Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1855-06-08
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Last Letter OF Druill8:ard's wife
,,g-- d 5sHF. AIRS. F. D. GAGE, s7ails5 go
Oh dear Amg, thatI should live to tel
you such tale as my pen mustllelllthi:
morning. ! shut my eyes; | clasp my
cold and almost paralyzed hand over Iheni
to exclude the fearful vision, but it will
not away. No is is there; herridl soul.
thrilling, heart breaking reality, Amy, my
sister, my more Than sister, can | 50 crush
Thee. So dash from thy lip the cup of joy
which thou art now, even now, lliung
sparkling TO the brim. with hope and love.
Yes Leyen Impstdo il Hard and lhank,
less as is The task, ii viii be more kindly
done BY my band than aRother's; for love
viii soften every word, and sorrow and
deep PITY veil every Rrong.ll-7 ,z,f -,7r,
Amy, William is dead; thy loved and
loving bToihrb my loved and loving hus-
bapd, is dead, Even now. wills write
these fratfuI words. tie long white sheet
in yen corner, hides away from my sigh,
tbe manly form, The, fair broad brow and
Laughing, lip of William. OIL that this
we're sll thai I could tell youi thai q fever
had wasted him, thai oopsuniion had
gnaWed away his yitaIs. that the murder
y had strack him in, The dark. But alas !
no; none of these forms of death came TO
him, To rob The monster of bis appalling
But l must still my throbbing heart and
wipe the coldsweai OF agony from my brow,
and Tell you all, aye iell all not 70 wound
but 70 Warn; lest those who are now grow-
ing up 10 manhood iA theT same paths be
iroa, NAY reach The fnAl goal Of lifs sFsn
sa sas lhersgus lauc,l5q fii aloI 3 5fHD2qZs
= You know dear Amy, when Eenwere
married, FIVE years ago yesterday 10hi
.lbA fatal yesterday William stood forth
among The crqwd as the embodiment Of
noble manhood !, Just returned from, bis
long tour of collegiate Study. let loose as, be
expressed il, in the pasture Of life, be, was
lhe gayest Of tie gay He told Us that
evening with proud look, that during lis
eight years Of study he bad net drank one
drop Of ardent spirits Or vine, He had
made The resolve 80 touch not, taste not,
handle moi r till the completion Of his stud
les, till be was, old enough to control him
/ self I'll his ,babils we're fixed; and dc. you
remember il, ere l had been Ten minutes a
bride, his father brought bin the wine cup
and pledged him in q sparkling glass 70 his
new, wife, All, how ] sFembt6 and shrapk
from, that falhyr,s first Kiss. and bow ny
heart ,misgsye me, bow, il throbbed " hen
/ saw. my adored William, yielding to a
fathers Temptation. following a fatber'sex
ample, aud grasPipg without q seeming
thuugh ghi the couients of that cup. mi. srid
|, "Nonserse, nonsense, Emily, said our
father Shen | family whispered "Don't
William; you bave perseyrred so long,
dup'L commenee, now, bat rather renew
Eyour ccYthant and resolve never to drink
eWn Yine,""sf-rF .4rae rrs-. rrir.r-.r7
4 bt"NqnsehSe, Emily. q. ille vine won'l
hurt him. L 6shrye in lsmPerance as
much ss any ! one, butlhe's spalk;ng Cataw'
tba' viii not hurt lady. Tome. You mus
not teach him any Of your squeamish no
TONS" knew, then. that the sparkling
CataHba' had worked evil to my husbands
father, or he would never have spoken thus
10 me. yHe.Lthe kind, the generous, The
polite and digni6ed, 20 talk to. me then o
being 'squeamisl1i knew well that,thert
was devil iRlabedeup, evensof sparkling
hGataTba Again and again William wal
pressed TO drink.o This was the FIRST step
I'VE came West--=cane to city where
all men, as it wereiindulged 10 wine. Ny
husband felt himself strong 10 resist temp
tation. His table could not ibelset without
wine. sHog. could he refuse to other'
what was already offered TO him ?" ~
Thus, Amy, it was that be fell, Not il
ilhose haunts Of wickedness where the low
land beas,Iy bow themselves into the, dus
Tin sensualism; not led by the wicked anc
Ideprayed into sin and shame; but BY hh
lowu freside, at the altar of home. with hi
wife and children around him, bis little one
stretching their arms to embrace him, ant
Ibis wife pleading even lovingly against hi:
weakness, d,d be 60 down TO ruin, led bJ
"a fathers hand. lured by a fathers exam
Iple.u 81. "a bs.-.1f5, "a Don s.iu. = -rs,s
l.. Year after year be grew worse, till-un
willing that ! sbonld see him drink, h
ltesrned to larry at the Office, the hotel, th,
club room. into the weary watches Of tht
night. and then he grew cold and hard
aDd-sbalI say it TO you, Amy-brutal
His bloated cheek, bis red rimmed eyes
bis distorted face, told every passer-by th'
tale. Business forsook him; his friend
lforsook him; virtue. religion, manlines
forsook him. How could they tarry will
the drunkard?
4 Months ago the spirit of William died
yesterday the breath left his suffering body
and be is dead. OF doubly dead to u.s.
You, Amy, have not seen him for FIVE years
You will remember him as the lofty. high
4 . l.