The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1868-03-19
A Restoration.

IA great "experience meeting
tsomeayears ago, was to be, held one
evening in church, where the
speakers were, rs usual to be re-
formed adrunkards. An estimable
woman, whom weg will call Alice,
! was induced to attend. When the
meeting was somewhat advanced, a
late member Of Congress arose with
apparent sadness and hesitation.
Though / had consented, at
your urgent solicitation, to address
this assembly Tonight be said,
"yet l feel so great reluctance in
doing SO, that it has been with the
utmost difficulty that I could drag
myself forward. As to relating
my experience, that do not think
l can, venture upon The past
dare not recall I could wish that
the memory of ten years of my life
were blotted out. ," He paused a
moment, much affected, and then
added in a final voice, Something
must be said of my own case, or. /
fail to make the Impression on your
minds that I wish to produce. - ~
- Your speaker once stood among
the respected members of the bar.
Nay, more than that, he occupied q
seat in Congress for two congress
ional periods. And more than that
he continued, his voice sinking into
a tone expressive of deep emotion,
"he once had a tenderly loved wife
and two sweet children. But all
these honors, all these blessings
have departed from him. He was
unworthy to retain them; his con
stltuents threw him off, because he
had debased himself and disgraced
them And more than all, she who
had loved him devotedly, the moth
er, of his two, babes, was forced to
abandon him, and seek an asylum
/ in her fathers house. ,. And why
Could I, become SO changed in g
few short years (? What power was
there to. debase me that my fellow
| beings spurned, and even the wife
| of my bosom turned away, heart
| stricken from me? Alas, my friends
it was q mad indulgence in intoNica
| ting drinks. But for this, were al
] honorable and useful representative
in the halls Of legislation, and bles
sed with home and wife and chill
dren, & ..:-5, --.5 .-:...-.-,. F....
But I have not told you all. AT
ter my wife was separated from me
sank rapidly. A state of sobreity
brought too many terrible thoughts
l drank more deeply, and was rare
ly, if ever, free from the bewil6er
ing effects Of partial intoxicatien
At last, | became SO abandoned
that my wife, urged by her friends
no doubt, filed an application for a
divorce, and as cause could be read
lily shown why it shoul be granted
a separation was legally declared:
and to complete my disgrace, al
the Congressional canvass [ was
left off. the ticket, as unfit, to repre-.
sent the district. -, -,..--. -. r.
When I heard of this new move
ment, the great temperance cause
at first I sneered, then wondered,
listened at last and at last threw
myself on the great wave that was
rolling onward, in hope of being
carried far out Of the reach of dan
ger. I did not hope with vair
hope. 1t did for me all and more
than | could have desii ed. It Sc
me once more on my feet, once more
made q man of me. A year of so
briefly, earnest devotion to my pro
fession, and fervent prayer to hin
who alone gives strength in every
4 good resolution, restored me to
!. much that I have lost; but not all
not the richest treasure that have
proved myself unworthy to retain
mot my wife and children. Be
| tween myself and these, the law has
laid its stern impossible interdic
4 tions. I have no longer a wife, nc
I longer children, though my heart
i goes toward these loved ones with
the tenderest yearnings. Pictures
4 Of our early days of welded love
are ever lingering in my imagina
. | ton. | dream Of the sweet fireside
4 circle; I see ever before me the
placid face Of my, Alice, as her eyes
. looked into mine with intelligent
J, confidence; the. music of her, voice
is ever sounding in my ear r--
4 Here the Speakers emotion over
Il came him; his utterance became
:. choked, and he stood silent, with
bowed head and trembling limbs
The dense mass Of people were
4 hushed, into an, oppressive silence
> that was broken here and there by
, half -stifed sobs. 81 .t-rf..... - :.
i At this moment there was a move
4 ment, in the crowd. A single fe.
], male figure, before whom every
one appeared instinetivelys to give
way, was seen passing up the aisle
This was not observed by the speak
er, until she had come nearly ir
front of the platform on which
he stood. Then the movement
caught his ear, and his eyes that in
stant fell on Alice, who, by the
kindness of those near her was con.
Quoted to his side The whole au-
dience, thrilled by the scene, were
Iupon their feet, bending forward
when the speaker extended his arms
and Alice threw herself upon his
ooso gE.d -aiEooal s.7 l2 zhr-
I An aged minister then came for
ward, and gently separated them.
I''No, no.. said the reformed con.
lgressman,; t'you cannot take hel
away from me-" H5M a4IT s.a
Heaven forbid that L should
said the minister; but by your own