New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-05-24
An Effective Temperance Speech.

"A speech, a speech from Wilton
cried the thoughtless fellows.
HE can't make speech on cold
water; l defy him." said one of their
number.
my friends began Wilton.
Hear, hear he's really in for it
now" cried a young man whose
flushed cheeks gave pitiful signs of
his devotion to the bottle, Wilton is
on his feet
The comrade they called Wilton
was q young man some twenty-three
years of age. Upon his face, within
his eyes, settled melancholy rested;
his manners were as grave as those of
an old man, He was often called
"Wilton the Steady" on account of
his quiet adherence to principle.
The head partner of the firm in
whose employ Wilton was gave a great
party once year, and it was to this
gathering Wilton had been persuaded
to come.
In vain his companions tempted him
with the wine that flowed freely. The
firm considered themselves good
Christians, as, indeed, did the world
generally. They gave largely to char
tiles and to their Church, where their
seats were seldom empty. They did
great deal of good with their money,
yet in placing this fiery temptation
before young men, some of whom were
as yet without fixed principles, they
committed a gross and fatal error.
Looking about him, Wilton saw al
ready many faces flushed almost to
inebriation; many eyes there, spite of
their fash and sparkle, moved with
difficulty and that dire unsteadiness
that marks the incipient stage of
drunkenness.
MY friends he said, and then
paused, as if to give greater emphasis
to what might follow, Il am going to
make a confession.
Some of the company smiled at this,
but by far the greater number were
awed by the sad yet earnest tones of
his voice.
alive years ago l had brother, a
bright lad, in whom the hopes of a
large family circle conferred. He was
called genius, and he was one. Sem
sitive, gentle hearted, and generous
to fault, he also gave promise of ex-
traordinary vigor OF mind. One night
several in the village where l was
born resolved to have frolic. The
party was to be secret one, and we
were each to carry from our homes,
| if we could, provisions and wine. It
came off with success. There was
good cheer, there were bright and
flowing liquors, we were all young and
bueyant. My brother had never
tasted wine. Whether it was disin-
clination caused by natural dislike, or
whether it was intuition that led him to
avoid it as dangerous to him, do not
know. l only know-and the recol-
lection at this moment is burning in
my brain-that we all thought
that if we could get Herbert drunk it
would be fine fun. Fiends could not
have set themselves more ingeniously
to work to compass this object than
we did. will not excuse myself, nor
in aught palliate my conduct. knew
he had manuscript poem at home,
that had been pronounced remarkable
by competent critics; / knew he
could improVise almost without mental
effort, and expected under the slim
illus of the fiery serpent-whose sting
l dread more than / dread death--his
brain would be quickened, and we
should be charmed, perhaps amazed,
at the exhibition Of his rare gift.
At last we prevailed, but instead
of quickening, the wine stupefed his
faculties. A few glasses reduced him
to state of utter inebriety.
"The party broke up. We were all
.,ild with drink and excitement; he
alone was immovable and quite in
sensible. There was NO arousing him
from the state of deathly sleep into
which he had fallen. / dared not take
him home that night, fearing our frolic
might be found out in consequence of
the trouble we should have in. getting
him to his room. So we left him
there lying as comfortably as we could
place him-his handsome face flushed
and almost purple, his active brain for
once completely stupefed.
"In the morning / was awakened by
the sound of sobs. A white scared
face stood over me; trembling, weak
voice cried out
oh, Philip, your poor brother
Il sprung fromm bed. Ny friends,
knew the trut4 soon enough. Her
bert had recovered consciousness in
the night sufficient to mislead him.
He had fallen from the window a height
of twenty feet. He was still living.
In vain my prayers and tears and an
guish." His voice faltered.
Young men, he is living vet, but
an incurable idiot. Now will you ask
me to take the sccursed stuff Yes,
the curse of the living God rests upon
it. Il has burdened my life-it has
ruined as noble an intellect as ever
was ready to dc battle with the faults
and follies Of this world. Do You stiIl
i ieer and laugh because / solI not laugh
and be jovial? / tell you IL it we're 8
living thing ] would strange it-and
there is nothing upon earth which
hate with such q deadly hatred"
There was deep silence, Not one
in all the company seemed inclined to
drink Again. Watehmdn and Reflector
Dying Words Of Pious Women
Dying testimonies Of rare beauty