Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1855-02-23

dtueuS spirits OF wine. re DaU maze
I the resolve to touch not, taste NOT, handle
not.' till the completion OF his studies,
till he va. old enough 10 control him.
self, till his habits were fixed and do
You remember II, ere | had been ten
minutes bride. his fathr brought him
the wine cup and pleged him in spark
ling glass to his hew wife. All, how !
trembled and shsank from that fathers
first kiss, and how my heart misgave me
how il throbed when saw ny adoFed
William yielding 10 = faiheS's exs,nips,
and grasping without . seeming ihoughs
the contents ofthat cup.
Nonsense, nonsense, Emily" said our
father, when family whispered, "dcnt
William you have persevered so long,
don't commence now, but rather renew
your covenant and resolve never to drink
even wine."
"Nonsen.e, Emily, little wine won't
hurt him. believe in temperance as
much as any one, but the sparkling
CatawaLo' will not hur. lady. Come,
you must not teach him any Of your
squeamish notions" knew, then that
she sparkling Ca,awaba' had worked
evil TO my husbands father, or he would
never have spoken thus to me-He, the
kind, the generous. polite and digni6ed.
10 talk to me then Of being 'squeamish.'
| knew we'll that there was devil in the
cup. even Of sparkling Catawaba''-A.
gain and again, William was pressed to
lv,, a1,n feat
We came West-came to city where
all men, as it were, INDUCED in wine.
My husband felt himself strong to resist
temptation. Ills table could not be set
without wine. "How could he refuse
to others what already offered 10 him !"
Thus, Amy. i, was ,ha, he fell. Not
in those haunts Of wicKedness where the
low and beas,Iy bow themselves into the
dust in sepsuallsn not led by the WICK.
cd and depraved into sin aud shame bu,
by his own fireside, at the altar uf home
with his wife and children around him his
Iiule ones stretching their uI,nsio embrace
him, and his wife pleading even lovingly
against his weakness did he 20 down to
ruin, led by fathers hand, and lured
by fathers example.
Year after year he grew worse, till
unwilling that should see him drink,
he learned TO tarry at the office. the no.
tel, the club room. into the weary watch.
es OF the night and then he grew cold
aud hard, and-shnll | say II to you
Amy brutal. His bloated cheek, his
red trimmed eyes. his distorted face, tod
every passer by the tale. Business for.
-ook him ; his friends iorsook him F.; vir-
tue. religion. maniness lorsook him.
How could they tarry with the drunk
ard
Months ago the spirit Of William died.
y esterday the breath left his suffering
body, aud he is dead. o! doubly dead
to us.-You, Amy. have not seen him
for FIVE years. You will remember him
as the lofty, higtaninded, noble brother
the embodiment Of all that was good and
manly must remember him as the dy.
ing maniac. shriekng in his agony. and
fighting with all madman's fury with
lcgions Of devils. him with
glaring aud blood shot eyes. with foam.
ing month. uttering curses and groans
aud deafning cries.
must remember him as the murderer
Of our boy for it was his hand tnat in
trenzied moment, dealt the blow that pre-.
cipita,ed him down the long figh. Of
stairs, which fall you know end ed his
life.
Spare me. Emily, oh spare me-" l
hear you cry "why have you told me
all this !! Why. ifmy brother is gone,
will you blight his memory thus ln pi-
~ let me remember him as the good and
noble. Have you thought Of the agony
. that this recital will give his grey haired
mother, Of the pangs tha. will grieve his
fathers soul, Of his young brothers, and
sisters Just bursting into womonhood !!
Could you not have spared this recital.
and thrown the mantle Of charity over the
errors of dead husband 7"
Gladly would have spared you. oh my
sister, my mother. my father, and my
brothers. Gladly would | have hid his
sins in my own heart. and locked them
in the caske. of love a. strong as w0manas
heart e'er knew. But stern duty said
no. HE father still orders the wine TO
be placed before the guest; with his
own hand he fills the eItPting glass for
his sons. His mother smiles complac.
emily and makes no effort, and Amy my
sister Amy, and her lover sip the dain ty
necter coyly from the same glass. Amy
aud her lover, he pure and good and
strong now, but no Purer. and NO strong.
er than William in days agone.
Amy said to him, "drink, it will do
you good never mind Emily, she be.
longs to the fanatics, who preach tha,
every man who wants glass now and
then tor exhilaration must become a
drunkard. because foFsooth, some low,
vulgar wretch has fallen into pot house.
Never let woman rule you, WILL"
Dost remember it. Amy
Oh. by that dis6gured corpse beneath
yon winding sheet. by the agony Of the
fearless wife, (no tears have soo.hed me
since he died,) by the tears OF orphaned
children who mus. now depend on char.
ily for their bread. let me implore you,
la ~ a. Al soEa vonp eSo ud q ~ ipst tho do.