Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-10-08
Fruits of the Reform.

1t does the heart good, now and then, to
the reformation of some poor, miser-
able drunkard, and see the great change for
the better come over the man, the wife and
the little ones. Thank God, these blessed
of the reform are gathered with every
year. Although the reform is sneered
at, and derided, and Knocked in its feebleness,
yet it is ever silently at work, shedding its
blessings in homes once dark as nights deep
noon with clouds and shadows that crush
the heart of the stricken. There are thous-
ands of living witnesses ready to bear testi-
mony that they have been rendered comfor-
table, respectable and happy by cutting loose
from their habits of dissipation and attaching
themselves to some organization for the sup
preston of intemperance. This is a fact
that no one dare gainsay. The reform has
not accomplished everything, and indeed not
so much perhaps, as some of its most san
guine friends anticipated, but the cause has
borne fruits and by them we would ask that
the tree might be judged.
We challenge any one, even the most bit
ter enemy of the cause, to cast about and
answer honestly if the reform has not done
much, aye very much, towards improving
the social, the moral and the pecuniary con-
dition of some within their own personal OBJ
seryation. Has it been instrumental in
causing one drunkard to look and see his
wretched condition Has it reached down
the strong arm of humanity into the cess-pool
of moral degradation and lifted some blight
ed and bloated fellow-man therefrom-washed
him-made him clean-set him on a hill, a
light and an example of all that is good and
worthy? Has it been a beacon light casting
a warning ray across the gloomy sea of de-
bauchery, warning those who float thereon
of the hidden breakers of death beneath its
surging waves-ofi it's seething w%hirlpool-its
storms and its drifting tide Has it been
as a blessed sunlight cleaning into broken
homes and driving back the darkness even
as the morning sun drives back the shades OF
night ? Have broken hearted wives and
mothers risen up and called it blessed?-
Have shivering orphan groups been sheltered
from the piercing blast of the winter storm
and bread been given them? Has it ever
accomplished anything but what is good ?
For bread has it ever given a stone ? or fol-
a fish, a serpent ? or for an egg, q scorpion
The true spirit of the reform has been gooC
will towards man, and only good. Thous
ands of worse than GAdarene devils hav
{ been cast out of drunken ~lunatics and tn
) men have become clothed and In thel
. right mind" To these, and thousands Q
. others, we point with pride and say, behol'
: the fruits of the reform!
> We once knew a man, and we knew nil
,, we'll, who was a fatally confirmed drunkaro
4 In his home he was drunken and abusive
! At public gatherings he was among the eai
hest among the topers to be stretched on tn
J ground. With soiled clothes, tattered ga
J ments and bloody nose he would go to n
: home and abuse those claiming his love an
I protection. He squandered his property an
! became reduced to want. In this way
& passed the better part of his life. After b
e head began to whiten with the frosts OF man
winters, he formed the happy resolve to aDal
don his evil habits of drinking. lie VIZ
elected and initiated a Son of Temperate
lie but the brethren did it without the hope
his remaining sober one week. Years ma