The Ohio organ, of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, [Ohio]) 1853-1854, 1853-02-11

child did not die in my own arms.
was summuued TOO late. T0nly ethe
sadPleasdrebf Of gazing upon Asf wasted
checks, white as marble, and Icy cold,
remained. to nae. me.',,-~....,,..-...~.-..,.~,--.
q The Old man could no longer sup
press his emotions. Tears gushed
overhis face, and he weptalouds Few
dry eyes were in that qssemblage.
rs Il any wdndef, resumed Stur-
CESS, after he had again recovered
the mastery Of his feelings, "that |
am a cold water fanadc?y MelhiAks,
if the young man to whom | have re-
ferred, had passed through sorrow
like this, he, too, would have been an
enthusiast "a fanatic, if he will, in the
cause Of temperance. He, too, would
have proclaimed from the streets and
house-lops, in highways and by-ways,
his mission Of reform and regenera.
tiou But let he say to him, and all
like him, that prevention Is better than
cure, that it Is easier to keep sober
than to get sober, easier TO give up
the daily glass at twenty-five or twen-
/ ty-6ve, than at thirty or forty. These
\ drinking habits gain strength more
\ rapidly than Others, from the fact that
4 they vitiate the whole system, and
H produce a diseased vital action.
"a cold water fanaticl perhaps l
am. But have ! not had cause? Ten
Il years ago, a youth Of the brightest
N promise stepped confidently upwards,
I and set his foot on the firm earth of
manhood. He had education, talents,
industry and good principles. But
\ he lacked one element Of safety-he
had not deeply fixed antagonism
towards all forms of intemperance;
indeed, like the young man to whom
| ! have before referred, he rather re-
garded the advocates Of temperance
as fanatics. And he was not so much
TO blame on this account, for his own
\ father in whom he confded, kept
\ liquors in his side-board, used them
himself, and set them out In mistaken
IIhospiaitY befoFe his. friends. Well,
hsS Eo9ngs .nan. eehAon well for a
time; but, sad to relate, a change was
apparent in a few years. His fire.
] quent visits to taverns brought him
into contact with dangerous compan-
ions. Drinking was followed by its
usual consequences, idleness; and the
two united in speedily working his
ruin.
"My friends"- "-tho speaker was
again visibly excited-"one night, two
years ago, | was returning home from
a visit to a neighbor. It was dark,
| for heavy clouds obscured the sky,
and there were all the indications of
a rapidly approaching storm. Pres
emily lightning began to CLEAN out,
and thunder to roll in the distance. I
was, perhaps, a quarter Of a mile from
home, when the rain came down in a
fierce gust of wind. The darkness
was now so intense, that | Icould not
see five PAGES ahead; but, aided by
the lightning, obtained shelter be-
! meath large tree. had been there
only a few moments, when a human
groan came upon my ears, chilled the
blood back to my heart. The next
flash enabled me to see, for an instant,
the PROSTATE form of man He lay
close to my feet. Twas, for the time,
paralyzed. At length, as flash after
flash rendered the figure momently
4 visiyle, groan after groan awoke hu-
n an feelings, | spoke aloud. But the
only answer was that continued moan;
as one in mortal agony. Idrew nearer,
and bent over the prostrate body.
Then, by the lightning's aid, / knew
it but too well. 1t was, alas! that Of
the unhappy man / have mentioned
MY OWN SON! ,a age. e..,. i8aI
81 took himin nv arms. I" continued