Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-01-08
Deadly Peril.

i VIII relate q circumstance which oc
Cured to me some years ago, the result
OF which made deep impression on nv
mind. i was not then teetotnler
would that had been but | conscieDti.
ously, though enormously, believed in
the health-restoring properties of stout
(strong Lesr)
"A hard-working, Industrious, God-fear-
ing man, n teetotaler OF some years
standing, suffering from an abcess in his
hand, which had reduced him very much.
applied to me for advice. told him the
only medicine lie required was rest and
10 remedy the waste going on 10 his sys-
TEN, aud TO repair the damage done to
his hand, he was to support himself with
bottle of stout daily. He replied: 81
cannot take it, for 1 have been some
years teetotaler." "Well," said, "if
you know better than the doctor, it is no
use applying to me-" Believing, as /
did then, that the drink would really be
OF service to him, l urged him to take
the stout as a medicine, which would not
interfere with his pledge. He looked
anxiously in my face evidently weighing
the matter over in his mind, and sorrow-
fully replied doctor, was drunken
man once; | should not like to be one
again"
He was, much against his will, pre-
vailed on to take the stout, and in time
he recovered from his sickness. When
he got well, /, of course, praised up the
virtues OF stout as means Of saving his
life, for which he ought ever to be thank
full; aud rather lectured him on beng
such fanatic CHATS the word) as to re-
fuse taking bottle Of stout daily TO re-
store him to his former health.
lost sight of my patient for some
months; but, | am sorry to say that OH
one fine summers day, when driving
through one of our public thorough
fares, l saw poor, miserable, ragged
looking man leaning against the door of
a common pubic-house, drunk, and in
capable OF keeping an erect position.
Even in his poverty, drunkenness, and
misery, | discovered it was my teetotal
patient whom l had, not so long ago,
persuaded to break his pledge. / could
not be mistaken. had reason to know
him well for he had been member of
Methodist church an indetatigable Sun
day School Teacher, prayer-leader,
whose earnest appeals for the salvation
of others l did often listened to with
pleasure and edifcation. | Immediately
went TO the man, and was astonlshed to
find the change which drink, in so short
a time, had worked in his appearance.
With manifest surprise, and looking
earnestly at the poor wretch, | said,
$, is that you 2" With stagger-
ing reel and clipping his words, he an
swered; eyes, it's me Look at me
again. Don't you know me ?" "Yes,
know you," | said, "and am grieved to
see you in this drunken condition. /
thought you were teetotaler 2" With
answered.; 81 was before l took your
medicine" II am sorry to see you dis
gracing yourself by such conduct. l am
ashamed of you" Rousing himself as
drunken people will at times, to extraor-
dinary effort, he scoffingly replied /:
didn't you send me here for my medi.
cine" And with delirous kind of
chuckle, he hiccupped out words shall
never forget. doctor, yom medicine
cured my body, but damned my SoM
Two or three of his compaLions, hear
ing our conversation, took him under
their protection, and left him.
AS L drove away, my heart was full
of bitter reflections, that had been the
cause of running this mans prospects,
not only of this word but of that which
is to come. You may rest assured | did
not sleep much that night; the drunken
aspect of that man haunted me, and l
found myself weeping over the injury l
had done him.
rose up carly next morning and
went to his cottage, with its little gar
den in front, on the outskirts of town,
where lad often seen him with his
wife, and happy children playing about,
but found, to my sorrow, that he had re-
moved sometime ago. At last, with
some difficulty, found him located in
low neighborhood, not far distant from
the public house he had patronized the
day before. Here, in such home as
none but the drunkard could inhabit, /
found him laid upon bed OF straw,
feverish and prostrated from the previous
days debauch, abusing his wife because
she could not get him some more drink.
She, standing aloof with tears in her eyes,
broken down with care and grief, her
| SuiulCl uIt1 anu ClOIHcu III rays, all
friendless and stepped in poverty! What
a wreck was there
Turned ont of the church in which he
was once an ornament; his religion sac.
riticed; his usefulness marred his h h)pes
of eternity blasted, now poor, detected
slave to his passion tor drink, without
mercy and without hope talked to
him kindly; reasoned with him; sue
cored him till he was well, and never
lost sight of him or let him have any
peace until he had signed the pledge
again.
1t took him some time to recover his
place in the church, but have had the
happiness of seeing him restored. He is
now, more than ever, devoted worker
in the church, and the cause of temper
ance is pleaded on all occasions Can
you wonder then, that | never order
strong drink Tor patient now?
Dr. MtmrOe.
The Harbor of Samana.
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