The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1859-06-08
S00S Gtwplars Column.
From the Home and School Journal.
MOUNT VERDANT PAPERS.

TEMPERANCE MEETING IN TAVERN.
Again look at the drinkers taste for
music. We sober exquisites are never
satisfied with common music. We must
have harmonious sounds or none at all.
But this man Of whom just spoke, lay
in all his humility, listening TO the squeal-
ing of a pig fast in the fence, exclaiming:
q "Hic, what delicious music, HEP
AS 10 liquors being creature of God,
it is so, just as arsenic and gymnson weed
and miasmatic marshes, that spread ague
and death in the land. With a song /
viii set down:
40, give me good whisky ask nothing more,
Twill make a soft bed Of the ground or the floor.
And If my dear children are crying for bread,
Twill hush them TO sleep and send them to bed ;
And IL I'm in trouble and wife lies in pain,
I'll take 10 my brandy and sugar again;
Twill luli all my feelings and drown all my sor-
row,
And make me forget the debts due tomorrow
Twill hush me to peace and dry all my tears,
Twill silence my conscience and Danish my
Then give me good liquor, I ask nothing more,
Twill make soft bed Of the street or the floor"
When l sat down there was silence in
the house. The hearts of the crowd
seemed to be turned pensively towards
home and the past. The song had the
desired effect. l broke the silence and
asked another 10 speak. There was no
response. / heard the landlord mutter,
3D." for even he seemed TO feel the
expressions Of conscience-perhaps the
first time for years. AT this crisis the
president spoke:
"May be the man in the corner will
speak for us"
The man in tho corner had been a
"Shiel among us taking notes." silent but
listening with interest. He now respond
ed to the call of the president, and arose
to address us.
"The Storm" said he, "that is now
raging without, has compelled me to be a
= listener here. AT first, l wished myself
away; but the affair has turned to such
phase am glad have this privilege Of
speaking. You have had laughter and
ridicule, and all seemed to be appropriate
to the occasion. The last song has pro-
duced a pensive silence which l will not
disturb, but will improve in n speech Of a
pensive nature. Forgive this sadness
but touch subject which makes my
heart-strings vibrate with symphonies Of
woe. l speak not with my lips the OBJ
servations of mine cyes-but my heart
speaks to you! ! have mother. Hove
her. AT the ago of two years was but
an orphan in cold world. My father
went to the spirit-land. In one year
had step-father. He was an upright
man, but there was worm in the bud o.
promise. According to the custom o.
those days my new father used his daily
bitters at home and in the field. He held
and oft repeated the doctrine, "There is
no danger Of me becominga drunkard.'
Years passed. He came to the West t.
seek US new home. In year we came
to Join him. We anchored off the city
of Centralia, and were taken to the shore
in fat-boat. As we approached the
landing we saw our father on the shore
but how changed! His once genia
face was bloated and Redeemed by alcho
hol. We soon learned the home we ex
pected to find was in the Golfers of the
rumsellers. Cat this the landlord looked
daggersD Years have since passed
spent by him in dissipation and poverty
i will not recount the scenes of suffering
and woe that family passed through.
will only speak of my mother. For sew
eral years she has been a suffering inva
lid"
"Why didn't she mind her own bust
ness" here the landlord in wrath broke in
"and not trouble herself with what he
husband did? Looks likely I'd kill my
self with grief If had drunken hus
band. Let him go. I'd not bother my
self about him."
"That is not true state of the case,
continued the stranger. "My mother
bore it for years as no other woman wo'
bear it, and what broke her heart and he
health was living in houses may, novels
through whose loose walls might b,
counted the very stars Of heaven, anC
the snow might pass as though it wer
its own lurking place. 1t was the il
treatment her children received; it wa
the utter degradation to which all wer
brought; it was the cold neglect from hin
who should have been companion il
life; il was all these accumulated sorrows
that made nature give way. Only al
unfaltering trust in the great Father sus
tains her broken spirits. Could this com
pany 90 with me to her dreary abod
they would need no other words from me
Such sight would be lecture enough 70
any man. As the bleak winds whistl
through the shattered howell you woulC
hear the chaunted spirits of ruined hope
inundated on the Pagan altar Of intern
perancel / turn from the sad scene
Since the others have sung / will SIM
also:
o bark vel listen to the sorrow and weepin
which rise from the howell where misery reigns