Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1858-12-30

in feeling, and picturesque in delneatlon
that it has ever been our qualification to lis
ten to. The audience present were of the
same opinion, and will long remember the
occasion as one of unqualified delight.
From the Christian Intelligcncer.
THE MYSTERY OF THE GOULDY
TRAGEDY.
The awful taagedy which convulsed the
upper part of the town month or two since,
has excited much inquiry respecting its pro-
bable cause. We find calm. lucid, and,
we doubt not, perfectly authentic statement
of the matter in the Advocate and Family
Guardian, from which the following is con-
densed
It appears that young Gouldy's own mo-
ther had died when he was very young, and
little is said of her character and influence ;
but the testimony is unanimous, that his
step mother had filled her place in the fami-
jly, in the most satisfactory manner. She
NEGLECTED no duty and secured the warm
regard of all the members of the household.
The parents were esteemed members of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. Their home
was made pleasant and inviting. The kin
dred ties, the social connections and infuen-
ces Of the family, were all Of desirable
good talents and manly bearing, having su-
perior educational advantages and fine pros
poets in life-in the full possession of his
reason-could have been left to become a
parrtcide, fractictde and suicide, in sin
gle hour?
The moral fabric that he has been weav-
ing in the loom of life the past year, may
perhaps furnish some solution to the
strange problem. We learn that during
the progress Of the revival Of last winter,
this youth was deeply convinced of his lost
condition and need of an interest in Christ.
He was about ilsoid:ng to forsake his sins
and seek for pardon and salvai;a a, 81 sIe
was met BY a member Of a club with whom
he had previously become allied, and urged
to 'sgo once more to the place of revelry,
pay his dues, and remove his name, if he
wished, "but not to sneak out like
coward"
This appeal to his pride overcame his
weak resolves-and soon he was in the midst
of boon companions The fallen acoman
was there, with her Establishments the
Prince of Darkness, too, was there, with
his unseen and unresisted fascinations and
when that youth returned to his home, good
angels wept and demons triumphed. His
soul was polluted. He had dlsobeyed the
command, "Keep thyself pure" The Holy
Spirit was grieved from his heart, and judg-
ing from subsequent developments, took His
eternal flight From that hour he would
listen to no persuasions to leave the down.
ward road, and ever and anon in the COM
pany of the profigate, and exhibited sad
evidence, as occasion prompted, of the fierce
fires burning within him. On that fatal
night the last vestage of restraint was mann
testify thrown off, There he stood forsaken
of rejected Saviour, bringing upon him
self .'swift destruction" How true is it
that
ssThcre is a time, we know not when,
| A point, we know not where,
That marks the destiny of men
| For glory or despair
This time, in the present case, was the
memorable evening when the infatuated
youth went to pay what he supposed would
be his last visit to the club. Then the scale
turned forever. Then his path took the
downward direction to despair; and the final
result was only question of time.
All had been we'll if he had listened to
the voice of conscience, when the Spirit
strove, and he was constrained for time to
inquire what he should do to be saved; if
when met by the tempter and urged to 60
''once more'' in the way Of evil +; had he ta-
ken his Bible, and turned to Prov. vi. 20
"a, and read, "Nly son, keep thy fathers
commandments, and forsake not the law Of
thy mother bind them continually upon thy
heart, and tie them about thy neck. When
thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou
sleepest, it shall keep thee: and when thou
awakest, it shall talk to thee. For the COM
mandment is lamp, and the law is light,
and reproofs of instruction are the way Of
life. TO keep thee from the ev1 aconaan,
from the .fattery of the tongue Of the strange
avon,an." Had he given heed to this and
similar counsels, instead Of the taunts Of the
wicked then he had been safe, and this
chapter of crime and woe left unrecorded
Indifference to these precepts sealed his
doom.
AS~When the tailor looked at the Falls
of Niagara, with its thick cloud of spray, he
suddenly exclaimed,-
Goods! what place to sponge coat'
When corrupt politician looks at seat
in Congress, with all it's immense facilities
for sacrificing the national interests to the
highest bidder, he mentally cxclaims,-
Gods. what place to spong the people."