Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1858-09-08

Y
our family, that darling boy, Henry, was
but six months old-before he had reached
his birthday, his father, instead of taking
his brandy only when he had been exposed
to the inclemency of the weather, resorted
to it morning, noon and night! need
not tell you how it crushed my spirits to
watch this growing appetite, as it was fas-
tening itself upon him-heaven only knows
the deep anguish of soul it occasioned me!
a few short months more and that Cherub,
Harriet, was added to our family. Not
long after this, it was evident that Henry
was on the broad road to destruction. 1t
soon became coH5gnop for him to RETURN
home lntoxica.ed. = His business was neg
lected-his practice forsook him-and
gloom aud despair settled upon our path
way in life. We were soon reduced to
penury and almost want. Still | clung to
him-would warn, admonish and remon-
strate. He would promise reformation
and break his promise-a and promise but
to break it again, so far had he been drawn
into the whirlpool of dissipation that it
seemed, like the charmed bird, it was i'm
possible for him to resist.
After living some two or three years in
this way, in wretchedness, he called me
one morning to the bedside, after deep
debauch the night previous, and address,
ing me, said-"Harriet you must leave
these scenes and return to the home of
your childhood. Take our precious chill
dren and carry them to my mother in n
Carolina, and tell her | will come myself
in Autumn and see her and you" | per-
emptorily refused-but he continued
at mast be so ! I intend to lead a neao life!
but to do this, must leave the SC enes Of
my late associations-I must go where l
am not known, and by temperance and in
dustry can regain that eminence from
which | have so ANONYMOUSLY fallen"
'Finding him resolute and determined,
by the aid of some friends was soon pre-
pared to commence my journey-and on
the same day that l left with those darling
children for the home of my early life, he
departed for home in the still farther
south.
On our arrival at the maternal mansion
Of my husband, various and anxious were
the inquiries of his fond mother for her
only child-her own dear Henry. For
long period | endeavored to prevent any
apprehension on her part that all was not
well-but so few and far between were the
letters which we received from him-so
altered were they in their tone and execu-
LONGER A whole tweIvc5}mf65nrnf 'passec' ana
not a line was received from him ;-aoe
mourned him almost as one dead
Still hope clung to me! l could not
believe that | should never see him more
Judge, then, of my delight, three months
AGO, when l heard from him, that he was
a sober man, and in his right mind. But
read for Yourself reaching to
small toilet table near her, she pulled from
e drawer a letter which she handed, bid
ding me read it aloud. =,
The superscription was blotted and al
v most effaced. The large drops OF happy
n and grateful tears which had been ralne'
o down on that unspeakably welcome letter
y seemed to have stood in puddles on it $
5 often and long, that the large and Dol
/ characters which had once been trace
a there had almost been washed away.
II onened the letter and read as follows:
v "Ny Dear Harriet.-Him whom yo
rs have long mourned as dead him whol
m vou once so proudly called husband al
~ delicbted to claim as the father OF yo1
e. cbildren-him who flung from him b
it. wife, his children, his character, his a
en- for the base pollutions of the bottle-a
nor dresses YOU once more, "clothed and IN
as riobt mind" May /, dare |, hope for tt
Int giyeness at your hands! A bright d
re- has at last dawned upon me, and IN t
al, strength of God, | intend to remain for
ire What I have be- en- for the last two mont
zen a firm Son Of Temperance 1t IS
Sc. this noble Institution that owe my rel
,de mation-it is to one of its members, W
the like the good Samaritan OF old, picked
She up from my degradation and recommen'
and brought me into its sacred told, ths
no am indebted for my salvation! Let y
GU PRAYERS and your smiles be upon it,
ton long lost wife, and teach my little ones
less, they lisp their nightly prisons, to lear
ade. say-"GoD BLESS THE SoNs OF 1EMi
,ud- AScE"-for they have been the mean
on | restoring to them a Father, and to V
ince Husband. Say that you will forgive
mind wanderings and neglect, and as soon
N TO can raise the means, you shall be IN
avn arms Of your repentant Husband. :
'''' HENRY HERBERT
hlch, Tears of inexpressible JOY and graf
% ot stood in the eyes of all, when | had n
you'd ', ed reading this brief but thrilling lett
Il he and the little ones, though unable to
rnlng prehend the meaning Of its languag'
'm ! It's catching the Infection OF sympathy
lei'- filed the hearts of those of us who U
q q had stood it, they simultaneously fell a
denry knees Of their Grandma, as the tears
been down from her eyes upon them, and
ignt ! inr their little hands together, they
glass their ewes to Heaven, and eJacultaa
heart aGod bless the Sons Of Temperance p
'hGIted GT we all Joined in hearty-A"'en
K lea, After brief silence, Harriet res
nalheo az need not tell you that answers
lage- letter with all the tenderness OF so
IN ou- its own language was calculated to
MS pro- Words were inadequate to convey II
ohg aD- ings-but tried to throw my wh'
our new into it (; and but few hours ago 7
pSSseo ~ his answer, stating that on the 10
anu .ne day he would set out to see us;
nappny. the world would not have you
Nrl that ioyful meeting.