Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-06-06
O. toite I1teratnre.
His Last Night at the Card Table.

Ills AdSI N1SuI dI CA0 OdAU AdUA0'
The following passage from real life, car
ries a most impressive warning. 1t is to be
found in DR.. Murray's Parish Pencilings:'
On my first appearance among my people
as their pastor, my attention was strongly
arrested by the appearance of one of my
hearers. Hewas an aged man, and his whole
exterior evinced that, although moving in
the more humble walks of life, he was a
character. Although afflicted with the shak-
ing palsy, his step was firm, and, under the
circumstances, quick; his countenance was
marked, and, although shaded by a massive
pair of spectacles, was full of emotion. With
his head slightly inclined, he urged his way
through the crowded aisle to pew in front
of the pulpit, where he reverently took his
seat, and by silent suppcation, prepared
himself for the worship Of God and what
ever might be the state of the weather, there
he sat on each returning Sabbath, as long
as his health permitted, and with the regu-
larity of the sun aud bis appearance evinced
tha: he was deeply interested worshipper.
His apparent anxiety to hear was greatly in
creased by partial deafness and when the
love of Christ was the theme of discourse,
the big spectacles were often removed that
he might wipe away the falling tear.
[ felt anxious to hear the history of man
whose appearance thus strongly arrested my
attention. As was a new pastor, he was
frank, but somewhat reserved in our first in.
terview, but his confidence increased with
our acquaintance, and soon he unbosomed
to me his whole heart; and the following is
in brief, his narrative:
9 He was a youth at the commencement of
,, the war of the Revolution, and not long az
ter its commencement, enlisted in the regu-
lar army. He fought nobly in many of its
battles, and at the close of the war returned
. to private life, thorough adept in almost
! all the vices ofthe camp. He drank, swore,
: : gambled, until he became proverb for these
, vices. Thus, with family growing up
= = around them, he pursued his mechanical pro
q fession in small way, until old age had
' commenced its encroachments upon him.
- Notwithstanding his vices, bis frank, manly
y ~ and decided character always obtained fo
" him respect. His sons grew up in imitation
of the fathers example, and in the practice
b b of his vices; and many night did they
= = spend corrupting one another at the card
10 table, amid mutual recriminations when the,
= lost or won.
II II In the winter of 1907 there occurred
- storm commencing early in the afternoon
= and ragged with great violence through tn
= night. AS there was no exit from the house
~ the father invited his son to the card-taoIe
- :, Bets were made; and seeing that the SO
IL IL was gaining the advantage, the father OF
- = dered the brandy bottle, hoping that BY ge
~ ~ ting his son drunk, he might extinguish b
u. ~ wits, and thus come off winner. For th
'as m purpose, while pouring out for his son, /
-. ~ abstained himself. In the proportion h
'"O son drank, he became the loser and, el
~ ~ ragged with brandy and his losses, he cha
ny ged his father with cheating him. A fgl
~ =. ensued, in which the father was the victo
- :s and after first making him drunk, then wi
=" ale ming his money, and then severely beatiI
~ him, he shut up his son in bis bedroom.
:, From the room where the card.table W
.ue spread, feeble light might be seen throu|
lo the pelting of the storm, sending outitssic
n;o 70 ly rays through the whole night upon t
~ Not nuO0o VI viz IOhpcSLs 11dNluS 1OCh
En- En- up his drunken and beaten son, the faith
D.n returned to the fire to prepare for his o,
!" retirement to rest. And very soon the te
NJ pest without was but faint emblem of Il
., ,au which arose in his own bosom. The gu
,'n' , !, ton arose, What have I been doing g
III II That suggested another, and others, until
cai' enormity of his conduct was opened in
owe its crimson folds before him. He saw
I'VE ls1' vile conduct as parent corrupting his son
uai- teaching him to swear, to drink, to gam
4 10 -an6 beating him for conduct induced
Sc the poisoned cup which, with his own ha
ies' ', he put to his lips. His noble soul awoke
'ne 1e from dream, and he detested it all
'uia q conduct, in its sinfu.ness toward God, r
~ up before him, and he abhorred it.
lahe s looked forward to the judgment. bar, VIII
auu strict account should be rendered for
every act, and the terrors of death got
.ao of him. When he thought of God, he tire
louS bled. His neglected Bible was taken d.
'ner and read. The storm without seemed
~ ~ increase that which was raging in his S
= To- and he read, and wept, and prayed U
'o%- ' the morning light. It was his last nigh
Tue the card-tabie.
par He was not man to conceal his