Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-09-28
i G1npGtanGe.
A Minister'S Story.

the gathering darkness Of the summer twi.
light, rehearsug to myself the story Of his
life, and the sad, sad story Of his tragic death.
Years have passed since, but the whole is i'm
pressed upon my memory in figures that time
cannot fade. II were an artist could
paint his portrait, am sure, as sec him
even now Such a grand, opeu-hearted, whole
souled fellow as he was.
10 was about year before that FIRST saw
him in my church His peculiar gait as he
walked up the aisle, first attracted my atten.
| tion. lie carried stout cane and walked
| little lame. His wife was with him. Indeed.
except at his Office | rarely saw them apart.
She loved him with an almost idolatrous af-
iecton as well She might, for he was the
most loyabIc man | ever knew; and he loved
her with O tenderness almost womanly. |
think he never for o moment forgot that it
was her assiduous nursing which saved his
/ lite. His face attracted me from the FIRST
aud | rather think | called on the new COM
ers that very week At all events we soon
became fast friends, and at the very next COM
munon husband aud wife united with my
church by letter from --, but no matter
where; | had best give neither names nor
dates. They lived in quiet, simple way
going but little into society, for they were so.
ciety to each other. They rarely spent an
evening out If except the weekly prayer
meeting They came together to that He
very soon went into the Sabbath school. A
Bible class Of young people gathered about
him as if by magic lle had just the genial
way, the social qualities, and the personal
magnetism to draw the young to him. I used
to look about sometimes with kind Of envy
at the eager, attentive faces Of his class,
Judge Of my surprise when, one day, a
warm friend of Charles came to me, private
/ ly, and said, Charlie p is drinking
Impossible" said |.
Alas" said he, it is too true. have
talked with him time and again He promises
REFORM but keeps no promise, His wife is
almost broken-hoarted, but carries her burden
alone. You have influence with him, more
than any one else, | think. | want you to
see him and talk with him."
promised, Of course. | made the effort,
but without success | called once or twice
at his office. He was always immersed in bus
mess | called at his house but | never
could see him alone | was really perpexed,
when he relieved me Of my perplexity Per-
haps he suspected my design. At all events
one morning he surprised me by a call at my
study lie opened the subject at once him
self
Pastor" said he " l have come to talk
with you about myself am bringing shame
on the church and disgrace on my family
You know all about it, wonder that the
children DO not point at me in the street as
60 alone Oh my poor wife my poor wife!
what shall do ?''
lie was intensely excited. suspected
that he had been drinking to nerve himself to
what he regarded as a disagreeable but un-
ayoidabe duty | calmed him as well as
could and he told me his story
He was formerly temperate, though never
total abstinence man lie was employed
on a railroad in some apacity-express mes
senger | think. The cars ran off the track.
That in which he was sitting was thrown
down an embankment He was dreadfully
bruised aud mangled, and was taken up for
dead 1t seemed at first as though he had
hardly whole bone in his body; but by one
Of those marvellous freaks as we account
them, which defeat all physicians calcula-
tions he survived. Gradually he rallied For
twelve months he lived on stmulents. His
wfe's assduous nursing through these twelve
months of anxiety prostrated her upon a bed
Of sickness From his couch he arose. as he
supposed, to 60 through life on crutches.
But returning strength had enabled him to
substitute cane Her attack Of typhoid
fever left her an invlid, never to be strong
again. Alas his twelve months use OF stim-
ulents had kinded a fire within him which il
seemed impossible to qucnch
" cannot do my work. - said he, "without
little, and little is enough to upset me
am not a hard drinker, Pastor, indeed am
not. But half glass Of liquor will some
times craze me-"
told him he must give up the little. For
him there was but one course of safety, that
of total abstinence. He was reluctant to come
to it. His fathers sde-board was never
empty It was hard to put aside the notions
of hospitality which he had learned in his
childhood, and adopt the principles of total
abstinence, which he had always been taught
to ridicue However, he resolved bravely
and went away from my study, as | fondy
hoped, saved man.
l had not then learned, as have since, the
meaning of the declaration, " the spirit in
deed is willing but the flesh is weak
saw him every few days. lie never
showed any signs Of liquor, | asked hin
casually, as had opportunity, how he wai
getting along. lie always answered, Well.
sounded others cautiously No one sus
pected him of any evil habit. concluded he
had conquered it. Though did not lose hin
from my thoughts or prayers, | grew les
anxious. lie kept his Bibe.class, which
grew in numbers aud in interest. Spring
came, and | relaxed little my labors as tha
climate-no matter where il was, to me tn,
climate was bad enough-required it. De
spite the caution, the subtle malaria laid hold
of me- | fought for three weeks a hard bat,
tie with disease. When | arose from my bee
the doctor forbade all study and all work fol
six weeks at least, No minister can rest il
his own parish. My people understood tina
as parishes do not always. One bright spring
day, one Of my deacons called, and put a
sealed envelope into my hand to be opened
when he had left. 1t contained check foi
my travelling expenses, and an official note
from the officers of the church bidding me e
and spend it. In three days | was on mJ
way to Lake Superior. 1t was there my
: wifes hurried note told me the story oil
Charles death. And this was il
The habit had proved too strong for hi,
weak will He had resumed drinking. n,
one knew it but his wife aud one con6dentia
friend He rarely took much never 81
much as to be brutal at home, or unfit fo
business at the office but enough to prove Il
him that he was not his own master. The
shame Of hia bondage he felt keenly, power
less as he was to break the chains. The weel
; after | left home his wife left also for a yisi
to her fathers. She took the children, one
young babe three months old, with her Mr.
p, was to follow her il fortnight, Sci
never saw him again. One night he went t'
his solitary nome. Possibly he had beer
drink ing, no one aver kneW-oDened hi