Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-09-08

rnE WAY OF ESCAPE.
By r. .. ARTHUR.

ny r. .. ARTHUR.
"A PRIZE of one hundred dollars, offer.
ed by the proprietor Of Woods HouseAofd
Noooeine. for The best Temperance Tale,
VA nwarded to the following story, by
unanimous vote of the Committee:
Ny heart sched for the wretched man.
His debauch was over; his nerves I'M.
strung; the normal scnsibiIities OF fine,
moral nasure quickened, after brief tor
por, into most acute perceptions. Such q
haegard face, Such hopeless eyesi see
the picture row, as haunting spectre.
"Let the memory Of this hour, so bur.
dened by pain and repentance, be as wall
of defence around you in all the future"
said.
He looked at me drsarily. Slowly shak
ing his head. be replied:
"Such memories are no defense. My
soul Is full OF them. When temptation
assails, they fall away, and am at the
mercy Of mine enemy, who PUSHES In, like
hungry wolf. 20 kill and 70 destroy"
ais there no help Tor you, then! = l
asked.
He shut his eyes and was very still. If
an artist could have seen his face then,
who looked upon the image must have
felt such pity in their hearts as makes
the eyes grow dim with tears.
al lear not" lie answered, after a little
while, In hopeless kind Of way.
at cannot be-" | spoke confidently
and assuripgly. "No man is given over
To such utter ruin. There must be, and
there is, g way OF escape from every
evil"
Except the evil of bad and degrad-
ing habit--that vile second nature, he an
swered, "the steady current of which Is
forever bearing him downward, down
ward, toward u storm wrecked ocean. He
may seize the oars In alarm, AZ l have
done scores Of times, and pull against the
current, making Roadway for little while.
But human strength avails not here. The
arms grow weary, the spirit flags is
easier to drift than to row, and down the
current bears him again. II 10 the history
Of thousands and tens Of Thousands, and /
am no exception"
at cannot be-" answered. "There IL
help for every man, NO matter how weak,
nor how beset by enemies; else Gods
ut does fail, I think, !" he answered, In
gloomy, despairing kind Of way.
"Nc mol mol" Quickly and emphati-
cally did ! reject his conclusion.
"Have 1t as you will. ! shall NOT argue
the point" He spoke almost listlessly.
"Then, say, there 10 help for every
man, no matter where he is or what he is.
We cannot fall 80 low that the Everlast'
ing arms arc not still beneath US, ready
tobesr us upward to mountain heights OF
safety"
"Oh, that those arms would bear me
upward |" almost groaned my poor friend.
IL have no strength Ia myself l cannot
climb Unless lifted by another, must
perish"
"Just so bad he answered, slowly and
bitterly. "This second nature l have
made Tor Myself 10 my ruler. Reason,
conscience, the love OF my wife and chill
dren, my good reputation, pride, manii-
ness-all human powers and virtues are
its elave. And such bondage"
There was not ray OF hope IN MS
"~Yoh must try again." said. cheerily.
"No man need DO slave"
Easily said !" was his impatient an
swer; "whIle yet all men are slaves to
some habit from which they cannot
break"
"say, rather, from which they will not
break" s
"You mock me with idle words"
"No; speak only the words of truth
and sObcrness There 10 human strength,
and there Is divine strength. The Ever
lasting arms are always beneath and ready
to bear us up, II we will but lean upon
and trust them. Human strength 10 but
% broken reed; divine strength il sure
~ God Himself. 1t never fails"
There came into his heavy eyes fee
bic play Of light. Ths stern rejection that
sat upon his. lips faded of.
'In our own strength, nothing" said;
"in Gods strength, ali.
saw his hands moving In en- uncertain
way. Then they tested one against the
other. Suddenly they were clasped TO.
gsther In kind Ut spSsm, while his eyes
dew upward in wild, halEdespairing ap.
peal 70 God, his lips grosning out the
words
ss6ave me, or am lostl'
Even now, memory gives back the thrill
that swept along my nerves - his cry
penetrated my cars. a4
Never from any human soul went up,
unheard, q prayer like that He who
once and forever took upon Himself our
nature, and who was In all points tempted
g We are, yet without sin, and who IL
touched always with the feeling Of our In
Armity, stands close beside us, knocking
Ct The door OF our heart that He may come
IN and help and save us. All hell u pow
erless before Him. Impure desires fee
from His presence like night. birds when
the sun arises; and the cords Of evil hab-
its are broken, ss the withes that bound
the arms OF Samson, ct His lightest touch.
waited for little while without speak
ing, watching him cl0eely, 70 aee y he,
would rise into anything IKE confidence.
Gradually, the hard, desp0nding look faded
dom his countenance, and / saw. calm
resolve begin to show itself about his
mouth. st
GOne more effort" he ssid, ct last,
speaking slowly, but very drmlys "One
effort moro. but NOT In my own strength.
] have trisd thastoo often, ana ANAL new