The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1857-04-02
A TEMPERANCE STORY.

was in the medical staff Of the army du-
ring the revolutionary war. was rather
young to be there. Ny constitution as one
OF the best. Had il been otherwise. should,
no doubt, have fallen victim to the habits
which contracted in early life. NV tenden-
cies were convivial; temptations to intemper-
ate drinking and gambling were always pres.
ent, and imPortuna.e; we were a clique by
ourselves, with no one to molest or make
afraid; and no one thought himself degraded,
by being drunk. z5 aSaarE lafsfsfgz,r
married, very early in life, when I was
little better than boy. The girl that mar
ried was thought to be great deal too COOL
for me, by everybody bnt herself was not
intemperate then? and, for time, my wife,
and our little home seemed all the world to
me. She had little property and, in about
year after ou- marriage she gave birth to
daughter. Bad habits soon got the mastery
Of my better feelings. The gay circle at the
tavern, or the quarters Of some comrade, be
came irresistible; and the very consciousness
Of the neglect to which I was subiecting the
woman, whom had promised to 1--we and to
cherish, began to make her presence unde-
sirable, and home place Of mental and moral
punishment. Qualms, and struggles, and gnaw-
ing Of the worm that dies not, doubtless there
were, neither few nor far between; but the
temptations were irresistible. was lost. 1
knew IL.
The details Of thousand cases are much
the same. The little modicum OF property
that my wife brought me had dwindled away,
piece after piece. Where had it gone? Down
my Unsuitable throatl Ihad swallowed it, or
gambled it away! No memorial remained,
but rags and tatters. We were very poor.
A more uncompaining woman God never
made. She struggled to hide even her tears,
to save me from pain, on her account. .. ,..
Let me pass over some three years Of mis-
cry, and come at the conclusion Of the whole
matter. One bleak December morning, was
about going forth, as usual, from my wretch
ed habitation, when my wife put her hand on
my shoulder, and pointing first to our sick
child, and then to q few brands upon the
hearth, reminded me that those were the last,
and that it was bitter cold. As turned away,
promised to send her some fuel immediately
! soon met some Of my comrades, and, re-
sorting to the tavern, we passed the hours. as
usual, in drinking and revelry, until near mid
night, when staggered homeward.@ It was
piercing cold. I reached my doorstep, and
placed my hand upon the latch-then It first
occurred to me thst l. had wholly forgotten
my promise. had sent home no fuel. en-
tered the apartment. A light was still burn
!, ing. The hearth was cold. My wife sat
rocking her sick child, in the cradle. She
turned her eyes upon mine. The tears were
/ streaming down her shivering cheeks. 20
eWife," said ], s.for heavens sake, when
will you leave off crying?" .s' a@ Has g
.'Desr husband, - said she, "when you leave
off drinking.n aga ,1ofH .aollala1.sss 76
"God help me-" exclaimed, as + put my
arm around her neck, for the appeal was ire
sistible-"God help me, and win never
touch another drop.o gg lIsga So
BY Gods help never have, to the present
! hour; and, from the date Of that resolution,
the days of our uninterrupted happiness be-
4 gan.0 A .G4aF# 81 fssas T Nh s3s rs