True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1857-06-10
He RECLAIMED
BY JOHN B. q OUCH.

oL SOhN De uOOGhS
There is no power on earth that will
make man fiend like the power of drink.
One circumstance in my own remini-
scence will give you. l was asked by
an individual to go and see the hardest
case then in town. | said
81 have no right to 60 and see him /;
he will say TO me, who sent you to see
me 7! who told you was drunkard !
You mind your own business and will
mine (; you wait till you are sent for, and
when l want you / will send for you.'-
| have no right" I said, "to 60 to him."
"WelI," said he, che is hard case ;
beat daughter Of his, fourteen years OF
age, with shoemaker's strap so that she
will carry the mark to her grave"
Said |, "He's BRUTE"
"His wife IS very i'll now with fa.
yer, and the doctor thinks she cannot gel
over it the man has not been drunk fol
some days, and if you can get at him now
you might do him some good"
thought l would 60. knocked al
the door he came to open it. He had
been 10 one or Two Of our meetings.
The moment he saw me he knew me-
Said he - ..,
"Mr. Cough, believe y
eyes, that is my name would you
be good enough to give me glass OF wa.
ter, if you please z"
Certainly" said he /; "come in"
So | got in. l sat on one side of III,
table and he on the other. There wer'
two children in the room playing togath
er, and door half way open that led in
TO the room where the wife was i'll.
sat and talked with him about everything
could think of but the subject talke'
of trade and crops. railroads and none.
matters, and then drinking, and he head
ed me off again. looked and / though
l saw a malicious twinkle IN his eye, a
much as TO say, young man, you arr
not up to your business yet
1 was about to give it up; but. thirl
providentially, I saw the children.
said 10 him: ~" l' as''.
you've got two bright looking chill
dren there, sir" ".l Nf
40! yes, yes, bright little things !"
Said ], "You love your children, dom
you :" .h j. -. 81.
Bless the children, to be sure I low
them" .i .a. "- ~
Said l, "Would you do anything t.
benefit your children :"
He looked at me as if he though
something was coming after.
"Well, to be sure, sir, man ought II
do everything to benefit his children"
Then l stood up, so that / might ge
out of the door as speedily as possible
and said {:
"Dont be angry with me, am goinl
to ask you plain and simple question
you know who am. and therefore yol
won't he angry. Suppose you neve
used any Intoxicating liquor, don't yol
think your children would be better of 7
"Well, WE'LL" said he, "you got m
this time"
Said l, "You've got a good wife. hav
you not !" .'A
eyes, sir, as good woman as ever
man had for wife,"
"And Won love your wife ~
"To be sure ! do it is natural that
man should love his wife,"
"And would you do anything yo
could to please your wife 7" la a.,..
swell, I ought to-" grH,gs
"Suppose you were to sign temper
ance pledge, would that please her =
"By thunder, I rather think it would
I could not do the thing that woul
please my wife like that. It i was
put my name down there, why the ol
woman would be up and about her bus
ness in two weeks" 1o7ot,}L
Gas she is sick, said !, then you wi
!, do it." See 9l basa 81
|. eyes, guess I will do it,"
And he at once opened closet, toe
out pen and ink, and / spread Il
pledge, and he wrote his name. aa's +
The children had been listening wi
! ears, eyes and mouth open, while '
!! were talking abou. temperance. The
! knew what drunken father was thu
9 knew what the principle of abs!inen
would do for him and when he h
: sigued, one said to the other: la
: ,"Father has signed the pledge !"
RI "Oh, my - said the other, "now /
! 90 and tell my mother !" and away 81
ran into the room. 't'H.. 'lA
But the mother had heard it, and / ]
3 tened to her calling. pls
2 "Luke Luke come here a N
= ment." A A sa 9',s
a.. Said he, "Come in here along vi
= me come in and see my wife, 8
nj I went and stood by her bedside. I
g face was ghastly pale, the eye large q
!. sunk deep in its socket and with ]
4 long thin and bony fingers she griped
hand, and with the othertook the hs
of her husband, and began telling
) what a good husband she had. vs.
= tLuke," said she, sis q kind husba
OF and good father he takes care Of