Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1869-11-26
SELECTED STORY.
THE WHO'S WHITE.

THE WIDO'S WHITE. Ml5 y
FROM THE DIARY OF A wAsHINGToNIAN
... BY sYLvANUs COBB, JR.5 t,,.a
During the winter of 1916 I went with
John Fl: Hawkins and DR., Charles
Jewett, to Woodford, where we were to hold
temperance meetings, and organize Wash
ingtonian Society. The weather was favor
able, the ,sleighing excellent and, + the meet
ings were large and Of the most enthusiastic
character People came from many miles
around and we had the pleasure of seeing a
large and vigorous society spring. into exist
ence. .-.,.s.,s,,. .,,<, ,,.,.s..,.s,
I On the first day, while Hawkins was tell
ing his Experience Of sorrow and misfortune
from the intoxicating cup, Noticed a poorly
clad middle aged woman, who wept and
sobbed as though her bosom werc bursting.
At the close. of the meeting, that woman was
among the first place her name to the pledge.
When she had laid down the pen, and re-
turned to her, seat, I looked to see what she
had written Itwas q tsemulogs hand, but
delicate and exceedingly we'll formed; and the
ldule SIG udu WllOtCu Wetp 1)EhII1+A lilOR-
RIsoN.'J
"Poor woman p said the newly elected
president, when [ asked him if he knew her.
"Hers has been hard, sad fate. Once she
was the fairest and most blithsome of all the
maidens of Woodford. She married Tom
Morrison, brave, impetuous, handsome
fellow, a sailor upon the lake. and for a
time she was among the happiest the hap
py But the demon came, and peace and joy
were gone One child-a boy had been born
| to them-born to shame and misery. Tom
sank lower and lower, until he finally drop
ped into drunkard's grave. Her son ran
away and went to sea; and when she last
heard of him he was on shore, in a distant
city, running wild race of riot and dissipa-
ton. She has put forth every exertion in
her power to save him; but thus far he has
avoided her, and she has not been able even
to see him. Still, he is not entirely evil
He has sent her money several times Once
he met man, in New. York, who was COM
ing to Woodford, and by him he sent to his
mother the last shilling he possessed, and
then went and shipped for a voyage to India. "
The president would have told me more,
but his attention was called to business, and
I was left to reflect upon what I had heard.
Our lastmeeting was on Saturday even
ing, at the close of which collection was
taken up for the benefit of the Society. l
had been watching the poor widow, and |
was still looking that way when the contri-
button box was passed down the slip in which
she sat She spoke to the collector, and l
saw her drop piece of money. When the
box was brought to the desk [ asked the
man what Bertha Morrison had said to him.
"She told me-" he replied, with moisten-
ing eyes and quivering lip, "that she gave
the last mite she possessed in the world, and
she hoped God would bless it. She had
kept it because her son had sent it to her
1t was an English shilling, and her boy had
sent it when it was the sum Of all be had in
his purse"
| asked the man if he could distinguish
the piece He said he could, because it was
the only piece Of the kind in the box; and
directly afterward he brought it to me. 1t
was bright, with the stamp fresh and IN
worn, and upon the side bearing the crown
| [. noticed the letters cd. NJ" cut in, as
though with the point of a knife. I gave
| the collector a silver dollar, and kept the
widows mite. I not only priced it or its
touching associations, butt meant to make
it a symbol of devotion in my appeals in the
4 future to my fellows aat A---9ita SO.
| a This was in the winter. During the next
autumn l was in Baltimore, where l visited
the Penitentiary for the purpose Of coyyerslnlg
with thase poor unfortunates whom love OF
strong drink had dragged down to those
prison depths. ..,.....,.,.. .}.l.
There's about the toughest case we've
got" said the warden, pointing to q man
who sat upon low bench, i'll a corner en-
gagged in making boat-sail. 81.
| gained position where [ could see the
mans face. He was young-not more than
two or three-and- twenty-and the face was
one that attracted me- He had been a month
in the institution, and the track of the demon
Was gone, and the hue of health had come
in its place. l could judge that he was self
willed, and not to be driven but there was
native goodness beneath the surface, and
could have sworn that in his bosom was
throbbing great and generous heart. | tel
strangely drawn toward that young man, ane
at length I asked the warden if be WouEEe
send him to his cell, and permit me to bf
alone with him there. Consent was cheer
fully given, and the turnkey was called an6
directed to conduct the prisoner away. Mean
time had been informed that the mans
name was John Thompson, and he was
sailor. He had been imprisoned as a com
, mon drunkard. l,.
entered the prisoners cell, and the doo
vas closed and locked behind me, | took
seat, at the same time extending Cheerful
salutation.
: "Look here, mate" he said, resolutely
but with not particle Of impudenoe, ~
you've come here to preach, you're on thu
wrong tack. [ don't want to hear wore
not word p
l told him I was not a preacher-that
had once followed the sea, and had been
poor unfortunate victim OF strong drink. a
first his face grew bright with sympathy
and then it darkened again.
$50 you've come to talk Temperance t
o., - ,o;d eon,ouha+ h;ttarlv