The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-04-04
e. RAYENNA, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 1860.

and father closed his hand % though he
would bold up the feeling he had tried TO
repress, and then he hastened on. At length
be found his companions. The laugh and
The joke commenced, and ere long Malcolm
forgot ell about bis home. He sat in the
bsr.room, and his shsrp wit made food for
much 1merriment. s.'.' t.. " a-
"Who ssys there's danger in the bowl !"
cried . young man, as be raised the glsss to
bis lips. N .'r.- a.' ta t. .#'
"ll'S the ravens crosk," said another o.
his companions. "Here's confusion to the
idee." ,.,..-. ram, a.i, %, sac ol hr.r.sa
Good, exclaimed M q leo I'm w srren, ,pois
ing HE class. }"Poison in the bowl, non.
sense Look st Uncle Adam, now. He's
used it sll his lifetime, and here he is, the
oldest man in town, Come, here's to Uncle
Adam" Jar s. = s..t au .' ...,
The person to whom Malcolm had thus
alluded was an old, white haired man, who
stood at the bar with glass OF rum in his
hand, His nsme was Adam stanford, end
almost ninety years had rolled over his for
est head. His torn was bent, and his limb,
trembled, and stll he lived and his minC
was clear. He heard the remark which ,he
carpenter mnde, aud having set down hir
untouched liquor, he turned ond zed upou
the youthful speaker. He knew Malcolm
Worren we'll.
"MaIcolm." said he, "come along, for
alone would speak with you. Come.
There WIS something very deep snd
incoming in the old mans voice, as he turn
ed towards the door, Malcolm arose to follow,
"Detain him not" said Adam. az come u
his companions sought to hinder him.
"Why should 60 with you - he asked
ITO please On old msU; I mesn to do 70,
no harm, Malcolm, come"
Passing out Of the door they moved across
the street. Near by was The village church
yard. end thiiher he bent his steps, arriving
at the gate he passed in. When Malcolm
hesitated to enter, the old man said
"Come, follow me-"
Malcolm went, and soon they stood in tn
village church. .yard. And this white haire
| man was the sexton, who for mere than sixt,
yesrs had made those beds for the chldreI
Of immortality. The pole moon shed it
beams upon the place, and the chilling ii
sighed mourntully among the weeping will
lows that grew by the hedge. The grav
stones stood up like spectres among tn
faded grace, and here and there arose
monument, like some more powerful spri
that watched the sauctity of the place.
"MaIcolm Warren" spoke the old man
10 voice so deep that it seemed almest Il
come from one OF the neighboring graves
"not long since you pointed TO me os al
example Of how long man might live VIII
smiled upon the wine cup. You pointed 4
me as one who had outIved oil my compan
ions, and yet as one who had always quuffe
at the intoxicating bowl. Pe'b"ps yo
spoke truly. but the whoIe truth you did no
know, and have brought you here to whis
per the truth into your ear"
Malcolm Warren gszed up into the ol
mans face and he SAW how solemn was tn
expression that rested there; he forgot tn
bad company he had left behind at the tav
ern, and his thoughts became serious.
"MsIcOlm," resumed the sexton, 81 ca
look back into the pnst and zee score Z
young men who commenced the trade OF lif
with me. We went to school, and we Sat !
church together. We loved to learn ,h
excitement OF the Intoxicating cup, and W
thought not then Of the dsugers we wer
courting. Years passed on, and saw thcs
twenty men sink into the arms OF death, an
| | buried them oil here. Malcolm Ware
'hey all sleep in d'unkard's graves On
ster smother saw them fall. and ut lengr
| was left alone ut the purity who were wUu
to assemble around the bur room"
A deep groan escaped from The youn
mans lips, and shutder ran through hi
| frame.
"AlI gone !" he asked.
| "Ye--HlI!" the old man uttered. "Bu
this is 0Ot halt, Malcolm, their wives on
children have died, and they too, lie here
y how well can remember the bright eye'
laughing, loving girls, who used to plu
with us when we were boys! And ho
we'll can remember when | saw thel
standing ut the altar. and when they turne
awoy from the place they were bIushin
brides. Bot few short years, and bega
to gather them into the fold of death. The
sank down with broken hearts and crusbe
hopes Some OF them lived TO be grs
headed. but their gray hairs came down
sorrow to the grave See that grave: th
one with the dark gray stone. He VIII
sleeps beneath that mound was once IT,
hsppiest youth in the village. He was
carpenter by trade, and he built the hous
in which you were born. He used to laug
and sing over the wine sup, and he thougl
not then Of harm. once heard his youn
vile beg him to remain at home with he
but he refused her the boon. She told hi
that she was cold and hungry, and that h,
} children needed clothing, but he needed h.
not. A few years Afterwards that wife
J heart broke aud she died, and her chldre
we're fruxen. The husband and father
found one cold night living by the road cid