The mountain Democrat., 1864-02-20
A WARNING INCIDENT.
By HnEN 4. CUTLER.

By Helm \. CUTLER.
! do not like To Well upon sad sub
Jets 1t is not pleasant for the, and |
S>s,s>( - ,s ~ f>. ,>.S.-,,. 80 0u st tfSU: ~
-ss@sE@ h..:a.e:koS 2o;=5. scAeiiRg wh:;.:&s
SOmbre from the circum> stances around US,
and keeping it before the mental vision.
Bot soDet;msS the sad rraiitieS sf Tic w
thrust themselves before US, and shut
from our view the beautiful pictures our
fancy f<s6 fond Of Weaving, aud which
are plrassntyf,Js Contemplate than every
days report of the wrong and misery
about US.
To-day, a saddening view was forced
upon me, but perhaps it is wholesome to
look at it. | must go back a little to
make It clear.
Ten years since met in neighboFihg
State gentleman named Marcy, who was
then about thirty.tivc years Of age. He
was a merchant, and doing a flouriShing
business. He was not married. Early
in life. learned, he had wooed and won
beautiful girl, but death had snatched
her from him.
This was, for him, the "heart's ordeal"
which, it is said, all must pass, sooner or
later. lie recovered from it and " as hap.
py again. Ithink | never saw a perAon
who seemed to have greater enjoyment Of
life than he. If there were any regrets
for what he had lost, they were deep in
his heart, and did not often trouble the
surface. Why should he not be happy! !!
Young younger than his years-no one
would have taken him to be over twenty
five, oftwenty eight at mo>t-heathy a
perfect model Of health and vigor. OF
person and manners so agreeable that he
was acceptable everywhere, enjoying and
comforting enjoyment in social life. Pros
porous in his worldly affairs rapidly &C.
cCmulatIng wealth why should he not
have gone on enjoying to the end of his
DAYS = rcaping enjoyment from even the
sense Of existence in his perfectly healthy
body tasting higher pleasures by means
Of his clear and yell stored nindi Who
50 privileged a. he!
Yesterday, visiting in neighboring
village. my hostess said
Mrs. ongden, our next neighhor, has
IuSl Jdu bIblllSI OIbbkiIt wv ~ wv '
who SEEMS to be in the last stage OF con
sumption. His name is William Marcy.
He is from the West Perhaps you have
heard Of him :"
started" William Marcy! Is it
possible? knew him. What could
have brought consumption to hlm p
Health Sertucd to have set its seal UPON
him"
Invent with my friend to call upon him.
! could sc" no traces, except IN the high
and n"blr forehead, OF the William Marcy
"t ten year, age. There lie lay, looking
- weak and pl,ilul, prorped up in an in
valii'> chair his abundant hair thinned
To- hnidnc>>; great dark hol!nw> III his
chr, Ks. where the. roses Of health had
hioomrd; his eyes that mad So >parkl"d
with hfr aud intelligence. hollow and
,iu; his full rich voice, weak and qurr
rnl"n>; his toIIn,so clothed with strength,
ana grace, and brauty,a mvaSrc skeleton,
now. bowed aud wasted.
"Whv i> this?' thought, MS took
hi thin. weak hand. VA, it inevitable !:
Whn gave such promise Of health, long
hIe- ot life of happine>s. aS hey Is it
true MS a writer says, that We are all
'ailurc>"? Med it he sos
The au>w. came I" me in word read
some years ago, which made an impress.
ion an NV mind:
IT" all. Lille might br freedom, pro.
grS>, Surr. -. i" most, it is bondage,
failure" drieat."
Why is it so? II i because we do not
know how to live. We do not even know
the simple rules that pertain To bodily
alth, which hes at the foundation of
happiness aud success The man before
me, | learned from his sister, had laild
t,r want of this nWleigr; had under
mined It's health gradually, hat as surely
u> il he had taken every day, for wears, Il
small quantity nf poison Sapping itsvcry
fonndaiinn. She haG :i>it,d him five
wears before, and warned him, but he
needed her not. H. employ ed the day in
business, cmfining himself to close
{ uniting room; the nights, till late
hour, lac gave tn r. aling or amusement,
going t" the houses Of his friends or re
rrivng them at his bachelor lnhging>. -
Wine and late SupperS were freely in
dulged in, and he went frveriSh and excl.
ted To bed. Worse still: he vas in the
hahit. in winter Of sleeping in a close,
heated room. arranging it 50 that the fire
was kept mp all night. This was his idea
"C luxury with regard tc this matter
Was it any wonder that his health should
have failed!
cOnld not shut out a train Of sad re-
Elections, called up by the sight of this
wreck of manhood, made Saddcr still when
| thought Of the happiness he had lost,
when his sister told the he was engaged
in marriage year since to worthy and
beautiful woman. Are not these things
frequent, without exciting our special
wonder? looked around among nv
friends and acquaintances, and saw how
many were failing, how many had failed,
from want nf proper knowledge Of health.
Is it not criminal, I thought, to he so
blind and ignorant. when the means Of
knowledge are so easv, so cheapr Men
will barter their health for money, or n
little uncertain present pleasure, and then
they would give all they possess to gain
back q moiety Of it again.
TRuE wisdom is a thing very extraordi.
nary. Happy are they that have it and
next to them. not those many that think