Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1858-02-24
ScoME AND SET ,s

soclate Editor g
@CoME AND sEEr /.
UNTo all who affect to believe that Intern
perance is not the monster curse of the day
the great and undated scourge it has been /.
represented, our caption Come and
see p
Come up to the old church on the hill,
behind which lies the old grass grown grave
yard, where the willows drop tears of sorrow
from the tips of their long, leafy fingers, and
where the cedars cast shadows darker and
more sorrowful than those of the lindens by
the meadow where the children play.
Come and see'' an old mother, SO old that
her once raven hair is now silvery white,
kneel at a grave long since sodden and green
with grass, and listen to the whispering of a
prayer. "Whose grave is that, mother -
" That is the grave of my only son." And
was he a good, faithful son, mother2" "Once
5 be was; and / looked to him to be my protec-
tor when age had enfeebled me but he took
to drink, and one night at the village grog-
e shop he got into a quarrel and was killed, and
that was the sad end of my poor boy"
If you didn't see that, there is another
= scene that you may see.
"Come and see" a young widow lean ing
n over the graveyard wall, with tears dropping
n on a new made grave, while a little child
plays among the leaves at her feet. Whose
Is grave is that, sister, over which you mournr p
:" " Alas! that is the cold resting place of my
poor lost husband" Sand was he a good
Z husband, sister p Ali once he was all
that my heart could wish he was loving,
kind and generous, and our home was a bright
= and fowery Eden, and we were happy. But
al aserpent entered. My husband was led away
- from me by evil companions to the grogshop
- and the gambling table, and soon all was a
,ld wreck-love, hope, hearts and home. His
- career was rapid, and all that was left me of
re my former happiness lies hidden in that mar
" row house of clay !" "Pray Heaven, sister,
that his soul has found a resting place where
these terrible calamities never come.' would
that l could, stranger; but my faith in the
,ou Bible forbids it. He died, oh how misera-
ion ble-how terrible-how frightful! For days
ton and nights he raved in the furious wildness
of distraction, battling with imaginary devils
dis ana at the last moment, Win a scream tha'
l. will never die out of MY ear, he sprang al
.xes most from his bed and hid his face in my DO
the som, begging me to keep them away, ant
thus he died. How can | hope ~
will Ii you oont see that' tnere Is anotne
scene you may see:
"Come and see' an old, old man, witt
locks as white as snow, leaning on a long sta
and looking down with dim yet earnest eye
upon a sunken grave at his feet. He is an oil
old man, and ] lhis joints tremble with infirm
ty, while a single tear drop, as fit might be til
last, falls upon the grave and glistens in tt
po"- rays of the eveningsun. "Whose grave is tina
e III fathers" "That" tapping the sod gent
the with the tip of his cause, "that!I though
: re- everybody knew that was my son John
lding grave. But. mavbe. YOU never heard abo
l re- NV = Jobn will toll Won. Jobn ",
one of the most peaceable, well behaved bo
. "a in the parish he was good to me-, kline to h
Uo old mother THAT over there has been h
. are grave, | don't know how many years. and
lous) was beloved by all his companions. B
spon- John got in the habit of taking a little spiri
now and then and after q While he pot to O
ing to the grogshop and coming home into
nd as icated, and when | talked with him about
other he cursed me! So one night at the villa
wiling grogshop there was a big drunk, and Jol
party got into a quarrel with one of the neighh
ction, boys, one of his best friends too, and stabb
Il40lc L. 80 4loA - 1:od ,ooo 4ha eoo4i II
par grave is over in the other corner under IL
uence big cedar) Well, John had broken the L
g Cloe and the law took him in charge. l spent
| had to get him out of the hands of the la
great" Int It was no avail. So the Law hing hi
alls of That ;s a hard word for a father to saw of
son, but it can't be helped and that was
end of my poor John. 1t wasn't John Il
done the murder it was the invisible dc
'ims in the rum that he drank that done the bloc
)" but dood yos tbot ;S Iobn,s ,rovo ond Tho
and A. +horo Ibou, oo,,
VIM here now and then, off and on, for twent,
oimf fortyI don't know how many years, to
U member and remember. But soon | 81
y ana come no more, for my days sun hies hin
news bic so++;no ord tho, 7 sbou romomhor y
hIO oS0bAAtS1 dld0 II Il Ohuh OlA 4
things no moreno moreno more!"
:. I'LL If you don't see that, there are other see
:, o,r you may see:
- "Come and see" two little children oy,
:. ond new made grave under the willows. 7
o.t;a are busy laying their plans. "Ho!li little O.
-: whose grave is that p "Papa's grave, S
/" And was he a good Papa p "Someti
he was, Sir but sometimes he would d
us out of the house, and beat mother /,
- sticks, and say big ugly words, just sue
mother used to tell brother and | if we
the Good Man would never take US to
beautiful place where aunt Mary went sin
'vislon' so happy when the snow balls were in
hat our som. No, Papa was not a good Papa al
u. We time but we loved him and we have {
that to plant the flowers he loved best on
iskey is grave"
You may not see any of the scenes We
pictured, but, such scenes are to be witne
Ter from if you look at the right time and in the
news. places. The grayeyards oft land are
ponL Of +oD all over with the ruefu1 trauedieS oi