Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-05-29
A Remarkable Temperance Lecture.

The Rev. Thomas Brainbridge, a
pious and useful Methodist preacher
OF former times, and also very inter-
estlng lecturer on temperance, used to
tell the following as one of the pain
full experiences connected with the
latter work: On his way to an eve
ming service at a school.hou5e, few
miles from home, he saw lying by the
roadside a man fallen down in the
deep sleep of the drunkard. 1t was
a cold day in December, and he called
to the man to awake or otherwise he
would freeze to DEATH Making no
impression, he alighted and tried to
arouse him, but with no better success.
He then rode on quickly to the vii
lage tavern, little distance of, and
calling out the landlord, said fearless
! ly to him:
"There is some of your work lying
little way OFT! one ofyour custom
ers dead drunk by the roadside.
hope you will 90 and take care of him.
for he will soon freeze to death on
such a cold night as this"
90, I'll attend to himr' said the
landlord in a surly tone.
"Then do so at once" said Mr.. B.
T persistently. Il would 60 back with
you to help, but have an appointment
to preach at the school-house and shall
be late if do not hurry; but | would
rather miss the service than allow that
man to suffer any harm"
; 40, I will certainly attend to the
man p said the landlord. "Does Mr.
Brainbridge think me a brute p
Quite satisfied that he would dc
, what was necessary for the poor stu
pefied victim of his odious traffic, Mr.
/. B. rode on quickly to his appointment
2 for it was beginning to snow, and the
weather was piercing cold. At the
l close of the meeting one Of the mem
j bers invited him to stay at his house
; all night, and he gladly accepted th'
] invitation. In the morning he sat ou
n for home through the snow, not think
e ing of the incident OF his journey Of
+ the night before, till he came back t.
the place where he had seen the poo
drunkard lying; when, all at once, hi
blood ran cold, and his heart SCENE,
to stop beating, for iu that particula
!. spot there was a ridge in the snoy
- that seemed too surely the shape Of
- man. Could it be possible that tn
~ ~ landlord had been false to his trust
of Alas as he pushed aside the sno7
- the face Of the dead drunkard was 0pe
: to view. He hastily remounted, rod
- back to the tavern, and entered til
bar-room with face nearly as white 9
= the snow out Of which he had steppe,
~ and startled the idle group who ha
N come Tor their morning dram, with tt
Tr words:
= "Come with me you first addres
- ing the faithless landlord particularI
- "come and see the effects of your he
- - rid traffic p
. The startled group rose to the
: feet, but refused to follow, seemil
r = rooted to the spot by the horror -stric
: en- look and grave tones of the fait
ful minister. But he was resolut
and shortly all followed him to t
IS spot where lay the companion of the
nt carousaIs in his death-bed Of snow.
= "And there" said Mr.. B., cover tn
man | preached my most effective tel
perance discourse. The men sho,
IN like aspen leaves, and the landl0
ur looked more dead than alive while
he held forth in language too strong f
ly tears. The whole village was arou
We ed, and never was there SO affecting
NJ funeral in that place as over the de-
as drunkard who had been hastily seiz
e. by the king of terrors."
he Many hearts were softened al
ne turned to the Lord by the terrib
to lesson. The neglectful landlord W
int the especial subject Of tn e CO
he vincing power of the Holy Spirit. T
ait Quilted his nefarious business and
of came a sincere Christian. Said he
le- Mr.. B. afterward:
nd II never forgot that awful lectu
ce- in the snow. 1t rang in my ears t
1t | was nearly distracted; for felt
at if the mercy of God was clean go
t. from me. But | found there was
'al Saviour not only for the penite
nd drunkard, but also even for the tru
,ly repentant drunkard-maker."