The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1857-04-30

Henu ike Tue power ot tuTink. one ciFCums
stance in my own "reminiscences will give to
you. was asked by an individual to go and
see the hardest case then in town. L said,
81 have no right, to go and see him; he will
say to me: ssWho sent you to me; who told
you was drunkard? You mind your own
business andI will mine; yon wait till You are
sent for; and when want you I will send for
you.' .''os have no right said ssto 60 to
him., 1sss 1EstmsTa .si1saEassg gan
sssWell," said he, che Is hard case, he beat
adaughter OF his fourteen years Of age, with
a shoemaker's strap, so that she will carry
the mark to the grave" Ff i.ss3 a95a
Said !, ,s'he's brute.' s8l fa sadasa
ellis wife is very ilinow with fever. and
the doctor says he thinks she cannot get over
it; the man has not been drinking for some
days, and il you can get at him now, think
you might do him good" frs',,ed 3ssfa
Il thought would go. / knocked at the
door; he came to open it. He had been to
one or two Of our meetings. The moment he
saw me he knew me. Said he, agg
"Mr. Cough, / believei''o Alsaz ls.as gsae.
seYes, thatis my name; would you be good
enough to give me q glass of water II you
please?" 1asf lo ess.yrsy ied 48l E4
."Certainly,' said he, sscome in
So Igot in. sat on one side of the table,
and he on the other. There were two
children in the room playing together, and a
door halfway open that led into the room
where the wife was i'll. I sat and talked with
him, about everything could think of but
the subject; talked OF trade and crops, and
railroads and money matters; and thea drink
ing, and he headedime off again. looked
and I thought I saw a malicious twinkle in
bis eye, as much as to say, "Young man, you
are not up to your business yet" r ,s
was about to give It up; but, I think PROV
ileniially, lsaw the children, said to him,
-" you've. got two bright looking children
there, sir" .f...ds. s. s,
30. yes, Yes, bright little things!'' r
Said !, sE'You love your children don''
Iyou?" gs .,.+~ ,...,s .,,,s.st<.,,t,s i :
"Bless the children, to be sure I love
shem.o .z..s..,.t N, Il. -. !.
Said !, "wouldn't you do anything to bene-
ct your children!'' ,..,,.. f,s...s..s... ar.
He looked at me as if he thought something
was coming after. -. :.
swell, to be sure. sir,''' said he ga, man
ought, to do everything to benefit his chill
dren.o - ! .,,....
Then stood up, 20 tina. might get out Of
the door as speedily as possible, and said, Il.
"Don't be. angry with me; am going tc
ask yen plain aid simple question; yon know
who ] am tharefore you won't be angry? Sup
pose you never used any more intoxicating
liquor, don't you think your children would
be better ofT?,', s.ss s..l....s,f..
"Well, wells" said he, "yoa have got ms
this time .sF..ss. n. - -ss,-.,..
Said ]. ."You have got a good wife, haven,
you?" 80, ...tt. ........s
"Yes sir, as good wife as ever good
mar had for wife?'' ,..-.. s.s,l.-.
aAnd you love your wife?'' s.t
GTo be sure I do; it is natural that mar
should love his wife.''
Sand you would do anything to please. your
wife?,
= S--,la =
"Well, Ioughtto." !, .,.-s I. osa, .s... +.
.'.Spppose you were to sign temperance
pledge, would that please Ler?'' s.a.
"By thunder, rather think it would;
could not do the thing that would please my
wife like that. If was to put my name dowr
there, why. the old woman would be up and
about her business in two weeks"
! ssAs she is sick,,' said I, ssthen, you will d,
lit?, ,sass ses s,.sie
eYes, I guess I win do it.n And he at ono,
| opened closet, took out pen and ink, and
spread out the pledge, and he wrote his name
The children had been listening with eyes
ears, and months wide open, while we wer'
talking about temperance. They knew wha
a drunken father was; they knew what tht
principle Of abstinence would do for him; AMI
when he had signed, one said to the other,
Father has signed the pledger' ases ~
go! my!" said the other, snow pll go ans
tell my mother" and away she ran into TIL
other room. aat sNlsisa - s7saT ''s'l fsF
But the mother had heard II; and listen
ed to her calling. iossHsr s}iftf
loaLuke! lake, come in here a moment.os
. Said he, s,Come in here aicag with me; com,
in and see my wife.' ~ ,FsIe8 = aaF5 heaii9
Event and stood by her bedside The Fac,
was chastity pale, the ey large and sunk dee
in its socket; and with heriong. thin, and DO
ny fingers, she gripped my hand, and with In
other took the hand Of her hushanii, and be
gar telling sms what good husband sh,
hati.~ a09va sio7 .'it stasaafssTs tssi
ssssL Luke, "a said. she sis kind husband and
good father; he takes care OF the childre,
and Is very kird to them; hut the driak, q
the drink makes terrible dif6culty.' That diff
6cultyl God only sAd the crushed wife of tn
intemperate man know anything aboas 1t. asa
The man shook like leaf; he snaehed M
hand from the grasp OF has wife, tore dow,
her night dress from her shoulder, and said
.Look at thatYssnd on het white thin anecl
close to her shoulder was 4 bad mark. Sal
he, sslooK at that;" and when I saw the mari
of a, bruise, i felt nv flesh creep. Said he
ssiook At that, sirssI did Il three days besor
she was taken down upon her bed; and she ha
told you that she has good husband. Am
Am Ia good husband to her? God Almight
forgive me!" ana he bowed over that woma
and wept like child, gripped the bed ctothe
in his hands ans h,d his face in them. An
i che Laid her thin hand ny,,n ME- hea and ca n