Washington telegraph., 1854-04-12

new star has arisen, and there is hone in
the dark night which hangs like pail of
gloom over our country" With thrilling
depth of voice, the speaker continued 20
God thou who lookest with compassion up
on the most erring of earth's children, |
thank thee that a brazen serpent has been
lifted up. upon which the drunkard can look
and be helped that beacon has burst out
upon the darkness that surrounds him, which
shall guide back to honor and Heaven, the
bruised and weary wanderer."
1t is strange what power there is in some
voices. The speaker was slow and measur-
ed, but tear trembled in every tone ; and
before [ knew why. a tear dropped upon
my hand, followed by others like rain drops.
| The old man brushed one from his own eyes,
and continued !:
Men and Christians. You have just
heard that | am vagrant and fanatic l
am not. AS God knows my own sad heart
came here to do good and be just.
Il am an old man, standing alone at the
end of life's journey There is deep sor-
row in my heart, and tears in my eyes L
have journeyed over dark and beaconlcss
ocean, and all life's hopes have been wreck
ed. am without friends, home or kindred
upon earth. and look with longing to the
rest of the night Of earth. Without friends,
! kindred or home. 1t was not so once
No one could withstand the touching pa
| taos of the old man. | noticed a tear trem-
bling on the lid Of my fathers eye, and
no more felt ashamed of my own.
''No my friends, it was not so once. Away
over the dark waves which have wrecked
my hopes, there is blessed light of happi-
ness and home. l reach again convulsively
for the shrines of the household idols that
once were, now mine no more"
The old man seemed looking away through
1 fancy upon some bright vision, his lips apart
and his finger extended. l involuntarily
turned in the direction where it was point
ed, dreading to see some shadow invoked by
its magic movements.
II once had mother. With her old
heart crushed with sorrow she went down to
the grave. once had wife-a fair, angel
hearted creature as ever smiled in an eartli-
ly home Her eyes as mild as a summer
sky, and heart as faithful and true as ever
guarded and cherished husbands love-
| Her blue eye grew dim as the floods of sor-
row washed away its brightness and the liv-
ing teart wrung until every fibre was bro
ken. l once had noble, brave and beauti-
full boy, but he was driven out from the ruins
of his home, and my old heart yearns to
know if he yet lives. 1 once had a babe
sweet tender blossom-but my hand de-
stroyed it, and it liveth with one who loves
children
"Do not be startled friends; I am not
I IL, a. rIl.
term. Yet. there is light in my evening
sky. A spirit mother rejcices over the re-
turn of her prodgal son. The wife smiles
| upon him who again turns back to virtue and
honor. The child angel visits me at night
fall, and feel the hallowing touch of tiny
palm upon my feverish check. My brave
boy, if he yet lives, would forgive the sor-
rowing old man for the treatment which
drove him into the world, and the blow that
MANNED him for life. God forgive me for
the ruin have brought upon me and mine. ="
He again wiped tear from his eye. My
father watched him with strange interest,
and a countenance unusually pale, and ex-
cited by some strange emotion.
Il was once fanatic, and madly followed
the malign light which led ME to ruin I
was fanatic when l sacrificed my wife chill
dren, happiness and home to the accursed
demon of the bowl I once adored the
gentle being whom injured so deeply.
II was drunkard. From responsibility
and affluence, l plunged into degradation
and poverty. l dragged my family down
with me. For years l saw her check pale
and her step grow weary. left her alone
amid the wreck of her home idols, and riot
ed at the tavern. She never complained,
vet she and her children went hungry for
bread
Zone New Years night, returned late
to the hut where charity had given us roof
! She was yet up, and shivering over the Goals
l demanded food but she burst into tears
and told me there was none | fercely or
dered her to get some. She turned her
eyes sadly upon me, the tears falling fast
over her pale cheek AT this moment the
child in the cradle awoke and sent up a
furnishing wall, starting the despairing mo-
ther, like a serpent's sting.
1--WE have no food. James-have had
none for several days. have nothing for
the babe My once kind husband, must
we starve p
That sad, pleading face, and those stream
ing eyes, and the feeble wall of the child
madened me, and I-yes, I struck her a
fierce blow in the face, and she fell forward
upon the hearth The furies of hell boiled
in my bosom, and with deeper intensity as
felt had committed a wrong. had never
struck Mary before. but now some terrible
impulse bore me on, and | stopped as well
as could in my drunken state and clinehed
both hands in her hair.
g God of mercy, James exclaimed my