The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-04-04
The Absent Ones of Our Family.

The Absent Ones of Our Family.
RICHMOND, April A., 1871.
10 the Editor of the State Journal.
The grayrhaired father, the loving mother
and sister and the prattling little ones are all
housed in heaven where there is no sorrow
but all is Joy, land peace, and love in that bright
world above. But one remained, and now he
is gone no more shall we see him reelipg and
staggering home, there to lie in drunken slum-
bers or INDUCING in deeper potstions and
abuse of the helpless and infirm. But he has
gone; no more shall we see his bloated and in
ebriate form pass along our streets to the dis
gust of the passer.by; no more shall the heart
of his friends ache or the tear of sympathy be
shed, for he is gone, and where? To the
large percentage of all moderate drinkers go !;
and what a sad fact for the friends and rela-
tons to contemplate, when they retrospect tn Q
past, and see him whom we now lay in the
grave of the drankard, the smiling, joyous,
happy boy, or, it may be, the dear little one
folded in a mothers arm or dangled upon
fathers knee-the anticipated comfort and
stay of their declining years. H
But the use of Intoxicating liquors, mode.
rateiy as beverage, and drinking friends, led
to intemperance, debauchery, degradation,
and finally deah-the common lot of those
who look upon the wine when it is red, when
it givethsits color in the cup, which at last
biteth like serpent and stingeth like an adder.
And, alas when it is too late they awake to
find themselves bound by the demon of inten-
perance, and unable to resist, (the power of
selfcontrol being gomez the poor drunkard is
no longer man, but mere thing of passion
and of appetite, controlled by the one all-pre-
vailing desire for strong drink, to which every
interest of self and family is made subservient.
And though the wife of his youth may
plead in the most tender strains, and
childhood with its innocent and endearing en-
treaties but all is in vain He is Joined unto
his idols, and although it is crushing to the
heart of wife and children and friends, vet
there is no help. And though the poor drunk
ard resolve and resolve, yet there is but little
hope none whatever, excepting in total alb
stinence from all and every liquors, of what
ever name or description. All, the poor drunk
ard, let US pity him, and not be too harsh with
him; but as zoe hope for the mercy of God for
ourselves. let US pray for mercy for the poor
drunkard. Let us pray that the prayer of the
poor victim of intemperance when he says
from his heart, God be merciful to me, sim
ner, that He will permit him to 60 down to his
house, the drunkard's grave, and be justified
through the all prevailing atonement Of Jesus,
the sinners friend. Let us think kindly of the
lost one, and hope in the mercy of God abound
ing unto lost sinners not to encourage the
vicious and the drunkard, but to comfort and
console the weeping and smitten, whose hearts
continue to bleed for the druDkard. Losi
LOST
One word to the rnmseller Look upon your
work, and congratulate yourselves upon the
results of your traffic, and rejoice in the labors
OF your hand Let your watchword be on
ward-not upward, but downward, where
your victims 60 to the drunkard's grave.
Again, | say rejoice in the work of yourhands,
and when you see the druDkard's wife and lit
tie ones dressed in the habiliments of mourn
ing passing about our streets, bearing in their
persons the results of your abors, again say.
rejoice and to the Christian rumseller |
would make it your special duty to pray for
the poor drunkard aad his wife and little ones.
TEMPERANCE.