Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-07-16
D0Imme L
Blighted and Blasted.

There are mortals in this world whose life,
from its earliest budding Town to the sere
and yellow leaf" seems to be ever blighted
and blasted. Through every scene-at eve
ry stage all seems dark and gloomy to them,
without one single ray of joy to glimmer
through the darkness and gloom. How ma
ny, alas, how many travel through paths
where daisies refuse to grow and where the
only flower is the piercing thistle.
Here is one whose race is well nigh run
whose course is almost finished. She has
suffered out her measure of grief and the eve
is closing to all earthly scenes. Come and
see. Deep lines of terrible anguish are CHS
eled around the pale trembling lips, and dark
shadows of past trials have gathered upon
the cool brow of her so near the borders of
the spirit land. The iron finger of death
fails to wipe them out. Thank God her time
is at hand-the eye brightens as it now and
then catches ~glimpses of the delectable hills
of the promised Canaan-the ~exulting soul
clings by a frail tenure to the weary body.
She was q drWnkard'S rife! All how
that word chills and benumbs the blood in
OAO AuhO lCnpAO VI 2 lOuSduQ HCdIIS . n
~drunkard's wifel In the bright morning of
} life she had given her heart and its first love
1 to one whom she considered worthy of the
boon. In a little while she saw him begin
!, to go down the dark path that leads to the
e drunkard's grave. She trembled-she plead
with him-she prayed for him-she earnest
ly entreated the Great God to save him BIZ a
miraculous exhibition of His power. In
vain, alas in vain.
n And then there was her only son-her on
IN ly child-him Ger whose cradle she had bent
S, a thousand times, tracing each well known
m. feature of the father in the child's face, and
ry praying that with the features all resem-
is blance between the two might have an end
ms that he might be sober and %virtuous and be
e a single daisy along the dark path she trav.
eled. Alas a fathers example is sometime:
lgs stronger than a mothers counsel. The sol
he sought the dram shop, and amid the terrors
Mt, of a terrible mania induced by strong drink
The be groaned, CRASHED his teeth and died.
if The father too died drunk. He persisted j
the a snow storm one winters night. A drur
-er- ken father and a drunken son lie side b
nd side in the graveyard hard by the messy roo
airy ed church.
led, Is it a wonder that the poor wife and m,
the ther is dying of grief Enough sorrow hi
ion, been crowded in and pressed down upon he
are poor heart to crush her, though she were q
$ of Atlas of granite. Like the beautiful flow
Amt and the tender grass before the glitteril
US scythe of the mower, she has fallen and h
gree life is blighted and blasted
,hil- And all through this beautiful world
9 Of ours there are thousands of suffering wiz
uch and mothers, whose hearts are slowly brea
and ing, whose tears are ever flowing, who
signs are ever upheaving-all caused by t
Internal doings of Rum, against whose mi
esty it is almost treason to speak. But '
+he shall eontinne to donounce it while the al
road moves and the nerves obey the mandates
mer- the brain-while there is helpless life for
'her, to blight and blast. :