The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-08-26
fuE FATAL GLASS.

~ Cousin Waiter, won't you driuk
my healthg' and Fanny Lacy turned
& y WE s sissuss g 3 IS
iIps< Now ,Waltee Frazier was man
bf strong, impetuous nature, ana had
Ipllerited with it a fondness Of dissfpa-
ton. He had led wild, reckles lIfe.
and had been regaried by many = 1
hopeless case bat he had ast0nkhed
his friends, all At once, by his abrupt
discontinuai1ce OF his old habits, and
ssstesdy application to his business.
Vet no one knew what q stu1xxje n
cost him to do so. No one knew the
mental agony he endured In trying to
east or the tenn mptation which constant
" haunted him, aud sought 30 cast him
down from the position he had reached.
twas with him, a continual efiorf:
for in the society in which he moved,
not o day passed that he did not expe-
rience q temptation to abandon his res
olution, and indulge, "just ouces in
the dangerous pleasure. His ffiends
were BY no means, 30 strict IN their
habits, aud they frequently urRsd him
TO take q glass ana he scarcely ATTEND
ed an entertain16eu that he Was not
offered wine; al tlt6Be offers vere qGi-
city refused; but sometimes he lelt that
the effort wotiid snap his heart strinrs.
He made the struggle bfavofy,
though. He firmly resolved never
again, to taste intoxicating liquoy for
be knew himself well enough 70 be as
sured that his first glass wotlld led 10
another, and his old thirst once aroused,
he could not-tell where -it would end.
But how could he refuse his little Cous-
In Fanny, the only one he had loved
dearly from clildhOgd? And this was
the night Of her brisial; and, they per-
haps, you'd never meet again.-C Could
he refuse her last request?
Again, her voice sounded In his ear:
Please Walter, remember u is the
last, last time l shall ever ask you.u
And the bright blue eyes looked up at
him through their dim mist Of tears.
The temptation was too great, and rnfs>
Ing the glittering goblet TO his lips, he
dn3nedit to the very bottom; b1t that
was not all-five-six glasses was
drained, during that evening, and
when Walter Frazier left the house
that night, he knew that he was q ru-
ined man. The demon of intemper-
ance was now aroused, and be rushed
to the nearest saloon, to allay his burn
Ing thiBt-drank more, drank deeply.
and then reeled home, and lay al
night in drunken stupor. Day after
day the same was repeated, niRkt amer
hight found him in the same copdi-
tion.
"There Is q man at the door that
3es1at abe sent away, Ma'ain, sald
Bridget, thrusting her head into Fam
ny .LAcy's, or rather Mrs. Morton's
pleasant sitting room.
7" Nonsense, Bridget; what Is the ne
Of coming to nae with such stufr7 OF
course he will go away if you tell him
to sep ~ ~ I'iS'3'
q But he says he is az old, friend,
and must see you.r s..,..
Well, show him inn and Mrs. M.
threw her book down petulantly, and
awaited his coming
",Walter Frazier - she exclaimed, as
q man with bloated face and blood
shot eyes staggered into the room.
sHsYes5 | am Walter Faziefs Ahl
you may well clasp your, hands, you
beautifui temptress, who wrought my
woes y But for you, /, to-day mi9ht b
q noble, upright man, filling the station
God created me for. Five years sro.
you tempted me with a glass Of wine.
and I loved you so dearly i could not
refuse but from that hour was ru-
lned. And now, Fannie Morton, look
well ON the wreck before you. Raise
your hands 70 heaven, and thank God
this is your work ~ 7 -.t
Ere, she could reply, he was gone.
She threw herself down on the fioor,
and lay there all night sobbing On her
and when the morning
came with its freshness and li9ht.
Bridget rushed in her room, saying:
sOh, Na'am! please come to the
'ront door for q minute" She did So:
md there on the marble step, sin and
old, lay the last Of the once noble,
generous Walter Frazier, the victim OF
f
And now, my readers, by this true,
ret simple story take warning. Never
)lIer to another, this hateful poison, or
t may, like Mrs. Morton, embjfter
1our life forever affer.-Rubv Aorti-
"a -.