The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1854-07-27


eern was felt lest the childish heart of Iii
tie Harry should be turned back again t
the vanities of the world Harry wa
good-humored and playful, and, witha
unsuspccting and needless. He was nc
dull nor slow to Judge of tho opinion
which some entertained Of his religion
Pretensions, At length the precaution
and reserve which, however well meant
were doubtless premature and improrer
seemed to him to indicate want of con
hdenco in his religious character, an,
seemed to chill the ardor of his feelings
Finally he lost his confidence, and begal
to mingle with frivolou; and irreligiou
company.
Time wrought various changes in The
Raymond family death seized some o
thc most lovely of the circle, and other.
were settled in life and located at differ
ent points. Harry was now the oldest
son who remained; and he, in the natura
course Of things, began to be thrown into
business associations, which were by no
means favorable to the pious and sober
habits which characterized the family
He was what in common parlance would
be called "a good fellow He was new
or out Of humor, never in a hurry, always
ready to try his hand in rivalry with the
strongest and best who could be produced
Nithal, he was q musician, and perform
ed Well upon several instruments, and
was, Of course, an object of interest and
attention at military parades and other
public gatherings.
Now it was that Harry Raymond began
to fall under influences of most deleter-
ious character. The drinking habits of
many Of the circles with which he ming
led, gradually wore upon hi. moral CON
yietions, and upon his resolution to alb
stain, until he could take social glass"
aui become merry with those who were
under the uuholy excitement of the intox-
icating bowl. The vigilant eye of true
friendship looked with deep concern upon
the perils to which poor Harry was now
exposed, and Of which he seemed not at
all aware. But occasions of temptation
were not frequent, and the general course
VI - " dS LOI III itGI IdlI hdIlCu 1O1
several years. and no very threatening G.
vents arrived, until be was united in
marriage to Harriet Bremen, an interest
ing girl Of fourteen.
Mr.. Raymond was now becoming some
what advanced in years, and naturally
wished to give up the burdens of business.
lie had possessed himself of a small farm,
of which his son Harry now took the
charge. Young Mrs. Raymond became
an inmate of the family, and soon imbi-
bed the religious spirit which still prevail
cd among the remaining members of the
family circle, which had now been extern
sively broken up. She found in old Mrs
Raymond n1ot1ter iadeed-one who not
only entered into all her sympathies, un-
der the heavy and unexpected domestic :
trials which viii soon be noticed, but who
could give her spiritual instructions and
consolation, as occasion required.
The practice of "taking little" of the
maddening draught increased upon Hen
ry, until be occasionally became disguised,
and was irregular in his return from the
villages, to which he now
made frequent visits under the prctexts
Of business. The terrible and long-ex-
pcctcd event finally transpired. At a
late hour Harry drove up and succeeded /
in getting into the house. His horses
had been overdriven ard neglected, and
he was stupcGed with drink and bonum-
bed with cold. There were two individ- .
uals, who had occupied each a corner by
the fire, in mute sorrow and breathlesS
suspense, while the teapot sat upon the
embcrs and the table was spread with
what was necessary to supply the crav-
ings of hunger. These two-tbe wife .
and the mother-were the first to give
the needed help TO the nearly helpless OBJ
ject Of many hours Of indcscribable sclic-
itudc. When Harry had been conducted
to his bed, with many expressions Of
and sympathy, lis two guard
ian angels retired-aot to sleep, but to
have their Imagination haunted, during
the remaining hours Of the night, by the
repetition of the scene which had passed
before them That was night of an
guish, of tears, aud of prayers, which
can only be appreciated by the Father of
mercies, who fathoms the depths of hu-
man sorrow and counts the sighs of bis
children.
The day which succeeded was gloomy
one. A few words of most significant re-
buke from the wife and the mother, and
the down-cast countenance and sad pen
sveness of old Mr.. Raymond, which al
ways expressed unuttcrable things, were
met by confused expression of the
and vague glancing of the
eye in different directions, but with no
angry words. 1t is enough-indeed too
more than [ could wish
to say, that the same scene, with slight
variations of circumstances, was occasion
ally repeated. AdmonitiOns and tender
expostulations extorted promises of a
which were kept for time,
longer or shorter according to circum-
stances, but were finally broken.
The terrible, the astounding facts were
brought to the knowledge of brothers and
sisters abroad and n senca Of daan p,orti-