Buchanan County bulletin and guardian., 1868-02-07
AN ERgEcGEyE spEEcH.


"A speech, speech from Wilton n cried
the thougb,less fellows.
lie can't make a speech on cold water,
iefy tiTn,'' sad one OF their number,
Ny lricnd-'' be ran wilton.
Hear, hear! he's really 10 for it now ;
pitiful signs OF bis deyolJa 70 the bottle
Wilton is on his feet"
The comrade the called Wilton, was n
W .ag man, some tNenlv-thfee years Of age,
Upon his face. and within his eyes, a settled
me aucholy rested. His mariners were a.
grave ae tho.e OF an Old man. He was often
called :. Wilton .ae STEADY, cn accauu. Of
his quiet aiiieranee 10 principles.
Tie head partner Of tie f.1n in whose
en- ploy wilton w.s, gave gfaIs party onee
a year, aud il wss 70 iAis gathering that
Wilton lad been persuaded % come.
Ia vain his comrades tempted him with
the wine that A,Hed freely. They considers
ed themselves good christians a., indeed did
the so'id generally. They gave largely TO
charities aud 10 their church, where their
seats were seldom empty. They did a great
deal Of gooi with their money: yet in p!acin /.
tbs Gery ptation before young men, some
OF whom were as yet without fixed princi>
pies, they committed gross aud alaos; fa>
tai error.
Looking ab0G: lin, Wilton saw already
many i gted, almost to iuebriation, many
eyes, that sf6;e of their fash aud sparkle,
moved with difficulty and that dire ursicaai-
ness that marks the incipient state Of drunk
enness.
My lrierd,'' he said. and then papsed
as if to give greater emphasis to what n,i4h;
follow. =" i am going to make a confess
ion."
Five years ogo had brother, bright,
beautiful lad. in whom the hopes If large
fauiy ccn,ered. Ha was called a genius.
and generous 10 fault. lie also gave prom
ise to extraordinary vigor of MUD. Ore
night several boys in the village. where
was born, resolved TO have troilc. The
party was 70 he secret one, and we were
each to carry ii'pm cur homes. II We could
provisions and wine. 1t came on with suc>
cess. There was good cheer, there were
bright and dosag liquors; We were ali
young and buovaut. Ny brother had never
tasted wine Whether It was a disinclina>
ton caused By natural dislike. or whether
lis constitution ied him to avoid it MS dan.
ANA the ree0pction Is Mt this moment hutf>
ine in my btain-Aat We al thoueht that if
we coul eet him drunk II would be fun
Fiends conli not have set themselves more
nEaBiou.ly ct work q compass their object
than We did. / was foremost in the a;;ou.p,
! will not excEse myself. or aaght paliale
my conduct. knew he had q manuscript
poem that had been pronounced remarkably
gssd ! knew heNroult improvise almost
without mental effort; and expected that M
dor the s;iwnlus III the fiery serraut-whose
sting l dread more ;han | dresd drath-his
hrala wouid be guieile ei and lie would be
charmed perhaps amazed al tie exhibition
.: his rare rifts.
At last we prevailed, but instead Of quick.
nniar. The vile s'upifed His faculties. A
few glasses reduced him 70 . state of utier
nebriety.
The party broke up. We were all will
with drink and excitement; be alone was IN
sensible and impovablc. There was no
rou.ing him from the deathly sleep into
which he had fallen. ! 5are,, not take him
home that night, fearing that our frolie nigh,
be found oGt IN consequence Of the trouble,
We sbo0ll have ii getting him to his room.
So We leit him there lyiug as comfortable as
We could place him-his handsome face
flushed and almost purple, lis active brain,
far ance. completely s;apifei.
Il The marping, J was awakened by lie
souhi of sobs. 4 white, Scared face stood
over ne; a tremtHpg, weak voice, cried
out.
80, Phillip, your poor bro.lcr."
| sprang from MY bed. Ms friends,
knew the truth soon enough. Herbert had
recovered consciousness III the night sgifi.
cient to misead him. He had fallen from
lie window. a height of twenty feet. He
was siia living. In rain my prayers and
tears and auguish--his voice ialterei.
Young men. he is living vet, but an inca
TGble idiot. Now viii you ask me to take
the accursed stuff? Yes, the curse OF the
living God rests npon it. i, has burdened
my lifs, Il has ruined as aoble an intellect as
ever was ready to dc battle with tie faults
and foilies os the world. Do yoa still jeer
aud laugh because | ,cia not be .jorial? !
will tell you il i. were living thing l would
sirapgle it-and there is nothing upon earth
hate with such deadly haired.
There was a dead silence. Not one in all
that company seemed inclined to drink
agaia