Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1857-04-18
II HE r, Eel A ! M E D
BY JOHN d. COUGH.

will give to you. l was asked by an indi-
vidual to go and see the hardest case Ihen
in town. said
"I have no right TO go and see him he
will say to me, who sent you to met who
told you was drunkardY You mind
your own business and | will mine you
wait till you are sent for; and when want
you l will send for you Ihavc no right
I said, "to 60 to him."
"Well," said he, "he is hard case
he beat daughter of his, fourteen years
Of age, with a shoemaker's strap, so that
she will carry the mark to her gr .vc."
Hes BRUTE" said [.
Z" His wife is very ill now with a fever
and the doctor thinks sic cannot &C: over
it; the man has not been drinking iors me
days, and it you can get at him now |
think you might do him good.'
| thought would 60, I knocked at
the door; lie came to open it. lie had
been to ono or two of our meetings. The
moment he saw ne he knew mo. Said
he
"Mr Cough, I belicyc?'
" Yes, that is my name; would you be
good enough to give me gla's Of water, if
you please!"
Certainly" said he, "comc in"
So ! g t in. sat on one side of the
table and he on the other, There were two
children in the room playing tolether, and
a deer half way open that led into the
room where the wife was ii. ! sat and
tlll;ed with him about everything I could
think of but the subject; | talked Of trade
and crops, railroads and money matters,
and then drinking, and he headed me off
again. | looked and thought | saw n
malicious twinkle in his eye, as much as
to say, "Ioung man, you are not up to
your business yet"
was about to give It up; but, l think
providontially, ] saw the children. l said
to him:
"You'vc got two trightlo king children
there, sir
80! yes. yes; bright little things"
You love your children, don't YOU
said 7.
Bless the children, to be sure | love
hem"
Would YOU do anything to benefit your
chldreng" asked.
lie 10 ked at me as if he thought some
thing was coming after.
"Well, to be sure, sir; N IN ought to
do everything to benefit his children"
Then | stood up, 50 that | might get
ou' Of the door as speedily as possible, ohd
said
| Don't be angry with me; am going
to ask you a plain and simple question
you know who am, therefore, you won
be angry! Suppose You never use any
more Intoxicating liquor, don't you think
your children would be better off,"
We'll we'll" said he, "you have got
me this time"
"You have got a good wife haven
yon!" said J.
Yes, sir, as good woman as ever
GOOD man had for wife"
"And you love your wife,
"To be sure I do; it is natura that
man should love his wife"
"And you VI vould do onything you coul
to please your wife! =
"Well, ought to-"
Suppose you were 10 sign tcmperanc
pledge, would that please her! :"
"By thunder, I rather think it would;
could not do the thing that would pleas
my wife like that. If l was to put m
name down there, why, the old woma
would be up and about her business in tw
weeks"
"As she is sick" said !, then YOU wi
, do it."
"Yes, 1 guess I will do l."
, And he at once opened closet, too
/ out pen and ink, and I spread out IL
pledge, and he wrote his name,
!. The children had been listening wit
eyes, ears and mouth wide open, while "
were talking about temperance. The
g knew wha, a drunken father was; the
. knew what the principle of abstinenC
9 would do for him; and when he had signet
G one said to the other--
$ "Father has signed the pledgo!"
d "Oh, my!' sad the other, "now 1
G go and tell my mother;" and away 81
h ran into the other room.
5 But the mother had heard it, and | Ii
$ tened to her calling,
n "Luke Luke come here a moment.
:; Said he, "Come in here along with Ii,
D, conc in and see my wife,"
,t went and stood by her bedside. III
/. face was ghastly pale, the eye large al
n sunk deep in its sockets and with her lol
IS thin and bony fingers she griped my han
IS and with the other took the hand Of h
If husband, and began telling ne what go
10 husband she had,
!Hr Luxe" said she, "is kind husbal
NJ and good father; he takes care of t
II children, and is very kind to them; b
N the drink, o! the drink makes territ
IS difficulty"
Thatdificultyl God only and the crush
wife of the Incorporate man know anythi
about it.
e. The man shook like leaf; he snatch
Us his hand from the grasp of his wife, t.
er down her night dress from her should
and said
"Look at that !" and on her thin ne
- close to her shoulder, was a bad mark