The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-05-11
Written For the Watchman.]
THE APPLE TREE.
The Temperance Hero.

education but had iu early life, acquired
the habit of using spirituous liquors
freely, until excessive indulgence made
him wreck, in property, health, happi.
ness, and morals. His wife, a lovely and
intelligent woman, was almost broken
hearted. His motto when young, was,
ga man is no man, who cannot stop
drinking when he pleases" aud firmly
believed that he had tho moral power to
quit drinking just when he pleased, he
rushed Oh, in his career of ruin, not
hecding the intreaties of his wife, the
advice of friends aud the distress Of
children, until the iron mauacles of iu-
temperance bound him hand and foot.
Suddenly he seemed to awake up to q
sense of his perilous condition, and like
Sampson, who when .horn of his
strength, thought he would go out and
slay his enemies as he had done before,
found himself wretchod captive,
with a power over him which controlled
him, as as slave is controlled by his
master. He attempted reform, but as
we'll might human power attempt to
stop the tremendous mass of snow as it
tumbles down the mountain side, as for
this man to reform himself He failed !!
Tried again and failed Failure followed
failure until the gloom of despair began
to settle about his mind, and threatened
him with entire loss Of reason-he felt
himself helpless, hopeless, wretched,
drunkard, with an appetite perfectly un-
comfortable, governing him, with the
power Of a demon.
His home was now wrctched place,
with but few comforts, his friends had
abandoned him as hopeless case of in
ebriation, he had become sour and mo-
rose in temper, aud his children were
afraid of him. There was bu. one left
who oung to him, and she did so with
tho affection Of first love. This was
his wife. She never chidcd him, her
words were always the soft sweet words
of love and hopo, aud like tho ivy, that
cllngs to the oak after its leaves have
withcred and the marks Of death are
upon it, SO she clung to him. Her love
was that which sprung up only in the
breast of u true woman, pure, strong,
active fountain, which flows unccasing-
ly. Half demented, and always drunk,
he wandered about, not knowing what
to do, when suddenly "a still, soft voice"
seemed to whisper in his heart, "God
can help you" At once he determined
to SEQ what divine power could do for
him, and to seek it by prayer. There
grew, Immediately in front of his house,
about hundred yards distant, re-
markable apple tree. twas unusually
large, thickly studied with branches,
extending horizontally far out, and
then gracefully falling to the ground, so
that between the trunk, and bra nches,
which we're very thick, there was
formed spacious, circular room. There
Mr.. B. determined to make his closet,
and follow the command of Christ, who,
said "Entcr into thy closet, and when
thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy
father, which is in secret and thy father
who seetR in secret, shall reward
thee openly" With his pen knife and
the exercise of little ingenuity, he
arranged door, with tho boughs so
intcrlacod, and arranged that it could
open and shut. Thore in NATURES own
sanctuary, with chair and bible, he
entered into secret audience with Him,
who sees the sorrowing heart, and has a
warm gushing sympathy for the uufor-
tunate, for lie himself, "was in all
points tempted like as we are," and
there in the quiet holy retreat, chasten-
ed in his penitcncc, he learned the
weakness and depravity Of his own heart,
aud with trembling faith leaned upon
the arm of God for assistance. One
beautiful day in the spring, just as ma.
ture had at.ircd herself in her gayest
and lovclicst robes of green, just as tho
sun had mounted to the zenith and was
shedding down his golden rays upon the
earth, already beautiful, that greater
moral luminary, the holy spirit shed its
divine light in MIR. BIS dark soul, and
he felt at once that the spell was broken,
the cnchantment dissi patcd, the power
which had controlled him so long held
in check, and with shout of joy, he
ran wildly to the house, not crying
Eureka Eureka! Eureka as the Phil
osophcr Of old did but exclaiming III
can conquer! II can conquer l can con.
quer |" His wife met him with trembling
:e1 Il IN hn