The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-05-27
HOPES DASHED

There is a corner, bordering on
three towns in one of the New Eng
land States, which, in the days of
my boy-hood, was settled chiefly by
men of kindred spirits. No Nabob
was there.
All were on an equality-recogni-
zing in each other, when not intOxi-
Gated, q friend and brother.
That part of New England from
which l came, was remarkable for
names given to the different neigh
borhoods. Some were oS Indian Or
igin-smooth and euphonious-some
descriptive of scenes or events that
had transpired there; others still,
were derived from the character Of
the inhabitants,
The place to which 1 now refer
went by the sobriquet of "Hell-Hol-
Iowa name full of significance
from its location and the character
of its inhabitants. And if there was
a place on earth justly meriting that
appellation OF all others, by way Of
distinction, this was the one. Ifgen-
eral drunkenness, with all its con-
comitant evils,-gambling, horse-ra-
cling, theft, fights, rows, &c, could
bear any faint resemblance to pande-
monium, no one acquainted with the
character of the inhabitants Of this
locality would call it a misnomer.
Well, once upon a time, two men
were sent as a deputation by their
comrades some two miles, on a Sat
urday afternoon, to get a small keg
of whiskey, to cheer up their spirits
over the Sabbath They went on
their mission, obtained the article,
and having refreshed the inner man,
as would be natural, started for home
on foot.
Laying the keg on their shoulders
for that distance was a laborious
task. Alternately changing their
burden, without any wrangling lest
one should do more than his full
share Of work, with words Of com
fort and encouragement and songs
presumed not to have been Watts
they thus endeavored to relieve
the tediOusness of the way.
What an example! and one that
may well be followed in labors per
tanning to a better cause.
Full of zeal, and full of spirits,
time passed cheerily on, 50 that they
had nearly reached their journeys
end almost unconscious of fatigue.
As the road they had travelled was
rough and hilly, it was a cause of
self-gratulation that they had passed
''the dangers of the way" and were
now in full view of home. Con
graduating themselves upon their
prospects of spending the Sabbath
joyously, they were full of hope and
cheer; in other words they felt
amazingly happy.
When difficulties are encountered
and safely passed-we are all ac-
quainted, to some extent, with the
feelings that rise spontaneously in
the breast. I suppose they were not
strangers to this feeling in some
degree. Nearly home, and from toll
ling and struggling in carrying the
load so far, "the spirits must have
been thoroughly stirred within them"
Joy, Of necessity, was the order
of the hour. Suddenly their exul-
tation rose to such a pitch, that the
one bearing the precious burden from
immOderate laughter, measureablY
lost contrel over his muscular sys-
TEN. Excessive joy and merriment
are quite OverpOwering in their eff
fects upon the system. UnlOosing
his hold-or the freighted cask los
ing its equilibrium while borne on
/ his shOulder-it fell, and "what q
fall was that my cOuntrymen." Co
hesive attraction being insufficient
to retain the liquid in the cask,
they had a practical and full real
ization of the truth-"as water
spilled upon the ground that cannot
be gathered up"
With blasted hopes and sorrow,
if not despair, depicted on their
countenances, we can imagine them
as standing in utter amazement, sur
veying the wreck, and fully con
vinced Of the truthfulness Of the old
maxim-"There is many a slip
'twixt the cup and the lip"
With dOwncast look and 'meas-
ured step" in this sudden change of
programme, they wend their way
onward to bear the heavy news, the
sad tidings, to their waiting COM
panions.
W hat their expressions Of disap-
| pointment and sorrow were, at this
disaster, I have no means of know
ing. Evening was now approach
ing. Too late to procure another
supply before the darkness Of the
night would greatly multiply the
/ dangers of transportation, and over
whelmed at the thought Of having
no beverage to intensity their medi-
tations and feelings on the Sabbath,
it is probable that their lamenta-
tions were long and loud.-As1aH
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