The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-07-18
MiHrRllanRuua.
From the Spirit Of the Age.
HORACE WEST:
THR EFFECTS OF GONE AND THE FIRST GLASS;"
GcoNCLUDED1

w.
scription of the pleasant time which they spent !;
suffice it to say that, through the influence OF
the strong potations which he took, West It"
use his own words) "passed glorious tlme,
and repeatedly declared that he had never spent
50 pleasant an evening in his life, and that
Munson WAS the finest fellow he had ever met
WITH and when he left for home, which was
after night. the effects of the punch, toddy and
wine that he had drank were plainly visible in
the manner in which he walked the streets.
He reached his dwelling and entered by
means of his night key. All "ilh" was It'll
aud silent a, death he made H. WA! H. best
he could to his chamber, and t"u"i thai hi
wife was sitting up waiting his rrlur" home !;
she raised her head us he enterd tn rom and
he saw that she had been werpHg and whe"
she became fully aware OF the STATE Ia" was IL
she at once buried her-tace IN her lap and bu s.
into tears. He passed by her u'ter'i- so'"
drunken exclamation in regard t. her being NJ
80 late, and without undressing himself land
down upon the bed, and was soon snoring IN
drunken slumber.
When our hero awoke in the morning the
sun had been up some hour, AMI was shining
brightly in his chamber window. tie ar'sr
and dressed himself aud weut down /" his
breakfast. He found his wifi, in s:ssoreakiaSl
room at work and his food al TIE fire a" .iti"g
his coming, and wa> ashamed ot his Conduct
the previous night d fell that size knew all
about it. and he hung down his head unable t"
look he, in the face. She asked him kindly
l,ut in a t,em,.lous voice how he felt, and then
began to get hi, food on the table for him; he
replied that he tert very bad and that hi t'ad
ached as if it would split. H. then sat dowa
to the table and after he had taken cur OF
coffee and slice of toast he arose and SAIL
that he felt little better though not well
enough to 90 to work he then laid down upon
his bed where he remained the balance OF the
day.
He went to work on the next day, though
still suffering from the effects "t the supper at
Munson's. During the day Jones alluded to
the subject and asked him if he would not al,
low that he was mistaken in the opln'"''> he
had formed of his friend Munson previous T."
his visit at his house.
West replied that he would, for Mu"Son had
treated him like gentleman, and had Invited
him to visit his house; limiting, that if he want
ed anything in his line at any time to be mo-
backward in asking for it as his credit VIA,
good there for any ataount; an invitation which
Yves, was not long in accepting From that
time he was visitor at the house "t MunSon
as we'll as the Others in which the city of B.
abounded, spending his hard earned money
and leaving his family to suffer for the neces
saries of life His wife and child were neg
Iected for the company Of drankards and vaga.
bonds. and often was it the case for him to re
turn home Lite at night, and finding his wife
sitting up awaiting his return, scold her for so
doing. All this she bore patiently, never ceasIng
in her duty to him as wife. His child young
as she was, noticed the change in her father,
as he did not now take her in his arms, aud
caress and kiss her as he used to do, she there,
fore clung closer to her mothers bosom, and
found there that love which was denied her by
her father.
West also began to decrease in his attentions
to the interests Of his employers, and often
spent whole days at the taverns when ne should
have been at work; the consequence was, ne
was soon discharged and was unable to obtain
employment OIL account OF his intemperate
habits, which were plainly visb. on him. His
creditors, amongst them MunSon, with whom
his credit had been SO good, now became press
ing in their demands against him, and ne mt
being able to satisfy them. they >eiz d upon
what little he had, and sold it for their "w"
benefit. His wife and child were turned out of
home, and where so many happy hours had
been spent, and sought refi'g" with her father
West was aware of this, but did not seek them
there, as he had not the courage to show him
self to the parents of his wife after his treat
ment to her, and too much independence, as
he called it, wh.n sober enough to think right
ly~of the matter, to eat the bread which they
earned.
We will now bring our story to a period
about one year after the events just mentioned,
during which time West had been goI:'g "n as
he was when we left him, and even worse, re.
sorting to any and every means short OF steal.
ing to crafty his thirst for liquor. He would
put away wood and coal, run errsnds and DO
any thing BY which he could earn trItie OF
money to spend for drink Of liquor. His
wife had been staying with her parents during
the time, and it, together with the conduct of
her husband, had not failed to leave upon her
brow traces of care and trouble She had not
despaired of ever seeing her husband reformed,
but prayed frequently and earnestly to her
Heavenly Father that such might be the case.
Some of her friends had attempted to persuade
her to apply for divorce from him; but she
firmly refused to do so, saying that she would
trust to God, that her husband might see the