The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1861-11-12
NOT BEYOND THE POWER OF LOVE.

Mr. Cough, in one Of his recent lectures,
prcceeded TO coufute the idea that drunkards
are so far brutcs as to be beyond the power OF
| Christian love, saying:-
No, they are not brutes. l have lsbored
for eighteen years among them, and have
never found brute. have had men swear
at me, have man dance round me as il
possessed Of devil and spit his foam in my
face; but / never found man | would give
up. 1t may take long time to reach his
manhood, but he is not brute. | thuk it
ia Charles Dickens who says away up a
great many pairs of stairs, in a very remote
corner, easily passed by, there is door, and
on thai door is written, "Woman." And so,
in the heart Of the vilest outcast, away mp a
great many pairs Of stairs, in a remote corner,
easily by, there is a door on which is written,
"Man"
Here is our business-to find that door.
1t may take long time; but begin aud
knock. DONE get tired but remember Gods
long suffering to u.s. and keep knocking a
long time il need be. Don't get weary if
there is no answer; rem, mber Him whose
locks were wet with the dew. Knock on
inst try it-yOu try 1t; and Just so sure as you
do, just so sure by and by will the quivering
lip and stating tear tell you, you have been
Knocking at the heart Of a man, and not of a
brute 1t is because these poor wretches are
men not bIures, that we have hopes OF them.
| once picked upa man in the market place
They said, Ale is brute-let him alone"
'ook him home with me, and kept the
"prute," fourteen days and nights. through
his delirum; and he nearly frightened my
wife out Of her wits one night chasing her all
about the house with boot in his hand -
But she recovered her wits, aud he recovered
his.
He said to me:-
"You wouldn't think | had a wife and
child won Id you?"
"Weil. shouldn't"
81 have, and Col bless her dear littlo
heart-ny little Mary is as pretty a little
thirg as ever stepped" said the brute
| askel:-
"Where do they livel'
"TuO miles from hpre.'
''When did You see them last T.
1.-TWO years ago"
Then he told me his sad story
| said:-
"Iou must 90 back again.
81 cant 90 back-my wife is better with
out me. have struck her, and kicked her,
and abused her. Can 90 back againl"
went with him to his house. knocked
at the door, and his wife opened it.
"ls this Mrs. Richardson 2"
"Yes, sir"
"Well, that is Mr.. Richardson. And Mr..
Richardson this is Mrs. Richardson. Now come
into the house"
They went in. The wife sat on one side
of the room, and the "blute" on the other.
| waited TO see who would speak first and it
was the woman. But before she spoke, she
fijgeted great deal. She pulled ~ her
apron till she got hold of the hem, and then
she pulled it all down again. Then she fold
ed 1t all up closely, and jerked it out
through her fingers All inch at a time, and
then looked all about the room AM said:-
"Nell, WilIiam2'
And the "tlute' said -
"WeII, MARY T.
He had Il large handkerchief round his
neck, and she said -
"You had better take the handkerch off,
lillian, you'll need it when you 90 out"
lie began to tumble about II the knot was
large enough he could have united it if he
liked; but he said
Nil go" unite it, Mary"
She worked away at it; but her fingers
were clumsy too, aud she conldn't get it off.
W lie thus occupied, their ewes met et!-rhe
lovo.ligtt was Mt all quenched-she opened
her arms gently, and he tell into them!
IL yOI had seen those white arms clasped
about his neck, and he sobbing on her breast,
and the child looking in wonder, first at one
and then At the other, you would have said:-
1T !, not "bru'e' but man, with a great
big warm heart 10 his bcsom.'