Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-07-19
A Fearful Picture.

AT certain town meeting IN Penn
Sylyania, the question came up wheth-
er any person should be licensed to
sell rum. The clergyman, the deacon
and physician, strange as it may ap-
pear, all favored it. One man only
spoke against it because of+he mis-
chief it did. The question was about
to be put, when all at once there
arose from one corner of the room a
miserable woman. She was thinly
clad, and her appearance indicated
the utmost wretchedness, and that her
mortal career was almost closed. Af-
ter a 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 greatest length, and raising her
voice to shrill pitch, she called to
all to look upon her.
eyes p she said, 1ook upon me and
then hear me. All that the last speak
er has said relative 10 temperate
drinking, as being the father Of drunk
enness, is true. All drinking of alco-
holic poison as beverage in health
is excess. 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 and
most devoted Of husbands. You all
know | had fine, nobIe-hearted indus
trious boys. Where are they now
Doctor, where are are they now? Yor
all know. You all know that they
lie in row side by side in yondel
churchyard; all-every one of then
filling a drunkard's grave! They
were all taught to believe that tempe
rate drinking was safe, that excess
alone ought to be avoided, and they
never acknowledged excess. 7 hey
quoted you, and you, and you, (point
ing with her shred Of a finger to th'
minister, doctor and deacon,) as au
thority. They thought Themselves
safe under such teachers. But l saw
the gradual change coming over ny
family and prospects, with dismay anC
horror. I felt we were all to be over
whelmed in one common ruin. | trieC
to ward off the blow. | tried tt
break the spell, the delusive spell, il
which the idea of the benefits of TEN
perate drinking had involved ny hus
band and sons. | begged, | prayed
but the odds were against me.
The minister said the poison tina
was destroying my husband and boy
was a good creature Of God the dea
con who sits under the pulpit there
and took our farm to pay the run
bills, sold them the poison; the docto
said a little was good, and excess on
ly to be avoided. My poor HUSBAND
land my boys fell into the snare, AM
they could not escape; and one afte
another was conveyed to the sorrow
full grave of the drunkard. Now loo
at me again. You probably see m
) for the last time. My sands have a
most run. l have dragged my e2
hausted frame from my present hom
your poor-house-to warn you, falls
teacher of Gods wordp' and wit
her arms flung high, and her voic
raised to an unearthly pitch, she e1
claimed: Il soon shall stand befor
the judgement seat of God. l sha
meet you there, you false guides, an
,, be a witness against you all p
The miserable woman vanished. .
dead silence pervaded the assembly
the minister, deacon and physical
: hung their heads, and when the pres
dent of the meeting put the question
:, Shall any licenses be granted for tn
sale of ofspirituous liquors ?" the unan
nous response was-"No"