Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-02-14

mis- ,SDie as your heart could desire. Hope
tolda fattering tale,' and s~fagsncy Of
ardent youth, / gave you q S at
fections Of my girlish h& u
little know what you havo84 az
done thatnf which a life tim <scan
barely q fou have crushed a4ond de-
voted hcak I'd laughed at the ruin you ac-
cOmplished. Think of these things and be
happy if you can. Archie, you cannot be
happy your conscience will gnaw like a
deathless worm, and remorse loud as terri
BILE thunders will ever mutter: never more,
never more 7
You may whisper the endearing story of
love in other ears ; you may try to believe to
be sincere, but the ghost of days that have
been, will loom up and stem tho bright
stream Of happiness you fain would quaR.-I
No one can love you as | loved. Mine was
q love strong ana sure q love that would
have shielded you from the cares, the tolls,
the ills, the sOrrows and storms of life a
love over which you would never have
mourned a love that would have made glad
your heart in every condition in life a love
that would have guided your feet in the
strait and narrow way IA love that would
have supported your head in life's last con-
hict Such was my love but it was not
s9f4c5ent for you! The tiee may come whenj
that dark hour thiBk of me. Acme CameflI
on, my prayer is, that yon may be happy,
yes, be happy If you can! Farewell, Ar
chic ; farewell forecer!
ELLIE CLAVERS.
1t is truly said that trouble never comes
alone; you may imagine that the drunkard
has nothing to trouble him but of all who
have an existence, none have greater troubles
than the drunkard. Soon after / received
Ellie's letter, | received one from nv father
informing me of the death of my mother
that mother, upon whose bosom / used to
rest my innocent head-that mother who
taught my infant tongue to lisp, Our faith
er who art in heaven" died PRAYING for her
poor wandering Archie; that he might re-
form, that his latter days might be better
than his former, and that he might meet her
in that blissful CLINE, where no tear dims
the eye, where Hope eternally blooms, and
where the righteous for ever dwell! Anoth-
er letter soon arrived, from father, stating
that he was swiftly approaching the Esprit
land, and most afectionately entreating me
to return and receive his dying blessing. l
believe l would have returned if had been
my own master; but | was no longer a free
agent, at liberty to think and act for myself
-for ALCOHOL was my master, a very ty-
raGt! Deeper and deeper l plunged into
the yawning vortex of misery and ruin. I
soon received intelligence of nv fathers
death but was too drunk to realize the
extent of my loss, too deeply stepped in crime
to feel, or to listen to the voice of reason i
For five years, following the death of nv
parents, | do not remember that l was a ra-
tional being during the space of one hour
Sometimes, it is true, when reason, for a mo-
ment was restored to its throne, | thought
OF reforming, but alas my enervated facul-
ties could not be brought into action l wan
ted SeJ-dentdL-moTal courage! About this
time, q little band of noble men called Sons
OF TEMPERANCE, made their first appearance
IN the town of c., and began to plant
their batteries of heavy artillery, destined
soon to play most powerfully upon the ranks
of King ALCOHOL! Well do I remember the
day upon which they first unfurled their
standard in the streets of c.. declaring,
thereby that they were the friends of h1.
mainly, and the tmplacabte fand inoeteratt
ss SSsRq Fiat te t hgte X Sg aindj tFas %p4sFst iiRl \
had been for many years. Their banner
moved onward-that noble banda strange
desire to mingle with them filled nv bosom,
what 1, a pennyiess, bloated, hated, degra.
ded drunkard, dare to cherish such a thought
NO.; l must Danish it at once. Tears-biind.
ing, scalding tears filled my eyes-the first
for long. long years A humane Son noticed
my mental distress he came to me, and ia.
KING my hand in his. kindly INQUIRED if
desired to join the Sons. "YEs," | almost
shrieked: WE'LL said he; come to our
Division Room, and we will do thee good
That day was the grand era-verily. it was
a happy day, the bright, golden link in nv
memory's rusting chain: for from that day /
date my final reformation. soon apneared
at the bar again. But a wider field was he.
fore me-the reformation of nv fellow-man.
The temperance bugle was sounding for vol
unteers ; joined them, being fully resolved
to spend the remainder of my life in pro.
mitigating the cause | espoused.
Here, / am inclined to conclude nv sad
history; however, young man, you shall
know all, for have but little to tell. Well
labored day and night as a lecturer-la.
Dored to reform man-labored to make amends
Tor the past! | travelled far and wide. do
ing all the good could. FINALLY determin.
ed to visit my native hills one more time =
NJ pen could record the volumes of thouoht
that flashed across my mind, as I once more
approached B, after an absence of 6 ftoon
years. 1t was a glorious evening calm and
serene! Through an opening AMONG tho
trees, saw the glittering spire of the yillao e
church. Close by it, 1 knew nv parenfs
slept the calm, unbroken, painless sIeen Of
death the chilling blast of Disappointment
and the storms of life would disturb them
no more, for they had gone to the realms Of
phss. But a short distance lay between me
and the village my heart seemed to exnand
as one familiar object after another fell unon
my view. The farms. meadows, streams.
mis- ana the mountains, OH how very IA
mlliar bney were to me. Suddenly nv at.
tentlon was attracted by the loud solemn
notes Q! the ola church bell tolling forth its
mourniul stsry: telling that death had COM
Pisteo us work. and that the grave was open
TO receive Its ~victim-perhaps a smiling in.
FAINT torn from the afectionate mothers bo.
soma buoyant youth cut down amidst l;fe's
bright May flowers, or one well stricken in
years, and bowed beneath the weight of care
and tollt l FASTENED on, Joined the funeral
tram as 1t was entering the Church. Imade
no inquiry as to whom had died. An aged
minister, a stranger to me, assembled the oul.
pie. his voice trembled as he read the text
" "a Of the furnace of G6Piction hare 7 che.
sen thee" He spoke of the departed sister
of her many amiable qualities and christian
virtues. "She has gone" said he. "to rest
In mansions far brighter than those of earth.
she has gone to receive her reward-the
sparkling crown of Eternal life now rests
upon her brow. She is happy now, for dis.
appointments and sorrows will wiring bor
heart no more /; she is at rest. for EI;;ee Cla.
vers-." my Spirit Bride" I shriaL-
ed, as rushed towards the conp that con.
tanned all on earth that was -ElaSi4 To me-
The Stole may sneer at t4 .of man
sinking beneath a sudden grfel.y ~ mai.