Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1868-11-13
n temperance story.

Ionce heard DR.. Day relate the oc-
currence which produced in his mind
the conviction that drunkards could
be rescued from the domination of
their morbid appetite. One evening
when lie came home from his work,
ne heard that a certain Jack Watts,
the sot Of the neighbol hood, was starv-
ing with his wife and three children.
After tea he went to see him. In
treating this first patient, Albert
Day hit upon the method he has ever
since pursued, and so beg the read
er will note the manner i'm which he
proceeded. On entering his cottage
he was as polite to him, as consider.
ate fhis dignity as head of his house
hold, as he could have been to the
first man of the village. "Mr Watts"
said be, after the usual salutations,
III hear you are i'm straitened circum-
stances" The man who was then
quite sober, replied "I am my two
youngest children went to bed cry
ing for bread, and had none to give
them. Ispent my last three weeks
over there" " pointing to a grog shop,
land the bar-keeper said to me as he
took my money, says he, Jack Watts,
" u're fool, and so | am.p Here
was u chance for fine moral argu-
ment. Albert Day INDUCED i'm moth
ing of the kind. He said "Mr. Watts,
excuse me for "a few minntes;" and
went out, returning again soon with
basket containing some flour, pork, =,
and other materials for supper.
Now Mrs. Watts, cook something
and wake your children up and
then give them something TO eat.
I'll call again early in the morning.
Good night"
Perfect civility-no reproaches-
no lecture-practical help of the kind
needed and at the time needed.
Observe, too, that the man Was i'm a
condition of mind in which patients
usually are when they make the con-
.fession implied In entering an asy-
lum. He was at the end of his teth-
er. He was-to use the language of
the bar roOm-"dead beat"
When Mr.. Day called the next
morning, the family had had their
breakfast, and Jack Watts smiled
benedictions upon the man whom he
had been accustomed to consider his
enemy, because he was the declared
enemy of Jack Watts enemy. Now
the time had come for "a little talk.
Jack Watts had been out of work for
a long time, and consumed all his
substance I'm drink. Mr.. Day listen
ed with respectful attention, spoke
to him of various plans for the future
aud said that for that day he could
give him dollars worth of wood
chopping to do. Then they got upon
the liquor question. In tile softened
and receptive mind of Jack Watts.
Albert Day deposited the substance
of u rational temperance lecture. He
spoke to him kindly, respectfully,
hopefully and strongly 4; Jack Watts
mind WAS convinced he said he had
done with strong drink forever. He
meant it, too; and thus he was
brought to his second stage OH his
road to deliverance.
In this particular case, resting from
labor was out of the question aud un-
necessary, for the man had been
resting too long already, and must
needs go to work. The wood was
chopped. The dollar to be paid for
the work Mt the close of tile day was
a fearful ordeal for poor Jack, living
hfteen yards.ffom the bar room. MIR.
Day called round i'm the evening, paid
him the dollar without remark. fell
into ordinary conversation with his
family, and took his leave. John
stood the test; not a cent of the mon
ey found its way into the till Of the
bar keeper. Next morning Mr.. Day
was there again and seeing that the
patient was going OIL well, spoke to
him further about the future, and
glided again into the main topic,
dwelling much upon the absolute
necessity of total abstinence. He
got the man place, visited him,
helped him up to complete recovery.
Jack Watts never drank again. He
died year or two ago in Maine at a
good age, having brought up lis fam
lily respectfully. Parton, IN atlantic
MOnthkg.