyero1
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 dimmed the lustrc of
that eye that once looked so kindly on her, and
naught remained for both but the quiet grave.
We none of us imagined how near it was. Never
shall | forget the look of heart broken anguish
with which her gaze met mine, as the flame of
the hall light fell upon u.s. Those tears are inn
printed on my very soul nor do l think any
| man, with spark of humanity in him, would
not have answered them in kind. carried him
to his chamber, and after examining and dress
| ing the wound on his forehead received from his
fall, and knowing that my absence would be
most acceptable to the true wife, l took my de-
parture, begging her instantly to send freely in
the event of any trouble or new misfortune.
did not repeat my visit, we'll knowing what her
| sufierings must have been, and that she wished
to bear them unnoticed and alone.
Twas some days before again saw them
and fondly hoped, from a short appearance OF
renewed attention to business, and seeing his
wife occasionally walking arm-in-arm with
him, plainly but respectfully clad, that he had
turned over a new leaf in the blackened and de-
| faced volume of his life. But alas he soon re-
lapsed into lower state than ever; and often
staggered by my office, occasionally looking in
and utterng some maudlin nonsense. was
| poweIless he was like many others addicted to
| the loathsome vice, and had not mind enough to
| appeal to- He resented the least hint for re-
| form; and once gave me to understand would
do well to concentrate all my mental powers on
my business, assuring me (and God knows felt
| the truth of his remark) | would find no super
huous ability. The poor fellow never forgaee
me for carrying him up stairs, though his suf-
ferng wife avoided mentioning my name to him
unless in q medical light.
A few months after the incident which brought
me into this family, the cholera of 1857 came
on. Ii was soon apparent that the disease CON
fined its most fatal ravages to the wretched anc
debilitated. None will forget the sickening ant
heart -rending scenes of that awful visitation
The Angel of Death did, indeed, spread hi
wing on the blast ; but he did not always fal
away the demon of pain from the couch OF pov
erty, as | have often remarked True, tn
fight of the spirit was often fearfully speed
and painless in the wretehed and intemperat'
but the strong man struggled fearfully again'
the terrible and unknown enemy, and the nerve
of the dying frame were racked, and let Loo
the strong muscles, till they played terrible al
ties before the powerless physician. One ofte
thought of the LAGOON, but looked in vain fc
the Serpent.
One evening, at five o'clock, or thereaboats,
had thrown myself exhausted from my h9rs orr
into my office chair after visit to my niue ae'
mutes in the Asylum, and was indulging IN an m
favorite luxury, a cup of green tea wn,ea sln !,
preferred taking away from my ianny' haay, was
lis profession could take time to make hin