Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-10-26


which was petri6ed into senseless stone.
Woodstock slept and no bugle blast stirred
the vale to arouse the sleeping dead to life.
In 1s- the first spirit of the reform was
aroused in our midst. 1t was new thing
and many wondered at its purposes A few
said it was cause next to religion, and
Others cursed it and those who upheld it /
One day, shall never forget it, the news |
swept through Woodstock that Temperance
Meeting was to be held at the old church at I
the end of the lane. The village was in
buzz Of excitement all day, relative to the
new meeting at night. Little else was spo-
ken of. The stranger who was to lecture
there had not arrived, and none knew where
he was to come from; like stray waf the
news came that stranger would visit Wood
stock and speak on the evils Of the fire-wNsA.
Many looked suspicious at the new move
ment. Some said it was secret design to
blend together the elements Of Church and
State, and to sap the foundations of the Re
public The Demon of Woodstock was on
the alert A mob was freely spoken Of I
feared for the new conner. As night drew
on the excitement increased. Around and
in Jonas Ragan's Saloon fearful crowd was
gathered. Loud curses flowed in the midst.
The fire water ran in hot currents through
every artery and aroused the heartto cherish
the basest passions The Demon ruled.
My husband had been sooer for two days
and sat with my children, and his nerves
trembled. He seemed ready to sink for
want of his old stimulus. prayed in se-
cret that he might be confirmed, and be
wept, and often spoke of the precipice and
gulph-a chasm where night reigned that
his eyes and not ours could see. He said it
was there -palpable before him, and he said
those he saw falling left 10 traclk-Ha 3 siesH.4
no way of their eternal fall through the mid
night gloom. trembled and told Mary
that feared her poor father was going the
way of poor Jones' who died Of madness and
said he saw great cloud Of the lost hanging
over the other world.
Evening came, and the children said
they wanted to 90 to the new meeting
James told Mary, who was now fully grown,
that she might take the younger ones and
go. And Mary asked her father if he
r would not 90 too, and take mother and hear
+: what the stranger might have to say about
the fire water After few moments re-
r Fiction, with his face buried in his hands,
James said he would go. We presented a
i strange appearance as we wended our way
e towards the church. James went before
n and he led US around by the grove and the
d double well, for he said he did not wish to
g 60 by Jonas Ragan's. We drew near the
old church at the end Of the lane, and a
great and noisy Crowd uoav 5ovi1~-sS Tl.e.ra
s A curse against the stranger went up like
It storm from the rum reeking lungs of Jo-
! mas Ragan's men. My husband bowed
II his head and went into the church unrecog-
e nized. Every seat was crowded, and away
n in one corner the Drunkard's family found
le room on a broken bench. No one seemed
"a to know Of the expected stranger and g
Sc buzz Of whispered conjectures was on every
rs hand
n. There was sudden stir about the doo
le the crowded aisles gave way and younE
OF man made his way towards, and entered th'
he vacant pulpit Every eye was fixed upoE
ny him. He was a pale, attenuated man
'r- not much above nineteen, one would guess
ut. and long worn brown overcoat buttone'
ne closely up to his chin concealed the textur
%. of his dress coat.
he He took his seat in the pulpit and 70
- few moments his eyes wandered over tn
ild almost breathless assembly. He arose
'as bent over the book stand and asked IF 'ther
dy was clergyman there who would invok
he Gods blessing on the meeting No on
he replied. The gray haired minister, wh
he had so long administered the Gospels pr
ps. cepts to those who sometimes met ther
ON sat in silence near the aisle The strange
IN cast one mournful look at the old ma
lie whom he seemed to know professed to be
oh minister of Gods Word, and then with h
led hands clasped in reverence, he raised h
aim eyes to heaven in an unwhispered silen
and asked the Eternal of Hosts to be b
70 God.
,ide The strangers face was pale, and
laid his brow lines of sorrow were plainly vi
ble-the deep traces of premature age al
the trouble. His cheeks were pallid, SON
he what depressed and the working musc
hen were plainly visible His mouth was t
IS IN most expressive feature Of his face, a
zone even in the midst Of the solamnity I'll
'lde' seemed to surround him, there seemed
natural and benevolent smile lurking abe
and it. His eyes were indescribable- deep a
oald lustrous they cleaned over that crowd
dom assembly as if measuring the thoughts Il
igal, held it spell bound. His forehead '
J, he nearly covered with profusion Of d;
s. hair, yet one temple, pure and white, '
ward left bare, indicating an intellect of no Oh
In nary capacity. He gazed upon the sea
suf upturned faces for several minutes
entail thin lips parted and he spoke.
'It would be an easy task to give
wick matter of the strangers address, but to G
anG an idea of the manner is an impossible
grew As he advanced the mob in the chu
mess yard became quiet and gathered about
If the door and around the windows to catch
it up words of burning eloquence as they
ague from his lips. Never before had [ S
there Intemperance as it was. The lightnin,
Ielers his words seemed to strip i of I'll its d
. No sive colors, and present it in all its st
trem- ling deformity and hideousnoss. He d
magi pictures of such terrific power, yet SO
laved of sublimity and truth that human he
in a shuddered at the searching details. II
W its never seen large audieEoe so compile
dark spellbound as was that in the old churc
stars the end of the lane. My own face was