The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1869-12-23
A TenIperance Story.

once heard DR.. Day relate the oc-
currence which produced in his mind
the conviction that drunkards could he
rescued from the domination of their
morbid appetites. One evening when
he came home from his work, he heard
that certain Jack Watts, the sot of
the neighbOrhoOd, was starving, with
his wife and three children. After
tea he went to see him. In treating
his first patient, Albert Day hit upon
the very method he has ever since
pursued, and so / beg the reader will
note the manner in which he proceed
ed. On entering his cottage he was
as polite TO him, as cOnsiderate of his
dignity as head of the household, as.
he could have been to the first man Of
the village "Mr. Watts" said he,
after the usual salutatiOns, 81 hear
that you are in straitened circum-
stances" The man, who was then
quite sober, replied: 81 am; my two
youngest children went to bed crying
for food, and l had none to give them.
l spent my last three weeks over
there" pointing to grog shop oppo
site, "and the bar-keeper said to me
as he took my money, "Jack Watts,
you're IA fool" and so l am" Here
was a chance for fine moral lecture.
Albert Day INDUCED in nothing of
the kind. He said, "Mr. Watts, ex-
cuse me for a few minutes" and he
went out, returning soon with basket
containing some -four, pork and other
material for supper. "Now, Mrs
Watts, cook something and wake up
your children and give them some
thing to eat. I'll call again in the
morning. Good night"
Perfect civility-no reproaches-no
lecture practical help of the kind
needed and at the time needed. OBJ
serve, too, that the was in the cond:-
ton of mind in which patients usual
ly are when they make the confession
implied in an asylum. He was at the
end of the tether. He was-tO use
the language of the ar-room-"dead
beat" .. s. ...
When Mr.. Day called the next
morning, the family had had their
breakfast, and Jack Watts smiled a
benpdiction upon the man whom he
had been accustomed to regard as his
enemy, because he was the declared
enemy of Jack Watts enemy. Now
the time had arrived for a little talk.
Jack Watts explained his circum
stances he had been out Of work for
a long time, and he had consumed all
his substance in drink. Mr.. Day list.
ened with respectful attention, spoke
to him of various plans for the future,
and said that for that day he could
give him a dollars worth of wood
chopping to do Then they got upon
the liquor question. In the softened.
receptive mind of Jack Watts, Albert
Day deposited the substance of a ra-
tionaI temperance lecture. He spoke
to him kindly, respectfully, hopefully,
strongly; Jack Watts mind was coz
WINGED ; he said he had done with
drink forever. He meant it, too and
thus he was brought to the second
stage on the road to deIiverance.
In this particular case resting from
labor was out Of the question and un-
necessary, for the man had been rest,
ing too long already, and must needs
90 to work. The wood was chopped.
The dollar to be paid for the work at
the close of it was a fearful ordeal for
poor Jack, living within fifteen yards
Of bar-room. DR. Day called in the
evening, paid him the dollar without
remark, fell into ordinary conversation
with the family and took leave. Jack
stood the test; not a cent Of the money
found its way into the till of the bar
keeper. Next morning Mr.. Day was
there again, and seeing that the pa
tient was getting on well, spoke to
him about the future, and glided again
into the main topic, dwelling much
upon the necessity Of total and eternal
abstinence. He got the man place,
visited him, held him up, fortified his
mind, and so helped him to complete
and everlasting recovery. Jack Watts
never drank again. He died year
or two ago in Maine at a good age,
having brought up his family respect