The Delaware herald., 1854-06-21

your appetite than to allow one glass to plunge
you into hard drinking. And now | propose
you should give as a demonstration of your
ability TO govern yourself by drinking the con-
tents OF this glass once, and only once, however
enticmg it may afterward appear. Come. let
US see whether you are man or not-itwill do
you good, and if this is not sufficient induce.
ment,why we will promise to obey your fatherly
lnJunctlons, and be more temperate for the
future. What say you, boys, are You willing?"
"ies," was the unanimous reply.
"NOw, then, Woodley,'' continued the first
ss,neaker. whom the reader has doubtless recog-
nzed to be Carroll, 'prove tat sincerity Of your
kind regard for US, by complying with our de-
sires. Will YOU do so!''
The week point of Woodley's character had
been probed The glass was ra ised to his Inns.
the contents swallowed, and the flemish smile
that rested upon the bloated countenance of the
tempter, attested that rum had hope of another
victim.
How imperceptibly does the commission of
one error prepare the way e its repetition, or
Tor the commlttal OF one stlll more hemous -
Unus ed as he was to intoxicating drink the eff CT
Of that one glass was qu ckIy felt upon the brain
OF Woodley, (and here let M say in parenthesis,
that Its contents were prepared expressly for
hlm, and with the sole view of making him i'll
rbrIated,) and in proportion to the increase of
the excitement 1t produced was the desire to
qnah again. Finally he bent forward-no invi-
tatlon was needed now-and filing the glass
with the burning fluid SO temptingly arrayed
before him, he again drained it. A third and
fourth time was The act repeated, and now we
behold him lying insensibly upon the floor of the
apartment, the vllest and most loathsome OBJ
Ject, miserable Grunkard And where is the
tempter!~ There he stands exultingly, smiling
over his fallen ctim, and mentally excaim-
ing:
"Revenge is at last mine! This might shal
her head rest upon the arm OF drunkard-tAis
night shall her breath mingle with the breath
of an inebrate''
WOodley was conveyed to his home, and the
wife of his bosom saw him for the frst-would
we could add last time--in q state of intoxica-
ton.
We will not attempt to picture the agony of
that fond and trusting heart as she tcarfully
gazed upon the now dcbased form of her idol
lzcd hu band. I'VE VIII not say that the warm
blood fad from her cheek. thtt her Young hear!
seemed 10 per sh G the moment, and that the
countenance which ers't was illumined bv the
radlanc Of joys bright smiles now wore
shade oi settled melancholy. Why should we!
Words ari but the person fcation OF mpotency.
II employed 10 depict woinan's misery " hen she
'eholds life, hope and happiness sink into pre-
mature grave.
She ne9.r smiled again. And yet methinks if
that husband had taken within his own the snowy
20 eEcs placed there by the minister of God,
nd fworh repentance ufon il, if he had vowed
By th, memory of the halcyon hours of the past
Eever TO have wounded that confding heart
Fgain--Tpethiahs if be had done this, life would
have again assumed its wonted gladness. and
he sunshine of peace would once more have
rested upon her fair features But ah, it was
otherwise! Mortified by his fall, Woodey
turned deaf ear alike to the enlreaties of wife
and friends, and to the still small voice that
whispered, 1" Come back, come back Fainter.
and yet fainter that voice grew, until finally he
needed it not. No compunction of conscience
accompanied the commission of the offence-no
memory of departed mother who led his foot
steps into the paths of virtue and rectitude, who
nightly bedewed her pillow with her tears as she
duplicated the Throne of Heavenly Grace in
his behalf and whose last stammerinp accents
were blessing upon h 3 head--no memory of
that salnted mother arose to check his isdownward
career-nO remembrance Of heart-broken " ifa
and suffering babe at home embittered his hours
of revelry. Every finer feeling of his heart
had ied--every lofty sentiment of his soul had
expired-every gentle whisper ofhis conscience
was hushed-hushed, we fear, forever!
The current of Time rolled on, and still no
change was effected in our hero, No chsnee.
d we sayl Ay, there was change. and
dreadful was it, too! Degradation and desper-
ttion were written in bolder characters upon
hs iorehead-every mark of manlinesss had
dis pFeared from his department, and every
trace OF refinement had forsaken his features.
The wife he once loved, ave, idolzed, was
new the victim of his drunken frenzy, and a
harsh word or blow was all her fearful en-
treaties for his reformation received.
Herself and her suffering babe were left de-
pendent on the charities of cold, unfeeling
world, and their once neat and comfortable
dwelling had been exchanged for the low, d.
lapidated hovel. As for himself, stunned by
the respectable, he had no friend upon whom Ia
call or assistance when pinched by unappeased
hunger, and having forfeited all claim upon
honor and integrity, he could find none to EN-.
i pioy him If in the moment of utter destitutior
he was willing to labor for awhile.
i This was the change that was wrought, and
Alcohol wrought it! o Rum! Rum, would
could endow thee with the power of speech
that thou mightest tell thine own tale of horror
Barjs have sung it; orators have spoken il
h' art-brcken wives and mothers, and starvne
babes have proclaimed it; but the half Is mo-
yet told, Midnight scenes of horror and a
bloodshed which Gods eye alone witnessed. ar,
yet undiscovered. Heart piercing and soul
probing sghs and groans, are yet unrelated. -
Crimes, from the commission of which devil
even would shrink appalled,, yet remain in obliy
: ion. But the day ,UiH come whan all thes,
hings shall be revealed, and then o, Rum, mos
faithful minister of the Devil, thou shalt receiv
the plaudits Of the master whom thou seryeth
Chapter v,
We now return to Carroll. Think you tha
he views the destruction he has accomplishe
with composurea tell you nay! True, hi
/, long-sought and long revenge had bee
7 enjoyed, but its mischief was greater than b
sunpoged II would ha +. nd ,c,, z a. - I =. a.