The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-02-11
Written for T. @ knvueArs.
THE CURSE OF RUM.
a true sToRY.

TRUE STORY.
Hoping that the lesson taught bv N
following "reminiscences will be readily adecl
CO by those to whom it should appeal no
vFlnlJ, and although simply an cxpericDc
net unfamiliar to many, place it upon "a
PsF. 1t Is the saddest of all carth's stories
ard sadder still, because it is one Of m
thousand cases which occur dailv. and
its relations scem comparatively tame. tn,
actual occurrence was ilnuttera6lv borrihh
$50 much 50 indeed as to leave upou ~,
mind an impression never to be forgotten
Years had passed by since bad met the
tie friend and bosom companion Of nv boy-
h'Od, Grant Stanley never month passed
by, IN fur distant city, but some word Of
h'm reached my cars, telling me Of bis M.
be cndeavOr to fulfill the promise Of bis
childhood, and become pre,eminent among
hfs fellow men for goodness Of heart and
eSrnestness Of purpose. Then two wears
passed away; heard little or nothing of
hln, and short time since returned 10
hicago to find his family broken az, bis
mother the inmate Of an insane asylum, bis
estates squanderod in the vicious pratifca-
tIau Of bis unholy desire, and be, the bright,
'Eiented friend of my YOUTH common
Cfr -hard.
Ii was the old, old story-thc saddest
teIng on earth-the prostitution Of g -~~Ll.
u elect and drnnrnns heart tn tho lnu,Aei
Q uses. A simple glass-nOn-resistanc
os ten Ptation, and finally, a reckless in-
difference to the promptings Of bis better
nature; then, lured on by the lnsdiOus
loWer Of the tempter, he gave up all
thoughts Of reformation, and, at last, was
compelled to resort to the mcanest shifts of
a common drunkard to procure the liquified
damnatiOn which had destroy ID the happi-
ress of whole family, broken bis mothers
teart, and brought Grant Stanley to the
lowest degradation.
For several days after my return, saw
soothing Of my old friend. Inquiry among
his former acquaintance, whose company
i,e had long since Telinquishcd, elected no
satisfactory clue to his whereabouts. | At
once set myself to work to ascertain where
he kept himself, and finally learned from
hnc of bis associates that he "hung OUT at
! low drinking saloon on G. street.
AS neared the place designated, / OBJ
served before me man whose whole aspect
for the time being called forth my sympa-
shetic pity and interest. He trembled viO-
Ilently from head to foot, and walked with
A nervous uncertainty which was painful "a
witness, as if laboriDg under some terrible
disease which prevented other than a feeble
motion Of the limbs. He turned lntO sa
loon, and as ! stopped for A moment to ns
certain if it were the place to which haC
been directed, | observed him walk to th,
bar and ask for drink At that momen
his face became presented to my vision, ,anC
[ started back with thrill of amazemen
startled astonishment, almest horror. Th
face was absolutely purple and rotten frOU
the effects of liquor, the eyes red an
shrunken beneath the contracted eyebrows
the features swollen and bloated, to distor
j ton yet. in the miserable wreck before u
= | too readily recognized Grant Stanley!
I entered the room and sank into a seat, al
! most unable to articulate word.
D. you've run big enough bill here,
!, the bar tender was saying; if you haven
R' got money, you can't have rum"
; Just one droPP' plead the miscrab
+. being, stretching bis hand towards the $
= loon-keeper, his whole body trembling al
s shiveriDg, as in fit.
l.. Don't bother me, was the shaIp r
ply.
r. Tic man looked at him for momeD
and ther with a sudden energy Whh
startled me exclaimed:
"No, you're like the rest Of them, cur
you Rob a man Of bis money, and tht
refuse to give one 1.-THE of what was b
own. Destroy a mans character, and dan
his soul You 20 struttirg about, al
chuck the gold into your moncy-bags, VIII
1, your poor victim, am kicked from yo
door but it's the price of souls, and the
will come day Of reckoning too, as su
u as there's 5 a G0d Almighty in heaven! a
JU. when you see myself and the poor crcatuI
you've poisoned, in the day of judgmel
pointing at you, and calling out, in
midst of our tOrmcnts: There he come
There's the man that put the lottlc to @
life, and cOaxed me 10 drink Of it you
l. call upon the rocks to fall upon you, q
IL the mountains to cover You from the wr;
Of the Lord God Almighty! But" raisi
his voice to an awful scream, there's
bed Of fire and birthstone all ready for y
~ and if there's low place in hell, it's
re whisky-sollers %
was intensely startled more at the
n rble anathamizing Goice Of the man thar
-" his words; he seemed to concentrate
curse of all his misery in his tones,
with little effect upon the rum dealer.
,+o had not time to spring forward, and
'CO' vent the blow, before the latter, catch
up heavy brass beer-iaucet, from
Union counter, raised it, and brought one cr'
pro ing blow down upon the head Of bis