Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1855-11-16

vi s4""teio WIN WhEH I've IOIeSt aOOuDu
ed. The woods seemed to he LITERAL,
alive with them., They issued forth in
crowds upon the farmers fields, and com.
mii.ed great ravages upon the rlpenine
corn. At length q meeting was called
en- masse to deliberate upon the bes, rem
edy Tor getting rid Of So terrible annoy.
ance. !, was resolved every man and
boy who could carry q gun, sheuld sally
forth on the following Friday, scour the
woods and fields. and then rendezvous
at an appointed hour in a grove OH the
farm Of one Of my neighbors.
The day appointed Cor the hunt was
extremely pr"pitious. The almost entire
male population Of the neighborhood
went forth fully equipped for the spor,
and all day long the woods rang with the
reports Of rifles busy in extefminaling
the marauders.
AT an early period | started for the
grove where the hunters were to meet.
On the way | passed The house Of a
young mechanic named B, whom
| knew well. lie was an industrious
man and an excellen, workman, but had
one fault the bane of his llfe-lNrEMpER.
ANcE.-Many dollar OF his hard learned
wages passed into the till Of my grocery
lie was just stating for the hunt as
came up. His wife was standing at the
gate, entrea,ing him not to 60, saying
,ha, she had experienced a gloomy fore
bodlng Of some impending evil connect.
ed with the affair, Nonsense, wife, re-
piled her husband, smiling, you are only
little nervous this morning-,ha,'s all
Will you promise me not to drink any
,o.day!' continued she, for you are all
armed, and you know the old saying,
that when rum is in, the wits are out.
Well said the husband at length. 'to
satisfy you. will promise not to drink
anything intoxicating to-day Saying
tins, he set out for the forest, whis.ling
merrily as he went.
"At the appointed hour, the gunners
me, IN the grove, where had everything
in readiness for their reception, not ex-
ceP;ng good supply of liquor. Highly
elated with their days sport, for their
hunt had been emlnently successful J
and with appetites sharpened by the ex-
cursion, they sat down to dispatch the
feas, prepared for them. All drank freely
excep, young B.. Our minister,
who was present, participated with the
rest, and in speaking Of the temperance
movement. which was just beginning TO
be agitaled, raid that he did no, approve
Of it, Liquor, he said, was one of Gods
creations, and like all Of them was for
some good end-that the evil lay no, in
the use of liquor, but in the abuse Of it.
This same man has since been degraded
from the pulpit Tor drunkenness. Our
village physician, who was also present,
remarked, (ah Doctor, how much have
your profession to answer for the misery
occasioned BY in,emperance, } that it was
healthy, harmless beverage when used
nodera'ely-that invigoraled and enI'-
vened men when fatisued, and was dan.
gerous only to fools who do not know
how TO use it. As ior himself, he was
no, afraid of its hurting him. This adj
vocate Of drinking now sleeps in the
drunkards grave. having died Of the de-
lirium tremens.
"Young B listened attentvely
to these blind guides, and saw that his
resolution was shaken BY the argument,
advanced by those whose opinions he had
always looked to with Difference was
secretly piqued that his wife should have
so much influence over him; and afraid
OF losing so good a customer, ! resolved
10 make him drink.
"Come, B." said |, why do you
not take hold with the rest!"
"B-'s abstinence had been OBJ
served by Others with considerable cha
grin for he was an excellent singer.
and when intoxicated, told comical sto-
ries with a most ludcrous effect.
"The reason is apparent" said !; "he
is under pe,,icoat government. This
morning heard him promise his hysteri-
cal wife that be would not drink any to
day."
What" h,ccupped drunken loafer.
"henpecked, hey! III be darn'd if Id
be tied TO my wife's apron string after
that fashion. Id let her know that Id
drink when pleased"
His wife, who was very weakly wo-
man, had often felt the weight Of the iron,