The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1871-11-24
NUMBER 30.
A Thrilling Incident.

1t occurred some years ago in our
State that the question came up in pub
lie meeting in - township, whether
any person should be allowed to sell
rum. One man spoke against il. Strange
as il may seem, the clergyman, the dea-
con and the physician all favored grant
ing licenses. The question was about to
be nut, when all at once there arose
from one corner of the room miserable
woman. She was thinly clad, and her
appearance indicated the utmost wretch
edness I'D that her mortal career was
almost ended. After a moment of ST.
lence, all eyes being fixed upon her, she
stretched her attenuated body to its ut
most height and her arms to their great
est length, and, raising her voice to
shrill pitch, she called to all to look upon
her.
"Yes,r she said, ''lOok upon me, and
then hear me. All that the last speaker
has said in relation TO temperance
drinking being the father of drunken
ness is true. All practice, all expert
ence, declare its truth. All drinking of
alcoholic poison, as a beverage, in
health, is excess. You all know me, or
once did. You know l was once mis-
tress of the best farm in town. You all
know, too, ] had one of rhe best, the
most devoted of husbands. You all know
had fine, nOble-hearted boys. Where
are they now, Doctor? Where are they
now? You all know. You all know
that they lie in Il row, side by side, in
yonder chuTch-yard all, every one of
them, filling the drtHk0rd'S grdUe. They
were all taught that temperate drinking
was safe-eXcess alone ought to be
avoided, and they never acknowledged
excess. They quoted you, and yOu,n
pointing, with her shred of a finger, to
the priest, deacon and doctor as author
ity. "They thought themselves safe un-
der such teachers. But | saw the grad
ual change coming over my family and
prospects with dismay and horror; | felt
that we were all TO be overwhelmed il
= one common ruin. | tried to ward of
the blow; tried to break the spell-tb,
delusive spell in which the idea Of tn,
: benefits of temperate drinking had mur
dered my husband and sons. | begged
[ prayed. eBut the odds were agains
: me.
| "The minister said that the poisOl
, that was destroying my husband an
boys was "A good creature of God; tn
deacon (whO sits under the pulpit there
who took our farm to pay his rum bills
, sold them the poison; the doctor said
, little was good, and eXcesses ought to b
avoided. My poor husband and dea
boys fell into the snare, and they cOul'
: not escape; and one after another wer
: conveyed to the sOrrOwful grave of
drunkard. Now look at me again. YOl
probably see me for the last time. NJ,
sand has nearly run. l have dragge,
my exhausted frame from my home
= your pOOr-hOuse, to warn you, Deacon
: to warn you, false teacher of God
wOrdn and, with her arms thrown higi
and her tall form stretched to its utmost
: and her voice raised to an unearthly
pitch, she exclaimed: "I shall sOOI
stand before the judgment seat of Goo
II shall meet you there, you falls,
guides, and be a witness against yoI
r all"
The miserable woman vanished; a deaC
silence pervadedth assembly; the priest
: deacon and doctor hung their heads; and
when the president of the meeting put
! the question, "Shall Intoxicating liz.
uOrs be sold in this town." the unani
nous vote was No."-Ldacdster ". H.
I Herald