Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-08-23
NO. 81.

ed his disgrace, nor permitted her children
to utter word of his folly. But now his
shame was known. His reproach would rest
upon their desolate-perhaps ofcast chill
dren. Her dearest friends had seen it ALL
Could she but have died, aUithoat that sight!
As with glaring eyes he reeled towards her
bed, conflicting emotions wrung her heart,
and impaired to her feeble frame an unwonted
energy Placing her shrivelled arms around
his neck, she bathed his cheek in scalding
tears; and prayed. But oh! such prayer
Such prayer! May it never be my lot to
hear the like again! But it was heard on
/ high The anguish-riven wife revived--re-
vived, to guide her children in the way to
! God, while she herself drank but deeper
draughts of human woe. With returning
health she stood alone at the liquor sellers
i door. She asked him not to sell to her hus-
band. She told Of their hopes, wasting pro-
perty, of shame covering their children, and
Of anguish like the tooth Of deeth gnawing
at her heart She spoke in broken accents,
for her heart was full, and she wept. He
coolly replied, madam, this is my place, to
make living for my family: yours, is with
your children But, sir, will you make
: living for yours BY securing the temporal and
eternal death of mine p AnG again her
E tears fell, and her cries went up to God.-
} And shall he not hear! Is theIe no retrib-
l ution beyond this unequal state of things,
where tears shed for murdered fathers and
E beggard orphans shall fall, like the wrath,
$ upon the murderers guilty souls I 20 my
0 soul, come not thou into their secret; unto
4 their assembly. mine honor. be not thou
K united He turned away, saying to the
: woman, This is no place for you; and |
e want none ofvour preaching Again ask,
! aCbdt aciH not the Hguor-selIer do?
d That once prosperous and happy family
Y sunk, through fathers intemperance, to
object poverty aud pinching want. The
mother by a sell-consuming industry had OBJ
J, tanned few dimes with which to purchase
l. bread for her weeping children. He found
r. the money, and took it to the liquor-seler.-
it She went also, stood in rags before the veal
at thY retailer, and withstreaming eyes entreat
" ed him neither to destroy her husband, mol
to force the bread from the mouths of hel
starving children. He led her to the door
Madam, this is no place for you,' placed
the shining god in his pocket and the fata
cup to his victims lips )! The shock was toc
sr, rude. Her heart-strings yielded, and sh,
rs, found rest in death. Alas! alas VIVA
m WILL NOT THE LTQUoR-sELLER DO!
Ter But [ ask, in the name of reason, in th
Ter name Of humanitz. 1.-The ame-of alltha
ear of the matter? No, no; that man ha
it another account to settle. As certain a
he God reigns and justice lives. just so certain
= is it, that the liquor-seller will have the con
he sequences of this traffic to meet, in that da'
cir when God shall bring every work int
ru- Judgement with every secret thing, whethe
in it be good. or whether it be evil
Ter And what shall we say of that Legislation
Did which legalizes-aye honors and patroeize
en- such traffic "a traffic which is this da
at doing more than all other external ca lse
combined to curse and crush and brutaliz
nd the human family. Does it not deserve t
10 be ranked with our enemies, and to be ban
nd ished from our borders? And what ais
oy. shall we say of legislators-our own repre-
'ok sentatives, who gravely tell us, respectin
Id, this traffic. You don't know what IS you
a enemy; and you shall not have the lorivileS
nd Of saying, by public vote, even what go
- arish to be done an this matter Is this th
way to legislate for freemen? Have the
in also no account to render? Shall not eve
her we have fearless reckoning with then
ave when again we come TO the polls? Ma
vas God speed the right, and hasten the da
wn when the fountains Of intemperance shall /
pa dried up, and the streams of temperate
Fis- send peace and virtue and happiness all ovc
led our liquor-cursed earth.
out ,Sonaneryille Reporter.