The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1861-11-21
TInGPERANCE-
The Mysterious woman.

At certain town meeting, the question
came up whether any person should be
licensed to sell rum. The clergyman, the
deacon and the physician, strange as 1t
may now appear, all favored it. One man
spoke against it, because OF the mischief
it did. The question was about to be put,
when all at once there arose from a corner
of the room miserable female. She was
thinly clad, and her appearance indicated
the utmost wretchedness, and that her
mortal career was almost closed. After
moment of silence and all eyes became
fixed upon her. she stretched her attenua-
ted body to its utmost height, and then
her long arms to their greatest length, and
raising her voice to shrill pitch, she
called upon all to look upon her Eyes"
she said, 'look upon me, and then hear
me- All that the last speaker has said
relative TO temperate drinking, as being
the father OF drunkenness, is true. All
practice, all experience declares its truth.
All drinking of alcoholic poison as bev
erage in health is ercesS. Look upon me.
You all know me, or once did. You all
know [ was once the mistress OF the best
farm in the town. You all know, too,
that | had one of the best, the most devo-
ted of husbands You all know l had
fine, noble-hearted, industrious boys
Where are they now? You all know
You all know that they lie side by side in
yonder churchyard, every one of them
filling drunkard's grave. They were all
taught to believe that temperate drinking
was safe excess alone ought to be avoided
and they ae0er Acknowledged excess. They
quoted you and !yoa, and yoa," pointing
with her shred o. finger TO the minister,
deacon and doctor, ''as authority. They
thought themselves safe under such tender
teachers. But [ saw the gradual change
coming over my family and prospects with
dismay and horror. | felt we were all to
be overwhelmed IN one common ruin; l
tried to ward off the blow tried to break
the spell. the delusive spell, in which the
idea of the benefits Of temperate drinking
had involved my husband and sons l
begged, L prayed; but the odds were
greatly against me.
''The minister said the poison that was
destroying my husband aud boys was
good creature Of God the deacon (.rho
SITS ander the puipit there, and took our
farm to pay his rum bills,D sold them the
poison, the physician said little was
good, and excess ought to be avoided =
My poor husband and my dear boys tell
into the snare and they could not escape,
(there was no Washingtonians then, and
one after another was conveyed to the
dishonored grave OF the druukard. Now
look at me again you probably see me
for the last time my sand has almost run.
l have dragged my exhausted frame from
my present abode-.yo,u- poor housc-to
warn you ALTO warn you. deacon to
warn you false teacher of Gods word %
and with her arms high flung, and her
tall form stretched to It's utmost and her
voice raised to an unearthly pitch she ex-
claimed, 81 shall soon stand before judg-
ment seat of God /; I shall meet you there,
you false guides, and be witness against
you all" The miserable female vanished
"a dead silence pervaded the assembly
the minister, deacon, and physicians hung
their heads, the president Of the meeting
put the question shall we have any more
license to sell alcoholic polsons, to be sold
as beverage? The response was unan-
imous, no