Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1854-06-09

amy flalt W Qoty - ne fctuintu
home from there drunk, entered the
room in perfect rage, laid violen
hands upon her, and most brutally
kicked and choked her. saying. "I'l
give you wedding dresses IN learr
you to expose me before strangersP
Fanny fled TO the neighbors for safety
After she left, this wretch-nay, devi
made so by the license iaw. ran
sacked the house, gathered up all o
Fanny's fine clothes and threw then
in the well. then took q pole and jam
med them to the bottom. She saw
there was no alternative bnt to leave
him. They separated; or rather rum
sellers separated them, and were sus-
tanned in their infamous work by the
statute taw of the State Of New York
She went to spend the remainder ol
her days under her fathers roof, a
poor, disconsolato woman. Erastus,
under the influence Of rum, continued
n deproved and ruined man, wander
ing from one haunt Of vice to another.
Her feelings, after she returned to
her father 5, may be judged of from
the following letter written to an in
innate friend:--
HARwooD, Apra b.
My DEAR ALICE:
My heart is so full OF trouble that |
must tunburden It tony dear old friend.
Be not surprised when | tell you that
Erastus and myself have parted. Who
could have believed on the night OF
our wedding party, only two years and
half since, that the destroyer would
enter our bright and happy circle so
soonl Sweet spring has again return
ed with all its beauty, but il has no
charms for me. The singing Of birds
touches no chord Of harmony in my
soul. The springing grass. tho open
ing buds, and the sweet fragrance of
spring flowers, once so attractive, are
now burden to me. Unrestrained
grief has taken full possession of my
soul.
80, grief hath changed mo since you saw me
last
And careful hours, with tlmc's defornod
hand,
Have written strange defeatunsin my facc,n
o, my dear Alicel could the tempter
be removed from Erastus, | should
again be happy. There are so many
places whereit is lagaily sold, and SO
many to take advantage OF his appetite,
who arc shielded in their wickedness
by law, that there is no hope Of his re-
forming. And o, the thought OF his
dying as he is how can l endure it?
The Lord has said, "No drunkard shall
inherit the kingdom Of God" Pray
for me, dear Alice, that l may be sus-
tanned in. my great affiicIion. Come
and see ma as soon as you can.
Your sister and sincere friend.
FANNY d. BAKER.
This terrible affliction, in consequence
Of the liquor traffic, confirmed Mr..
Donaldson in his temperance princi-
Piles. Perhaps If he had followed tho
example Of Mr.. Scribner, and, years
before, had adopted his plan, the de.
stroying angel would have passed by
his family circle. Multitudes of men
who have been slow in embracing the
reform, or have been conservative in
their feelings and actions, or have been
opposed to it; have invoked the de-
stroyer to their own households; and
have been compelled to see their sons
become inebriates. and their daughters
marry vicious and unprincipled young
men. 1t is exceedingly dangerous for
father to keep tho poison about his
house, to deal in it, or even to speak
against the reform. If he does either,
the plague will almost be certain TO find
its way toh his dwelling, and overcast the
bright horizon Of his family circle with
dark, portentous clouds.
Mr.. Dawson for several years kept
the pledge which he made over the
corpse of his boy. But the drinking
usages and the corrupting influence of
wicked associates seduced him from his
noble purpose. At first he drank mod
erately; but his daily potations increas-
ed the power of habit and appetite,
which in few years resulted in con-
frmed inebriation. lie lost all self
respect, his reputation was blighted,
his friends left him, his estate melted
away, and his love for his family was
swallowed in the vortex of ruin. No
tongue can tell nor pen describe the
anguish, sorrow, and overwhelming
grief that came into that family in con-
sequence Of the sudden, fearful fall OF
its head and father. After he had
spent his all in profigacy, he aband-
coned his family to the cold charities
Of the world. He went west, to wan
der as a miserable vagabond for a few
years, and then die. Yes! William
Dawson died a rum maniac; a stran-
ger in strange land, whore no mon
ument marks the place Of his sleeping
ashes. Surely the memory Of the
wicked shall rot"
NorE.-Mr. Grant became sostrong-
lv impressed with the evils of intem-
perance by the death of Davinson's
son, that he excluded liquor from his
premises. His sons grew up temper
ate and industrious men, and one OF
them is now preaching the gospel.
TO be Continued.
HORRIBLE.