The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-10-15

saving his life, for which he ought ever
to be thankful, and rather lcctured
him on his loolishness for being such q
fanatic that's the word) as to refuse
taking q bottle of stout daily to restore
him to his former health. / lost sight
of my patient for some months, but |
am sorry to say that, one fine sum
mer's day, when driving through one
of our public thoroughfares, / saw q
poor, miserable, ragged looking man
leaning against the door Of common
public house, drunk, and incapable Of
keeping an erect posiio ion. Even in his
poverty, drunkenness. and misery, |
discovered Il was my tcctotal patient,
whom / had, not so long ago, pcrsuad-
ed to break his pledge could not be
mistaken. ! had reason to know him
we'll and he had been q member of q
Methodist Church, an indeiatigablc
Sunday School teacher, n prayer Lead
or, whose earnest appeals for the saliva
ton of others | had often listened to
with pleasure and cdifcation i'm.
mcdiately went to the man and was as
tonishcd to find the change which
drink, in 50 short time, had worked
prise, and looking earnestly at the
poor wretch said, "S-2is this your
With staggering reel, and clipping
his words he answered, "Yes, it's me.
Look Mt mo again. Don't you know
me 2 "Ges, know you said, "and
am grievcd to see you in this drunken
] thought you were tee
totoler p With peculiar grin upon
his countenance, he answered, ~ was
before | took your medicine ~ am
sorry to you disgracing yourself by
such conduct. | am ashamed of you.
Rousing himself rs drunken people
will at times, to extraordinary effort.
he choilingly replied, Didn't you send
me here for my medicinc?' and with
a delirious kind Of chucklc. he hic-
cuppcd out words ! can never forget
Doctor, your medicine cured my bo-
dy. but it's damned my soul g
Two or three Of his boozing cOmpan-
ions, hearing our conversation, took
him under their protection, and left
him. As drove away, my heart was
full Of bitter reflections that ] had been
the cause of running the mans pros.
prccts, not only for this world, but for
that which is to come.
You may rest assured did not sleep
much that night. The drunken aspect
Of that man haunted me, and ! found
myself weeping over the injury ! hal
lone him. rose up early the next
and went to his cottrge with
his little garden in front, on the out.
skirts of the town where ! had often
seen him with his wife, and happy lit !
tie chi dren playing about, but found,
10 my sorrow, that he had removed !
some time ago. At last, with some
found him located in a
couple of rooms in low nei ghborhood, !
not far distant from the public house !
h. had patronizcd the day before. - |
Hero, in such a room as none but tho |
could inhabit. found him
aid upon bed of straw, fcvcrish and |
PROSTATE from the previous day de- !
Jauch, a using his wife because she |
'ould not get him some more drink
she, standing aloof with tears i'm her |
eyes, broken down with care and with |
,licE her children Ill IS and clothed |
n rags, all lIcndless, and stepped in |
poverty. What u wreck was there
Turned out Of he church i'm which |
le was once an ornament, his religion !
'acrilicad, his usefulness marrcd, his |
lopcs Of eternity blasted now a poor,
detected slave to his passion for drink,
without mercy and without hope.
talked to him kindly, reasoned |
with him, succorcd him till he was
we'll, and never lost sight Of him, nor
ct him have peace until he had signed
he pledge again
IL took him some time 10 recover his |
place in the church, tut have had the |
happiness of seeing him rcstortd. lie
$ now, more than ever, a devoted and |
worker in the church and the !
'ause of temperance is pleaded on all |
occasions !
Can you, reader, wonder then, that ! |
never order strong drink for a patient |
row ?"