True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1855-01-25
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GIVE ME BACK MY HUSBAND.
TIE WIFE's APPEAL TO A RUMsELLEI

Nor many years since, a young married
couple from the far fast-anchored isle,"
sought our shores with the most sanguine
anticipations of prosperity and happiness.
They had begun to realize more than they
had seen in the visions of hope, when in
an evil hour, the husband was tempted to
"look upon the wine when it was red,"
and to taste of it "when it giveth its
color in the cup" The charmer fast
ened around its victim, all the serpent
spells of its sorcery, and he fell; and at
every step of his rapid degradation from
the man to the brute, and downward, a
heartstring broke in the bosom of his COM
panion.
Finally with the last spark of hope flick
ering on the altar of her heart, she thread
ed her way into one of those shambles
where man is made such a thing as the
beast of the field would below at. She
pressed her way through the bachannalian
crowd who were revelling there in their
own ruin. With her bosom full of that
"perilous stuff that preys upon the hear" /"
she stood before the plunderers of her hus-
bands destiny, and exclaimed in tone of
startling anguish -" Give me back my
husbandw
"There's your husband, said the man,
as he pointed toward the PROSTATE wretch.
"That my husband what have you done
to him? What have you done to that no
Bile form, that once like giant held his
protecting shade over the fragile vine that
chung to it for support and shelter! That
my husband With what torpid chill
have you touched the sinews of that man
ly form? That my husband! What have
you done to that once noble brow, which
he wore high among his fellows, as if ii
bore the inscription of the Godhead? That
my husband What have you done tc
that eye, "with which he was wont to
look erect on Heaven" and see in his mir
ror the image of his God. What Egyp
tian drug have you poured into his veins
and turned the ambling fountains of his
heart into black and burning pitch? Give
me back my husband! Undo your basa
lisk spells, and give me back the man tina
stood with me by the altar !"
The ears of the rumseller, ever since tn,
first demijohn of that burning liquid wa
opened upon our shores, have been salutec
at every stage of the tra6c, with just sucl
appeals as this. Such wives, such widows
such mothers, such fatherless children, a
never mourned in Israel, at the massacr
of Bethlehem, or at the burning of tn
Temple, cried in his ears, morning, noon
and night "Give me back my husband!
&" Give me back my boy" Give me bac
my brother"
But has the rumseller been confounde
or speechless at these appeals? No nc
he. He could show his credentials at
moments notice, with proud defiance
He always carries in his pocket write
absolution for all he had done, and coul
do in his work of destruction. He "ha
bought letter Of indulgence. / mean |
cense! A precious instrument signed an
sealed by an authority stronger and mol
respectable than the Pope's." He contour
|, ded? Why the whole artillery Of civ
, power was ready to open in its defence an
support. Thus shielded by the Egis {
the law, he had nothing to fear from tn
enemies Of his traffic. He had the imag
, and super,criptiOn Of Cesar on his credeI
tials, and unto C@aar he appealed, and uI
!, to Caesar too, his vistima appealed, an
appealedin vain. p