Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-01-12

For twenty years it has been my lot to
visit the wrecks of this destroying traffic
Not all die By a violent death. Often have
| been called to visit Others upon their death
beds-sometimes to hear their blasphemies, h.
and sometimes their cry of anguish; but new IL
er did | know one ray of comfort by such a le
bed of death. For twenty years have wit, d
messed the distress and shame, and often the !
bitter poverty of the wives and children of
the victims Of this traffic. Often have [ seen
them suffering under anguish which scarcely
the kindest comforts ofthe Gospel and the ut 9
most duty of submission to the will of God :
had power to assuage.-But never did meet
by snch a bedside, or as a comforter in the
midst ofsuch a family, one, who had, by the
traffic in strong drink, aided IN producing ]
the ruin. No one who t%raffics in the poison
ever attends the body of the drunkard TO the
grave. The end ofsuch a work of bis hands,
no man has the courage willingly to behold.
/ have seen the aged mother, and the
meek and afflicted wife, both suffering from
sickness, from whom the son and husband
had taken the supplies which the hand of
charity furnished, and carried them down to
the Bridge, and sold them for rum. [ have
seen a daughter, suffering and dying on a
couch Of straw, her bedstead standing on a
few loose boards. while the rest of the floor
and the ceiling haG been consumed for fuel
and all else was open from the cellar to the
roof. There she lay, in the cold Of winter,
in adying state. Her attending physician
hand carried a blanket and an oyercoat and
spread them on her shivering limbs and
these, the drunkard father and mother, had
taken to Norwalk Bridge and sold for rum.
| followed her to the grave /; and not long
after the father and mother both victims OF
strong drink.
A few years since, a young man sent
for me to visit him in the fall OF the
wear. He was in a consumption which,
he acknowledged, while his sobs choked his
utterarce, was brought upon him by exces-
sive drinking, and consequent exposure
Winter came on and the charities Of the
town consigned him to the care Of a mai
who had been thriving and comfortable bu'
who had undertaken to keep a grocery anC
to sell rum, aud had fallen a victim unde
its power. Character, comfort and proper
ty were at this time well nigh gone he drag
ged out a few years Of sorrow and povert
and then sunk into the grave. At the hous
of this person, som two miles north ofthi
place, | visited that sick, and broken heal
ted young man. In a cold, unfinished chan
Der, on a thin bed Of straw, whose GOVERN
he had vainly tried to exc out by THROWN
'un- over it his wearing apparel-there, withot
ms a fire, without an attendant, | found him 0
aust the coolest day of a severe winter. TAei
act: for the last time | pointed him to the Savio
per- and prayed with him and that night
lrtin died. You remember a man who used a
med most nightly to be reeling and yociferatin
III around the Bridge, for many years and f
IGei whom his meek and Suffering wife use
4 RS nightly to send down their little boy tv
made miles to follow his father, lest he should Fl
The down and perish on the way home. sa
resi- that man on a bed Of sickness to which j
&c. toxicating drinks had brought him al
n 1of then I earnestly but kindly warned him th
now he must reform or die for in all pr
liability he could never live through'anoth
such a scene. The poor man, when scarce
recovered sufficiently to totter down to t
Bridge, came down.-Those who traffic
strong drink saw his haggard looks a
tn, trembling hand. They knew his habit
they had known them for years. They II
klONn lllG ulolIGSS vi 1IS lAilIhy HI
knew his condition. But he had q Iii
more money and they filed for him or
more the Intoxicating cup. He went no
and died. After he was slain | attenc
his funeral, but no one Of them who
received the price of his blood was there.
The sun would 90 down ere could
you the history of half the cases like the
which I have been perpetualIy called
witness here in Norwalk during the
twenty years. Now another victim is &C
m, 1t is nearly twenty years since | first kl
the anguish of his father and mother
have gone down to their graves in sorr
His worthy and excellent wife endured
conduct till it was neither decent nor
to endure it any longer and then left h
His children have drank the cup Of sor
- ttFQemRr 1d4qqig 81 rl giffttryy eaaFFSr nase g66fadd 9A3S82
the grave leaving them without comfol
they think Of the past, and without hop
they think Of his eternal destiny. ST.
: drink was the cause of all. [ had the c
dence of that man, and often and earnt
night, entreated him to reform. Often has he
and promised reformation. But the cray
of a debased appetite were too strong
fell he fell lower and lower. Were t
who received his scanty earnings ignora
his i%nfrmity? Did they not know that
were ministering poison to a poor ma
Ii bereft Of selfcontrol? They knew it we
They saw him, of late, day after day,
Parks, come WIN druhNehhesS. bat ever III
vas an state, they sold him the poison, and co
ued to sell, till their work was done,
many their victim persisted. | know not who
deliver him the LAT noy,ion. dneiro NOT to /
Van Ea- T. ,no.tors Ettlo vbo soIl In, ,bo l.e+
hly de- nann NJ LooJs r. aU tLan, aLn bnvoL J.
his infrmity for months or years, rest
guilt of that mans blood. | cannot
FF{TF53 that they must answer for it at the b
God.
in Nor cImu 7rou uTen y Gro
D., at Of Columbian College, Washington, D. G..
has had considerable experience, wishes