Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-06-06

While oil visit at my uncle's, when /
was youth, he had dinner party at his
house. There were at the table two cler
gymen and wives, several other gentlemen
and their wives and among my uncle's fam
ny two sons, not far from my own age
The table was served with wine and por-
ter; all drank except myself. Uncle OBJ
served my abstinence, and asked me if [
was " teetotaler." Transferred, yes, sir"
Have you signed the pledge?" eyes, sir"
lie apollgised to the company for the rustic
habits Of his nephew, and proceeded to-,
speak at length, of the folly of temperance
societies, of the. intellectual weakness of
man who must bind himself with pledge
In order to be able to govern his appetite,
OF the want ofcharacter of a man who could
not drink without drinking to excess and Of
the hyglenic and social advantages of a
moderate use of wine and beer. l was not
capable of defending myself, and too young
and bashful to attempt it in such company
Alleges were turned upon, me and sat
| blushing and confused. Others expressed
their assent to his opinions and added their
testimony to his arguments--one of the
| clergymen advanced the clerical argument,
8 little wine for the stomachs sake" and
ladies' lifting their glasses to their lips look
| ed at me and smiled, as much as to- saw.
|
| feel the inspiration of the wine the CONVEX
| sation grew more lively, and some things
were said about the "teetotalcrs', sufficient-
| ly witty to create general and hearty laugh
| ter, (yOu know it does not require ANYTHING
very witty to make people laugh when they
are filled with whey and some sharp
speeches were made designedlyf to cut me,
and then all would Aook at me with evident
satisfaction, Robert and the ladies no less
than Others While sat there silent and
covered with confusion, though could do
nothing to defend myself, could not refrain
| from thinking that there was a strange
| power ID my example, that it, and I-vthat
so small all incident as lads declining
dish at table--should give direction to the
| conversation of such a company for nearly
the entire hour that we were seated there.
/ [ thought, it must be silent rebuke to
them which they feel so keenly thatit has
| provoked all this Outburst of eloquence and
wit to justify themselves and they are bat
Ting with their own consciences as much
as with me-" 56i 1T 1.s:o5r
| b Years passed on, Robert was a student Of
law in the office of Fillmore 81 Hall, of Buff
falO. He was q young man OF good attain
ments, and excellent social accomplish
ments, and his uncommon intellectual
powers gave promise of brilliant future
He was admitted to the BAR and when Mr..
Fillmore went to Washington as vice presi-
dent, he was admitted as member Of the
firm. But the instructions he had received
at home, and the arguments and example:
of his father and the clergymen and ladies
had already begun to bear their fruits. He
drank habitually, and more and more fire.
quently to excess. When Mr. Fillmore re-
turned from Washington, Roberts habits
| hoo -INo1 tJat h. 81, l1J
from the firm. Acting now. by himself,
and having already reputation which Sc
7cured him all the business he could attend
to, he went rapidly down. He was. a sot
| His friends gathered to contrive some means
for his rescue, and make some desperate
effort to save him. After several expert
ments there, it was agreed that he and
another young man should form partner
| ship, go away from his old haunts and as
sociates and begin business anew in some
western town. Rockford, Ill, was fixed
| upon as the place. Three months had
| passed and Robert had not tasted of intoxi-
eating drinks. Even the father had now
! discovered thatthe total abstinence rule was
the only one available. Roberts partner
watched him, took care of him and kept
him away from every place of temptation.
He had become SO established in his new
uIOuo VI lIlG tIldb Ills partner VcuIuTeu 10
| leave him for week. on business at Chica-
60 The week had not passed before it was
announced in the Chicago papers, "Died
in Rockford, after a short illness, Robert
-----, &C." Undertakers were sent after
the body; it. was taken to Canandaigua,
N. " and there inferred As / saw the
family group gathered around the coffin,
and saw the same uncle, his head now
white with years, weeping bitter tears, how
wildly came back the recollection of that
scene at the dinner table Did I feel dis
posed to retaliate upon him now /? No; his
sorrow was too deep; O, I pitied him. But
could not avoid thinking, if that father
had instructed his boys in total abstin-
ence principles and practices, he would
not probably now be weeping over
son dead from delirium tremens
OF this we are sure, if Robert had taken
the pledge in his boyhood, and had kept |
it, he would not now be sleeping in
drunkards grave And you clergymen
that quoted scripture against total absti-
nance, and you ladies who lifted your
glasses and smiled, what is that upon your
hands? What will it not rub off? Go
wash them. Is it there yet? All! it is
indelible-it is the blood of poor Robert.