Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-12-09
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GATHERING GOLD.

O04x4E04N0 OOAOs
Your gold and silver is cankered; and the
rust OF them shall be a witness against you,
and shall eat your flesh as it were fire.
APOSTLE JAMES
Much of the golden wealth that is gathered
had far better have remained hidden in the
rock-bound eaverns of the earth, so far as the
happiness of the p~ossessor is concerned Gold
does not always bring comfort with it. fit
Is obtained by honest endeavors, and by means
which does not visit calamities upon our fell
low-men, it is a source of many enjoyments;
but, as it is too often obtained, it becomes "a
witness against" the man.
The above quotation from the inspired
JAMES points with fearful significance towards
the man gathering the riches of this world by
selling liquor. He is of no benefit to his race,
and his vocation visits calamities upon all who
become partakers of his compounds. He
gathers gold it is true and provides well for
his W family, but it must be remembered
that he is taking from others without giving
an equivalent return, and, at the same time,
inficts a serious injury upon those who stand
before him as customers.
, Much gold apd silver can be gathered in this
way, but it were better Tor the man had he
| never seen it. While he is piling up the gilt
e tering pieces and admiring the brightness of
Q the same, there are scenes of darkness, sorrow
: and gloom around him enough to dim the
h brightness of his silver and darken the lustre
e of his gold. There, close at hand, is a miser-
s able howell with a poor woman and her chill
dren in ii, shivering with cold and furnishing
for want of bread. The husband and father
$ of that wretched family stands in the grog-
II shop and with trembling hand grasps the
n glass with its poisonous draught, and drops
n his last dime in the palm of the gold-gather-
10 er. There, shut up in his room, is a young
re man raving in the phrenzy ola wild delirium
"a brought on by drink. Despair has taken fast
ed hold of him. He sees no way to escape from
1g the imaginary demons tapping their leaden
wings around him. He is poor and misera-
BILE. He was once rich and contented. His
wealth has gone into the hands of the grog-
seller, or has been squandered in riotous drink
ing and gambling and his happiness fed away
beyond the regions of night. There is a bu.
A"A SWIM ohN " SoO0SAAhS LIotOA LhSNll
N aroundit. Aman after visiting the grogshop for
years become a hopeless drunkard-his proper
ty all gone-his good name forfeited and al
" hope of present o~rsfuture happiness fed for
A"i ever. In a moment of drunken delirium hi
takes his own life, and this scene before us is tn
last sad one in the tragedy. All around tn
pestilent spot scenes of the saddest kind ar
witnessed, while the grogseller stands in hi
shop complacently measuring out his deadl
'py' compounds and gathering gold!
''er OF a truth the gold and silver of all such
Vi cankered-a canker that gnaws at the hear
npa when the possessor would fain enjoy an adj
ion. ring worship before its glittering brightness
4 no A vision r;soc nm before him ond ho+woon i;
Tue and the glitter of his idol-a-vision of a fan
ly stung with poverty vision of a murd
ihso "a vision of a suicide weltering and groa
'"Ny ing in his blood-a vision of death-a visi
- of a soul writing in the eternal agonies oft
lost!
r do ofa .h .aLo
ness"-a swift witness against all such
"nen witness whose evidence shall not be set asiC
and shall be sufficient to write condemnati
s, against the transgressor of law, of Justice a
of right. All the gold and silver so broug
together will not be sufficient to buy HI
peace of mind, or to repay the damages
ficted upon the hapless victims of the trait
The sufferings of the innocent shall rise
: in testimony against them and shall ute,
- condemn. Their cries have been heard a
d by -, "'
Hated - u ~ 'ano are
d.. tered into the ear of the Lord of Sabaoth."
Pun i