Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1860-12-01
Drunkards not all Brutes.

The following is an extract from one
OF Mr.. Coughs temperance lectures:
II said when ,began,tha was a
trophy Of this movement; and there
fore the principal part Of my work has
been mot Ignoring other parts,) in be-
half of those who have suffered as
have suffered. You know there is a
great deal said about the reckless VIC
TINS of this foe being "brutes." No,
they are not brutes. | have labored
Tor eighteen years among them, and
have never found brute. / have had
men swear at me; I have had man
dance around me as though possessed
Of the devil, and spit his foam in my
face; but l have never found man I
would give up. 1t may take a long
time to reach his manhood; but he is
not a brute. I think it is Charles
Dickens whossays, "Away up great
many pair of stairs, in a very remote
corner, easily passed by, there is a
door, and on that door is written, swo-
man. And SO is the heart of the vile
outcast, away up great many pair Of
stairs, in q very remote corner, easily
passed by. there is door, and on that
door is written, man. Here is our
business, to find that door, 1t may
take q time; but begin and knock.
Don't get tired: but remember Gods
long suffering for us and keepknocling
a long time if need be. Don't, get
weary if there is no answer; remember
him whose locks were wet with dew.
Knock on--just try it--you try it; 1;.and
so sure IS you do, just SO sure, by and
by, will the quivering lip and startling
tear tell you you have been knocking
at the heart Of man, not brute. ,..
1t is because these poor wretches
are men, and not bnutes, that we have
hopes Of them. They said che is a
brute--let him alone" I took him
home with me and kept the "brute"
fourteen days and nights, through his
deliriuln and he nearly frightened my
wife out Of her wits one night, chasing
her about the room with boot in his
hand. But she recovered herwits and
he recovered his. He said to me,
''you wouldn't think had wife and
child % "Well / shouldn't.'' II have,
and-God bless her little heart--my
little Mary is as pretty little thing as
ever stepped" said the 'brute' 1 ask
ed him where they lived. "They live
two miles away from here "When
did you see them last % About two
years ago. Then he told me his sad
story: | said 'syou must go back to
your home again" Il must go back
[ won't-my wife is better without me
than with me! I will not go back
any more; / have knocked her, and
kicked her, and abused her; do you
suppose [ am going back again 20 I
went to the house with him; knocked
at the door and his wife opened it.
''Is this Mrs. Richardson % ayes sir. y
F'Well, that is Richardson. And Mr..
Richardson, this is Mrs Richardson.
Now come into the house, ...
They went in. The wife sat on one
side ofthe room, and the ssbruten on
the other. I waited to see who would
speak first, and it was the woman.
But before she spoke she fgetted a
good deal. She pulled up her apron
till she got hold of the hem, then she
pulled is down again. Then she fold
ed it all up closely, and jerked it out
through her fingers an inch at a time,
and then she spread it all down again :;
and then she looked all about the room
and said, "Well, William And the
"brute" said, "Well. Mary He had
a large handkerchief round his neck,
and she said, e'You had better take the
handkerchief off, William; you'll need
it when you go out" He began to
tumble about it. The knot was large
enough he could have united it if he
liked but he said, "Will you unite it
Maryss?" and she worked away at it /;
but her fingers were clnmsy; and she
couldn't get it off: their eyes met, and
the loyelight was not all quenched !;
she opened her arms gently and he
fell into them. IF you had seen those
white arms elias ped about his neck,
and his sobbing on her breast, and the
child looking in wonder first at one
and theh at the other, you would have
said, F'It is not a brute; it is a man,
with big warm heart in his breast
| tell You it is a glorious work to get
at these hearts; it is a glorious work
to play upon man-to play upon
man until he sing-aye, and sing sweet
music, too. A man came to me at
Convent Gard en-, summer before last,
aud said, "Mr Cough, I want you to
come into my place Of business" |
replied that l was in too much of hur.
ry then. But he persisted, sYou na'tst
come into my place of business" So
when he got me there-into a large
fruit stall, where he was doing business
to the amount of two hundred pounds