The Shasta courier., 1862-05-03
Marriage at Temperance Meeting.
4 TRUE STORY.

In the evening of the day on which Alice
arrived at s., great temperance meet
ing was 10 be held in one of the churches
Her friend. who had become enthusiastic in
the cause. urged her to go to the meeting,
which Alice did, though with reluctance.
The house was crowded above and below
The preliminaries usually appertaining to
such meetings having been arranged, a brief
opening address was made by one of the min
isters A reformed man then related his ex
perience with great effect. After he had fin
| ished, there was pause of nearly minute.
| At length man who had been seated far
back, with his face partly turned from the
audience, arose slowly and moyed to the front
! of the stage.
A half-suppressed exclamation escaped
Alice as her eyes caught the well known fea
lures of him-who had once been her hus
band while a quick thrill ran through her.
| Then her frame trembled in accordance with
her futtering heart rhe face of Mr.. Della
ney had greatly changed since she had looked
upon it. Its calm, dignified elevation had
been restored-but s.hat difference
Mr. President" he began, in a broken
voice, 50 although | had consented, at your
urgent solicitation, to address this large as
semblage tonight, yet have felt so strong
| reluctance 10 40 So iudt IL HAS DtcH Will tHe
utmost difficulty that | could drag myself
| forward But had passed my word and
could not violate it. As to relating my ex-
perience, that do not think upon. The past
dare not recall. Would to oheaven that Just
ten years of my life were blotted out
/ The speaker here paused moment alrea-
dy much affected. Then with fFmer voice
he said
'.But something must be said Of my own
case, or .hal fail aAke that impression
i u ,oar a.. - s.s.-, " n " pfot.lSe. P,t-s
lures of real lila touch The heart with power.
while abstract presentations of truth glitter
coldly in the intellectual regions of the mind,
and then fade ffrpm the perceptions like fig.
| urss in q drama. Your speaker once stood
among the first members of the bar in a
neigL6oring State, Nay more, that he re-
presented his district for three years in the
assembly of the commonwealth and more
than that still, occupied seat in Congress
for two terms.
At this period the stiffness of death per-
vaded the crowded assembly.
.'And more than all this, he continued,
his voice sinking into low thrilling tone
'' had tender wife and two sweet children.
But all these honors. all these blessings have
departed from him, he continued, his voice
growing deeper and louder in his efforts to
control himself g But he was unworthy to
retain them His constituents threw him off
because he had debased himself and disgraced
them. And worse than all, she who had
loved him devotedly: she who had borne me
two babes-was forced to abandon him and
seek an asylum in her fathers honsa;
And why conld be so changed in few
short years? What EoWar was there to SO
abase me that my fellow. beings spurqed me,
and even the wife of my bosom turned away
heart-stricken from me? Alas, my friends,
it was mad indulgencel 4 very demqn, a
curse changing us into the bestial. But for
this, were an +q4ora ahle and useful repre-
sentative in Congress, pArsuing after my
country's good, and blassed in the home cir
Gle with my wife and children. But have
not told you all. After my wife separated
from me, l sank rapidly. 4 state Of Eerfect
sobriety brought many sober thoughts L
therefore drank more freely, and was rarely,
if ever. free from the bewildcring effects of
intoxication. | remained in the same village
for several years, but never once saw her
For two years of the period l abandoned my
self to the fearful impulse of the appetite |
had acquired; had not week of sobriety
during that time-nor caught a glimpse of
my Children. At last became so abandoned
in my life that my wife, urged on by her
as a cause could be easily shown why it
should be granted. separation was legally
declared. To complete disgrace, at the next
Congressional canvass my name was not
mentioned, being considered unfit to repre-
sent the district. | left the county and State
where had lived from my boyhood up.
Then l heard of this movement; the great
temperance cause. At first | sneered, then
wondered. hesitated and finally threw my
self upon the great wave that was swelled
onward, in the hope of being carried by it far
out of reach of danger, and | did not hope
with vain hope. 1t gave me all, and more
than could have dreamed of. 1t once more
set me on my feet-once more made man of
me. Three years have passed since then.-
Earnest devotion to my professionals; and
fervent prayer to Him who alone gives aid to
every good resolution, have restored me mach
that had been lost; but not all-not the
richest treasure-that | proved Myself in
worthy to retain not p,y wife and ehIidren.
Alas between myself and these the law has
laid down It's stern impassahle intardletion:
/ haze 10 longer any ehiidren, though my
hearf goes out toward those dearly beloved
ones with the tenderest yearnings. Pictures
of our carly da,s Of welded love are ever IN
nv imagination. | dream of the sweet 1re-
side circle | see before me the once placid
face of nv Alice. as her eye looked into my
own with intelligent confidence. L feel her
arms twine around my neck-the music OF
her voice is ever sounding in my ear.
Here the speakers emotion overcame him
His utterapce choked him, and he stood silent
with bowed head and trembling limbs. The
dense stiffness was broken here and there by