The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1860-11-28
ATJS PIERCE COUNTY. WISCONSIN, WEDNESDAY,, NOV, q
"A mere matter of selfprotoct;oa,

| "A mere matter of self-protect;oa,"
we replied.
"You have IN oath which binds YOU
to keep that secret" and she locked IN
quiringly into our eye.
mo oath but tina. of our promise rs
men of honor" we answered.
IF tell you what the secrets of your
society is, will you admit the truth! ?
We hesitatingly nodded assent, and
she began.
"You saw that man who presided at
the meeting this forenoon, and III the
Division this evening? He is my only
son. He married one of the noblest OF
women aud commenced life ten years
ago, with means, character and friends.
His fall is long, terrible history-a
fearful nightmare, which, hope has pace
cd away. He forgot me, forgot wife,
forgot sister, though we all chung to him
in the darkest hours of his degradation.
None but God will ever know how !
suffered. For years | wrestIed in pray
or. even when it seemed MS If God had
forgotten the widow in her sorrows.-
Many the long, dreary nights, So dreary,
| Mfr, that have knecled by the side
of the slumbcrng drunkar1, and prayed
that the cup might pass by. My eyes
have been fountains of tears, and there
have been times when | have longed to
die. Time too God forgive me-
when with clasped hands have invoked
terrible judgements upon those who were
wringing my old heart in the ruins Of
my boy.
Zone night six months SGD he was
brought home struggling with dolirium
tremens and for thrce weeks vibrated
between life and death. All this time,
certain number Of gentlemanly appearing
young men alternately took their places
at the bed side. They were kind and |
did not want to think them of those who
had helped to lead him nstray.
"When my son was abe to st up,and
occasionally walked out, | began to trem-
be, for | feared the worst
early one evening, they asked me 10
permit them to take him to the village
for few hours. No. said /, you shall
not. Leave him and go your ways, for
fear you. But they SO earnestly and
kindly urged me, promising that no
harm should befall him, that [ reluctant
" consented, and they passed out.
"About ten O'Clock, | heard voices
down the street, and soon after footsteps
listened keenly and my heart l'aped
with joy--I kncW one STEP and that he
,cas sober. l dared to hope that some
thing better was in store for me. 1t was
but moment and the door was thrown
open and halfdozen different gentlemen
were in company with my son. He slow
ly advanced to where l was trying to
} stand by leaning upon tie chair, and for
q moment looked me in the eye. lie
,gas sober"
, Mother at last he cried out; 'my
own but deeply injured mother! saved at
last, and you will be happy again; and
he put his arms around my neck ns when
used to lift him from the cradle and
sobbed aloud
''Savcd, mother. Do you hear that I
4 man again. You will love me once
more, will you not mother: And Amy
shall not weep over her brother again.
And the injured Mary-will she not
come back again, and we will be happy =?
For am Son of Temperance
90, what an hour was that. We have
been so happy, and have thanked God so
often. 1t seems ms if our poor hearts
could not hold all this joy. The wife
poor girl-has come back as you saw
to night, and sure enough there is JOY on
Earth and in Heaven. But | cannot
tsIk-I can only weep my JOY. I have
told your secret, ii is to sare the
drumkard and make the waste places
glad Nth hope and happiness againr'
The old mother had guessed it-the
secret was out.