Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1858-01-06

persons, all of whom were gazing upon him
and awaiting his pleasure, in an unlucky
moment, forgetting the solemn promise he
had made to his wife, yielded to the temp
tation set before hnn, and taking the glass
of egg-nogg drank merry Christmas to
all present.
As might have been expected, that 'one
glass only created a desire for more, and
he drank freely before he left, of the wines
and other liquors provided, and when he
Quilted the house of his friend, his thirst
! for the fiery stuff which had so long lain
dormant, had become infiamed an A<1tgeited,
''..a therefore ipstead Of return ), se.toEl
rooms he N na aTfser9 y 9s rsped FORE where
he could indulge his thirst for liquor.
i Meeting in one of those places with
party of his acquaintance, who we're hav-
ing merry time Of it, as they asserted, he
was easily induced to join in with them,
, and remained with the party drinking and
| carousing until late hour of the night
when he was carried home by some of his
, drunken companions, in state of beastly
D intoxication.
l We shall not attempt to portray the
; grief and anguish of the Young wife and
j mother, at the sight of her husband brought
0 home in such condition. The calamity
which she had so long dreaded, and which
: she had prayed Heaven to avert, had again
{ befallen them, and she could do naught but
! weep. When the time for their noon-day
. meal had arrived and he had not returned
q and the supper hour had passed, and still
his familiar tootstep had not been heard
q she had feard that in an evil hour he had
3 given way to temptation, and now her worst
n fears were realized.
On the following morning, Hervey Mid
dleton arose from his couch, suffering Sc
= verely in body and mind from his previous
" nights dehauch, and ashamed and morti-
a fed at his conduct, he renewed his deter
N mination not to be again overcome by
70 temptation.
% At later hour than usual, he repaired
to his place of business, and struggled hard
10 during the day to keep his resolution anC
n. abstain from the intoxicating cup. But il
ut vain, his awakened appetite craved th'
10 fiery stimulant, and he at last gave way t.
ne it, and when he returned home at night
though not realky drunk, he was considerl
II bly, under the influence of liquor
al From this time all the efforts of his friend
- ttH6ffss ttH6 fraspid footsteps than ever, the down
ne ward path to degradation and ruin. Id
lis business declined rapidly in consequence
ne his utter neglect OF it, aud he seou gave
ad az, ontirelv! In a few months Fhe becam
'to confirmed drunkard, and his most int
us mate acquaintance were barely able to r.
ely cognize in the bloated and dist SPEC
men Of humanity pointed out to t---.-s Il
arr noble, generous and handsome Hervey MI
!st = dleton Of hy-gonc days.
lor- Thus he went on for few years, spen
ING his time in idleness and dissipatio
DE- frequentingth lowest grogshops OF the cit
orn- associating with the vilest of the vile, al
loI gratifying his thirst for liquor by any mea
ifeu in his power short of actual theft. /
trihing articles of jcwelry, which in his b
= ~: ms ter days he had given to his wife, were
VS. by one taken from her and spent III drl
n ne Then followed piece after piece OF his o
v and even his wife's clothing, until there '
tne none left to sell, and he went clothed
:n,l. an. rags.
ddle- His wife and children were provided
mary by her friends, but she would not cons
to leave him, though often urged to do
le"iy by her friends she still clung to hlm
mum ali the love and affection of better days,
thehi bore in patience and without a murmur
room neglect and ill-treatment. She still G.
> III, ished the hope that he would reform,
> anu often entreated him to turn aside from
gg' destructive paths Of intemperance and
e per come man again. His friends too,
vance every means in their power to save
but alas in vain He continued to
DC en- scend lower and Iowerin the scale of DIR
satlon enness, and finally died in the streets
Pe'9' wing maniac!
eemed Reader, we have written this short
mems = imperfect sketch to impress upon
owl OF mind the evils of that dreadful curse G
hoefal land. Intemperance, and with the ca
;. hope that the young men OF the pr
rs nm, nm day, may profit by the sad fate OF IL
y !. Deen Middleton, and abstain from the use
mixing toxicating liquors. Ardent spirits as {
tnere- erage can never benefit any one IN the
d even but on the contrary, if indulged in, W
some suredIy produce evils Of the most
i''' y" character.
The man who terms himself a mo-
- ,,rnnu "lOI drinker, who perhaps for years has
merry III 'iio u"i,' go n
d. effects of it in himself, may laugh a
; Ou' assertion, and hoot at the doctrine {
~ abstinence as absurd and ridiculous
I"s l,;nd ~ take care, my friend, the son whom
- :. haps, YOU are raising up to take you
S"1' : in society upon whom you look '
90 InandPF nolP fathers pride and before whom y
; u '''' daily preaching and practising the
i, MA of moderate drinking that son, v
~ 80 80 who, very likely, is already follow
iit''s fathers example, may one dayfill q
a. ards grave. God forbid! But the
ice en been instances of the kind, and til
be, as long as people uphold the g
Of moderate drinking.
nr friends And there is another class of pc
! MOI hurt whom our story is more particular
ends are cable. We mean those who are
ed nm a tent with using themselves and pla
it to him. viIlainous poisin within the reach
the fearful own family, must needs set it IN
that sone nately before those whom char
from the throw in their way; practice IN IL
! #. to the gerona in the extreme, and one
ccd to his ciety should unanimously condem