The Shasta courier., 1867-03-30
A Touching Temperance Lecture.

The bear mention of such incidents as
the following, which we clip from the Vir.
ginia Tresspass, are more potent to warn
against and prevent intemperance than long
homiIies or brilliant harangues Such Incl
dents are, alas, by no means rare.
INTEMPERANcE.-We are free to confess
that. until lately, we have rot properlv
realized the terrible effects of whisky drink
ing upon the community at large. Although
it has been for years a conceded fact that
intemperance has been, indirectly, the cause
of seven-eights of the crime, and ninety nine
one hundreths Of the pauperism in both
America and England, we have never been
cogniZant of its effects in sundering all the
ties of home and affection, until a case
which is but one in thousand-came under
our personal inspection. While we knew
that. daily, hundreds of men, strong in all
but their passion for drink, were abusing, bv
the use of ardent spirits. the faculties that
God had given them-that women, even,
next to the angels, had so resorted to the
wine cup to drown domestic trouble: that
mere youths had become early devoted to the
enticing bowl, we never before felt the damn.
ING effect of inebriation as we did upon read
ing the following letter from a six months
bride to her husband, who had sworn to pro-
tect and cherish, but who. alas loved the
wine cup better than his beautiful BRIDE
Here it is-read it. We who may scof at its
sentiments reyile its tenderness curse, if
you choose, its appeals to him who should
never forget his duty to himself or family,
but read it:
VIRGINIA, Feb o, 1867.
DEAR CHARLES For four days and nights
have / in vain waited for the sound Of your
footsteps upon the threshold Of our home :;
for four nights have | rendered a nightly
petition to Almighty God, that you would
come to see her who loves, cherishes and re-
spects you above all things on earth for
four times twenty-four hours have | been be
sieged with anxious fears that you had again
become the victim Of your only vice, intem-
perance, which you so solemnly swore to me
should never again be your besetting SIM
Tonight. as the clock struck twelve, you
were assisted to your home, and in what con-
dition Alas soften the harsh word as |
would-drunk yes miserably drunk. l
caused you to be placed on your bed. rem
dered you every assistance that you needed !;
then | prayed God to aid me in this, my
great grief; for you knew how | dreaded
the fearful fall Of your manhood, for had
sworn las you know full wel) that [ would
never be the consort of drunkard, and, God
helping me, 1 will keep that oath.
l could have given yoa to death, without
a struggle, and been resigned to the will of
Him that doeth all things well. l could
have stood beside you, seen the death shad
ows creeping over your pale face, watched
the purple hues of dissolution stain your
eyelids, seen the gathering films cloud the
blue of your dear eyes, clasped the hand
that grew cold, to my warm grasp, felt the
faltering pulse as it tainted to perfect still
ness, and after its fitful Pickering had been
stilled forever, have, with these hands,
shrouded your loved form for the grave !;
could have listened to the slow tolling DELL,
saw you silent in death, heard the fall Of
clods upon your coffin all, all could have
borne, and looked for peace beyond the
grave. But to see the bloated countenance,
the bleared eye, the tottering form to hear
the idiotic laugh, the blasphemous curse, the
maudlin voice these were worse to me than
death. God help you, Charley. May you
DO better; BE better; and may you be
happy, is the only prayer oc her who, leav-
ing you, loves you better than life bu. who
can not-no, will not-be drunkard' S wife.
Reader, this is no fancy sketch, but an in.