Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-12-06
Gbqitt giterature.
From tho Kentucky New Era
THE FATAL STEP; OR
Judge Morton's Family :.
pY MUTTON MUNFORD.

Jug M TO II d III 90
BY MILTON MUNFoRD. pr
In the town Of Barbersville, in the Old th
Dominion, there lived al old Judge, who ca
had come west some years ago to engage in
in a more lucrative business than thatwhich le
had engaged his attention r New Hamp- Iii
shire. Settling down in b., his inelina. Of
tions led him 70 merchandising and trading ly
10 goods. In a short time, all being attrac- u
ted by the nildness Of Judge Morton's d
Esauncr,- La = lslgialsluage heagh ~ i
had never read dozen pages of law nor d
filed that chair-wero induced to patron h
ize him, with whom they had abundant c
reason to believe, honor was the leading i
spring Of action. e
At home were Mrs. Morton, Margaret, t
q lovely daughter, and a promising son, c
living in that peace and plenty which scru- q
pulous honor aud preserving industry in I
sures Fortune seemed to smile upon ev-
cry effort Of the Judge, and the glittering
coin multiplied on his hands, till he, too,
was reckoned among those who were we'll
to do in the world
just at this point of his life, when too
much capital rendered him avaricious, he
began looking around for more profitable
investment Of his funds. Like many an
honest predecessor, he debated the justice
of dealing in liquors, over and again in his
mind. He, too, spent sleepless nights in
irving to reconcile his conscience to the
practice of tlis henious crime. He, too,
had considered, with aching heart, the pro-
priety of selling poison to his fellows, and
finally yielded the point. Yes, if l sell
not the fiery liquid, some other will, and
why not make that profit as well as anoth
err quoth he, while in trembling and fear
full reluctance, he sacrifices his dearest
treasure, his honor, and his conscience, at
the contemptible altar of avarice and self
interest.
He turns his stock on hand into cash,
and fits his store for poison shop, where
he we'll knows many of his fellows will
sacrifice their happiness, both temporal and
eternal, for the mere temporary indulgence
Of hellish appetite. In the perfect knowl-
edge Of these things, he expends his cash
for stock Of liquors and begins business.
For a while Dame Fortune seems still to
stsih - ssliiys Efr.scrs1ar oh6- 6-gonEzfal
nifty through his instrumentality Bacchus
has never needed to beat up recruits to
replenish his worshipping host, nor to re-
sort to the conscription system to supply
victims for his altar They come, blinded
by passion, in crowds, to suffer the unheed
ed and unexpected tortures which are the
inevitable results of course of service in
the temple Of Bacchus.
To the saloon of Judge Morton mum
bers Of unthinking young men and mum
bers Of desperate old topers join in quaf
ing the social draught.
Let us peep into the family room of tn
once happy family Of tho Mortons. On
couch yonder in the corner lies Charles, a
ready reaping the harvest of the youthful
tippler Here lies the mother sinking da
ly, dying, almost piecemeal of very griet
Her conscience less subservient to self-ir
terest, and he heart more tender than Judg
Ms, submits not to the error, but torture
its bearer even to disease Still Juda
NJ, though he secs his wife sinking into
certain grave Of very grief at his conduc
moves on In the same course and pursue
his lawful, yet not laudable business
pandering to the unholy appetites of wretcl
ed men. His lady dies and is laid in th
cold, damp tomb, to rise an everlastin
monument to his crime, in an eternal Fl
ture, and tell an unwilling tale of sin again
him, that will send his blackened soul rec
ing into eternal gloom and misery. For
time perceptible sadness shadows his usl
al cheerfulness, but finally gives way agai
to tho same luckless passion for gain, an
still he sells the poison bane, needless
the dying prayer Of bis faithful companion
Gradually the gloomy sadness wears {
from the feelings Of his son and daughte
but leaves in It's place an unconqucrab
desire to mutual irritation and disagree
ment between them, unlike the happy pea
Of brotherly and sisterly love that former
reigned. Anunconquerable animosity seen
to exist, aud nothing can overcome it,
demon or evil spirit has apparent contr
over every thought aud turns all into nj
chief and unhappincss. Judge NJ observ
the change, and resolving better things,
sends his daughter to distant academ
whilc he takes his hopeful boy under b
own parental oversight
His whole soul seems engrossed in {
banetul traffic, and, selling his own viii
mansion that has been the scene of SO ma,
by.gonc joys, he invests that, too, in LIQUOR
business increases daily, and larger shi
ments from the wholesale warehouse :
constantly made to some inland place VIII,
Bacchus also claims a worshipping CROW
Charles education is sacrificed; but not
ly that-his character, his reputation.
life and his soul Intemperauce mai
daily inroads on his health, skaters
constitution, and poisons the very founta
of his existence. lie sickens, dies and
buried he sickens from drink, dies
MACS death, aud fills drunkard's ora
in the sight Of his unfeeling parent
Still the trade goes on. Another is
led to fill Charles place. Tokens Of al
ton are sent to sOoth the sorrowing bo.
of his far off sister, but the heart of
father beats only for gain. He is too d.
ly swallowed up in the gulf now to rece
every feeling of his callous heart is deat
ed under the baneful effects of his Grim