Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1862-10-27
Here, take the glass, and look-what

8" see, down a gradual slant from the
fountain, dark pool and thousands gath
cred around it. | hear horrid oaths and
blasphemies coming from them. | see
also, as it seems, millions of graves close
By. What does it all mean 3"
That pool is called the pool of Ercess,
and the multitude there once frequented
the fountain, Moderation, which they have
ceased to visit, and which they left with
out being aware of their departure. The |
greater part of that vast throng now max
ing merry around the fountain, will soon
slip down the declivity to the pool of Ex-
cess, and their places will be filed with
younger persons. Those already at the
pool will take up their line of march for
other places"
| :" But where will they go?"
"Thousands will &c to the many prisons
in the country, from thence many will go
to the gallows many will be sent to the
poor house, great number will drown
themselves in the pool, while thousands
will find shorter road to death. Yonder
is their grave yard that you have already
noticed, where the mortal parts of many
millions lie. Yes, some of all nations,
kindleds and tongues and from every walk
in society are buried there. There, with
out line carved to mark the spot, lie
some Of the mobiles of earth the rich
have emptied their treasure in the pool,
and the hand of charity has buried them
there; vast number of youths once the
price of christian mothers, were allured to
the fountain from which they lost their
foot-hold, and fell into the pool from
whence they were taken and buried there :;
great statesmen whose eloqnence once
moved the world, were drawn from the
turbd waters of the pool and deposited
there; ministers that once proclaimed the
gospel of peace to sin stricken world, lie
there side by side with the scoffer and in
tidel; female forms once the pride of cities
aud villages, and the star of attraction to
thousands, Lave been swallowed up aud lie
IL lr fRESsttaHgeSs 5 !Hg IeiE h bopss 4taa edj d
it is that which takes hold on hell, leading
down to the chambers Of death The
bodies of all who lost their lives at the
pool of Excess are buried in that city O
graves, the largest to be found on earth.
"But their spirits, their immortal souls
where are they?'
"By the black current of yon might
river-the river Of ntemperance--the
were all swept into the gulf Of Perdition
for it is the mandate Of God, that non
shall enter the portal of Heaven, that di
= at the pool of Excess. Yes, all who di
there first drink of the exhilarating W;
:. ters of Moderation, then slip down the d.
!, clivity to Excess-and then plunge the
. souls into the dark abyss of hell -
= alt is mystery to me then, why ar
venture to Moderation when they see {
s plainly that it is the beginning of the We
/ that leads to poverty, wretchedness ar
e, death But am anxious to know som
e, thing more about that tattered man ar
- his family such persons arouse my deer
N est sympathy aud commiseration."
I'd Hele is another kind of glass th;
: that which you have been looking throug
a. in which you can gee that man in /
re youthful days and from that time of
IN life even up to the present. And | W
tell you now, that multiplied thousands
of such as he are scattered throughout t
c., world, which if YOU could see all at on'
ne you would be constrained to cry out, th
ut surely one of the seven plaques of t
ok apocalypse of John is infestiBg the cart
ng What do you see e. -a. -..a
en- :" | see beautiful cottage-I see its
ng terror, and it seems that the shades
*! night are gathered around it. I see |
ito tie boy on bended kuees by his mother
nc It is e-I recognize the features of
ous tattered man at the fountain! He is s.
The ing his evening PRAYER that his mother
Ter taught him. Is it possible @that the t
hat are the same! How strange! Wha
of change few short years can make !!
thought child brought up in the ri
ce :. way would never depart from it. So
- Book of Inspiration teaches. But b
ain heard some professed christians say 4
and doubted its holding gOod-aud,
bey deed, from what have just seen, it SCI
en- they have reason to doubt. Please
- plain for this is mystery"
ow. "Well I think | can make that v
rish plain. There are many parents who 81
kers to be very strict in the training of t
man children, and to any but very close
rs of server, it appears they lack in nothip!
/ Of But they suffer them TO associate with
and moral persons This is the rock in the
part, of life on which the barque of ma
bout gallant youth is dashed to pieces N
lime respectable and religious persons are p
the ed when they find their children val
in the society of the rich, when at
g to same time a less Df'i''.n. o'''i1 VIII
same morals Will ca0S6 EIGul 10 uEaW