Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1868-03-20
From the Riverside Echo. EsfEEs3
The Dx.nn1xarSlss Child.

Dilapidated was the once pretty white
cottage, where the rose and woodvine
twined their tendrils In neglected order
around the -decayed lattice about the
door, and the birds, even, sang more
plaintive than their wont, and the sun
beams shone with subdued lustre upon
the footpath that led to the drunkard's
home. A broken pane of glass was fill
ed with east off fclothing, the fence
about the door was in ruins, Indications
or a once happy home, now desolate.
A beautiful boy, with a satchel of
books, leaned carelessly against the liz
tie wicket-gate; he wore neat, vet
mended frock his soft golden curls fell
from beneath n torn straw hat over a
fair broad brow, and intellect beamed
forth from eyes of deepest blue; vet
down his cheek now and then rolled n
tear, which told the tale his Young
heart was learning.
Had the beautiful child sinned /? nh.
no--the awful sin of the parent was be-
ing visited upon his innocent child
and his young heart swelled with
shame; yes, shame for fathers dis
grace F4#E4 EtAg~sTf
'Willie, why do YOU stand there. and
why that tear: tell ME Willie ~ and
the gentle voice of his teacher subdued
the rising pride of the noble child who
at first shrank from exposing the dis-
grace ofa once kind father. With n
voice broken by sobs he told the story,
not an uncommon one. that his father
was drunkard, his darling mother
was Ill, caused by sorrow and dis.
appointments; children at school had
tainted him because he was drunk
ards child and said the 10y In plain.
tive accents, II cannot go 10 school !;
and YET want TO be scholar, that
may make mother happy again, and
learn those bad boys that drunkard's
son may become a true'man - and the
fire of intellect and energy flashed from
the eye of the noble child.
"A number of years after the incidents
above related, in one Of our most popu.
lous cities, large hall was crowded to
over-fowing witheager, expectant peo-
pie forit wassaid ayouth ofrare oratoric-
al.powers, apdstartiing brilliancy was to
address the audience on subject dear
TO every human heart namely, the eIe-
walton ofsthe masses. They we're also
eager to hear and see, for rumor said
the youth had elevated himself by per
sonal effort alone; no hand had guided,
no wealth had given position; and tile
young OF both sexes would see this bril-
liant example of unaided genius. The
speaker stepped upon the platform
amid the earnest whisperings Of the
crowd. hFa fgf FatasqfE4 I'll
Herspoke earnestly, patheticaiiy. eIo-
quentiy he spoke OF man as he is car
able of being, a noble, pure, intellectil-
al being, seeking 10 ennoble and ele-
vate his kind. He spoke OF the yari-
Gus benevolent societies, giving to each
due Importance, and lastly declared
temperance In all things to be the
crowning beauty of character. As
warning to all, he referred TO the fall
OF his father by the wine cup ! the sick :
ness and death of his mother his own
desolate and neglected childhood: and
i'm strain OF paoth and eloquence ap-
pealed TO the audience, Irrespective Of
position, wealth or education, To sign
the Temperance pledge; and sat down,
amid the hearty applause of the assem-
bly,, 81
Hundreds that night took the pledge
of total abstinence. Many u wife,
mother and sister, In after years had
reason to bless the drunkard's son for
he 1t was who charmed the AUDIENCE,
and by his eloquehee caused many to
uuoPs 9 1oulSC WhiOn 5dsCu LutLl lIOIIl
a drnnkard's life. and their friends
from sorrow. FSA4 fsst4
Friends, 20 one example where the
druDkard's poor child arrives to the lof-
Tty emipence here spoken of, hundreds
go down TO ruin, misery, and degrade
ton. Stern Is the foe We have to con.
quer; his grasp Is firm, and deadly as
the Upas tree is, his embrace. Again,
and again he comes In facinaftnr Uniaa
to lure his victims to misery and death.
Parent, shun him; brother, nut thy
heel upon his gaudycrest; sister. scorn
him but pity, oh pity the drunkard's e
child. H