National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1867-07-26
A Fearful Picture

kt certain town meeting in
Pennsyly ania, the question came up
whetherany person should be licens-
ed to sell rum. The clergyman, the
deacon and physician, strange as it
may appear, all favored it. One
man only spoke against it because
of the mischief it did. The question
was about to beput, when all at once
there arose from one corner OF the
room a miserable woman. She was
thinly clad, and her appearance in
dicated the utmost wretchneSs, and
that her mortal career was almost
closed. After moment of silence
and all eyes being fixed upon her
she stretched her attenuated body to
its utmost height, and then her long
arms to their gretest length, and
raising her voice to a shrill pitch,
she called to all to look upon her.
eyes rShe said, look upon me and
then hear me. All that the last
speaker has said relative to temper
ate drinking, as being the father OF
drunkenesS, is true. All drinking
Of alcoholic poison as a beverage i'll
health, is excess. Look upon me
You all know me, or once did. lou
all know | was once the mistress OF
the best farm in the town. You all
know, too, that | had one Of the
most devoted of husbands. You all
know had fine, noblc-hear-
ted boys. Where are they now !
Doctor, where are they now F! You
all know. You all know that
they lie III a row side by side in yon
der churchyard all--evety one of
them filling a drukard's grave They
were all taught to believe that TEN
pcrate drinking was safe, that excess
alone ought to be avoided, and they
never acknowledged excess. They
quoted YOU, and you, and you point
inc with her shred OF finger to the
minister, doctor and deacon as an.
thority. They thought themselves
safe under such teachers. Bnt | 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,
| tried TO ward off the blow. tried
to break the spell, the delusive spell,
Ill which the idea of the benefits OF
temperate drinking had involved my
husband and sons. l begged, |
prayed, but the odds were against
me.
The minister said the poison tha
was destroying my husband ano
BOYS was q good creature of God
the deacon who sits under the pull,
pit there, and took our farm to pay
the rum bills, sold them the poison
the doctor said q little was good,
and excess only to he avoided. My
poor husband and my boys fell into
the snare, and they could not escape;
and one after another was conveyed
4 % the Sorrowful grave Of the drunk
nd. Now look at me again. You
probably see me for the last time
Nv sands have almost run. ! hay,
uIdEENNl lllN tNIathNANh 'A'i'
my present homc-your p of-houS'
to warn YOU, false teacher of God
word - and with her arms fun!
high, and her voice raised to an un
earthly pitch, she exclaimed; 81 500
shall stand before the judgemcn
seat of God. ! shall meet YOU there
You false guides, and be II witncS
against you all y
The miserable woman Vanishc,
/ 4 dead silence pcrvaded the assent
ly the minister, deacon and phl
sic!an hung their heads, and whe
the president of the meeting put IN
question "Shall any licenses j
granted for the sale of spirituou
liquors !"the unanimous rcSpons
was-"No"