Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1871-09-12

ne know not OF the power
With which the dark temptation came,
In some ungratefal hour.
Ne may not know how earnestly
They struggled, or how well. =.
Until the hour OF darkness came,
And sadly thus they fell"
1t affords us no little pleasure
notice cases in which the erring ha,
been won by kindness aud benevolenc
from the paths of improperly and sil
Such examples arc not only cheerip
in particular cases, but they are we
calculated to stimulate and encourae
philanthropy, to induce others {
make like efforts for the rescue an
reform Of the misguided, and thus t
assist i'll the restoration of the unfoi
tunate and the wretched, who other
wise would be utterly abandoned an,
hopelessly lost. How few of us, whel
passing judgement even upon thu
vicious, turn for a moment to thu
contemplation of their early lives, th,
evils and temptations by which they
were surrounded, or ask what in all
probability would have been our own
conduct under like circumstances p
How few make the necessary allow
ances for bad examples, ignorance and
poverty We hear that an individu-
al has been arrested for theft, for fraud,
for misdemeanor, or some similar vio-
lation of the law, and our preludices
are at once excited, and the feeling of
mercy is scarcely experienced for a
moment. And yet the miserable Of
fender may be, to certain extent, the
the victim of ircumstances-an evil
doer, not from natural inclination to
vice, but through bad associations, in
temperate parents, vicious guardians
and guides. At all events, when the
offcnse is found to be first one, and
when youth and hope are still on the
side of the erring, chance, an oppor-
iunity, should be afforded, kind words
should be uttered, encouragement for
for better things should be mingled
with gentle sdmonition, and thus in
many cases highly gratifying, heart
cheering results would ensue. We
may give an illustration from real
life
Not many years ago, an aged fe-
male miscrably clad, presented her
self at the house of professional gen.
tleman, one of the most distinguished
of our citizens. She had with her a
basket of tapes, thread, and other tri-
fes of the kind. She asked for the
gentleman of the house, and on being
told that he was absent, inquired for
the lady. The latter, on making her
was touched by the mis-
cradle aspect of the poor woman and
promptly purchased few of the ar
ticles in her basket. The stranger
then begged attention for moment
to tale of sorrow. She said she had
not tasted food since the morning of
the preceding day; and worse, she
had helpless son at home, who had
been without sustenance of any kind,
still longer. But she had come, not
SO much to ask for bread, as TO implorc
mercy. She had another, an erring,
but beloved son in prison, and she de-
sired the husband of the lady to ex-
ert himself to procure his discharge.
She was told that the gentleman
would be at home at particular hour,
when, if SO disposed, she might call
and feel certain of seeing him. She
bowed her thanks, promised to return,
and did SO accordingly at the time
designated
"Well, my good woman" said the
gentleman, II have heard of your for
mer visit. What do you want me to
do for you ?"
ooh sir, / came to supplicate mer
cy for my son, who is in prison"
"What is his name 2"
%"
lie shook his head, and said that
the young man was in for a very grave
charge, and named the offense.
"Oh sir, he is not the one. You
have confoundcd him with another
another sonr--and her voice trsmbled
with the admission.
"What-have you two so sadly
circumstqnced p
She burst into tears, and exclaimed,
II have-alas have"
. "And which do you wish dis
charged ?"
CIT IS hard thing for mother to
select between two children. But
Charles, sir, is far the less guilty than
his brother. He has of late years
been my only stay; and not mine,
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