Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-04-27

CHAPTER II.
" IT seemed that his loving wife upon
dying bed did Jay ; placed there by drum
ken husbands hand. Late one night ne
came in laboring under a fit of +" "mania
potu."
His wife as usual met him at the door
yes, with kind greetings and loving kiss.
With bitter curses he bade her leave him
she clung the closer to him and tried to
remind him of those happy days that were
past and gone, the memory of which now
only served to make their present grief the
more bitter. With weeping eyes she poin-
ted with a trembling hand to her sleeping
babes and begged him, if but fo4 their
sakes, to desist and cast forever aside the
damning bowl--to retrace before twas too
late his downward course. In his drunken
ignorance he laughed an unearthly laugh |
and swore he'd have the lives of those
darling little Ones" Trembling and pale
the wretched mother did plead to move
him-but all in vain, it only served to in
cite him. From his bosom he drew a.
cleaning dagger and in his mania he rush
ed upon the happy little dreamers and
raised to strike the fatal blow; the frigh-
ted mother saw her childrcn's danger and
rushed between. The glittcring blade de-
scended and pierced her fair bosom full
upon him she turned her sad, reproachful
eyes, then dying-fell. In that last ago
nizing look was mingled, reproach, forgive
ness and love. 1t sobered the drunken
man and brought him back his wandering
tB ttfar b96bbr 9b edftB9fas the dssnag
stood and viewed his awful deed, he rush
ed madly around the room and called on
God for help. He kissed again and again
the bloodless features, bent DER the fallen
form and calling by every endearing name
besought her to answer him; but alas !
twas too late, the spirit of the wife had left
its tenement and her warm kiss was still
upon her murderer's lips.
Oh how mad with grief was hel and
how well he knew if he could but reiract
that fatal stroke that he would never touch
another drop, and how fondly he would de-
!, vote his life to her happiness, but ah twas
: all too late. Did he not see before him his
. wife cold and dead with the death-gash in
her bosom? Too surely true. 10 the midst
of his grief white-robed angel appeared
:. and stood by the bedside and he called
: himself "Son of Temperance" and he
spoke and told the man that if he would
: promise to join him ana obey his laws, be
: would restore his wife. And the drunkard
. fell at the angels feet and kissed his gar.
: ments and promised. Then the angel
spake; and the wife alive and well, arose
! and the drunkard with scream awoke
,' and found his loving wife by his bedside
= still anxiously watching. He gazed wildly
- around and could hardly believe his sen,
70 ses. "Are you'll, my dear husband you've
!. :. been talking and tossing here for more thar
s an hour like one in troubled dream ?"
= = a have been dreaming, my wife. Car
- - rie, do you still love your poor husband 2
= "Love him. oh ! yes, will ever low
:" : you, my husband, and will pray to God Il
- help you to retrace your downward steps,
L and the wife placed her little arms aroun,
n his neck and he kissed her, and wept, an,
i told her his dream. They wept togethe
as as and the wife was happy, for she knew tina
- - change had come--that God had an
= swered her prayer.
!. - The next day Mark Stanton became
~. ~ Son of Temperance" and from that da
os he has fourished Health and happines
Z once again bloomed their roses on his wife
- = cheeks-her children no longer cried fc
=. - bread. His voice again was heard anon
b~ 'e the people pleading with eloquence for th
~ ~ down-trodden and oppressed. He is no
:. an old man and he sits on the Judge
bs as bench and the people reverence him for b
"a many virtues.
~ He is still member of that noble ban
20 80 of patriots who boldly oppose that sd
= mon" Intemperance," which is such
j pestilence in our land and brings such U
ter desolation and ruin upon so many ba
,he Ply families.
hto , That dark spot in the past is now T
m -m membered but as fearful dream, and 0
90 ly serves to make the present more hap
~ In from the contrast. The old Judge W
.ne sometimes tell his children of that da
'us era, and with tearsin his eyes will tell the
GOV how the noble @Sons of Temperance"
Aes claimed him from his fallen estate a
teaches them. to love that band of " Brot
>sa Ae ers" and to pray to God for their succe
,uu ,u and they obey him.
arc May Heaven shed its richest blessings
~ the & Sons of Temperance" and may G
o|. w prosper their noble cause.