The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-02-11

miserable druhkard had fallen to the IA,
bis face bathed in blood, his body Il
twltching nervously in the spasm Of 4
lirlum trcmens. q .n fal til3As
1i For the two weary nights succee,lina
watched BY the bed side of my oldfiu
friend; | had had him at once removed
my room, after the trdcas, and had done a
N my power TO alleviate the pan al
agony be seemed "a suffer. Tho ntsend;n
physician gave me sLpt slight hupcs Of n
recovery, stating that theTbrain had receive
an injury, which. with the effects Of tb
liquor, would probably culnibate in II
death. j As yes, young StaAiey had not n
cosnlzed me, as he lay ,raving in the hol
rors which seemed 70 be terribly intensifie,
in his case, from his Inability to securc ~ an
moments rest. '''"7' hi~' 5'l3 ''f 'H
"COms here, 2 he would cry, sPm sink
ing lower and lower. ) OH! it's so damp
and dark ), and cold, SEQ that, great rosI !.
rolling down on me. Open The window
| Break II smash it out What's this aroupt I1s
! my neck9 Take il off ! Lock the door
! There's hundred IDdisns ou.ssdel Sct
that water creeping up through the, hoor
How fast it rises We shall all be drown.
ed. How black and angry it looks It's
on the bed Oh, how cold il is! It Shils
me tcdeath! Let me out of this I shall
drown! Ishall drown! \
"There, see It's on the wall There's
my mothers BIBLE, | tore to pieces, and
flung into the fire, at the saloon! And
there u blood on my hands! Oh, my God +!
my sias!s my sins !''lHt fr4 ..g'. .-i
We kept hum ON the bed, by main force.
But be was in every part Of it bracsd
against the wall, defying his imaginary
enemies, Crouched in one corner, or CO ,er- :
ed with the counterpane,t trying 30 hide
from tAcm, or struggling tofelease himself
from our hands, that he might dart through
the window, and so. escape his tormentors.
Hs looks Of dread, his trembling frame.
his blood-shot glaring eyes, his rawlings,
his shudders, bis fearful recoils from Bis
enemies, have no power to describe.
Tho third morning, the doctor an.
nounced to me that the patient, although
beyond all earthly aid, would probably be-
come lucid, if the brief sleep, or rather
stnPor, be was IN, continued Il at once
sent fora minister, who arrived, and in
order that the room might be as quiet as
possible, was lefS alone with young Stan !
ley, who lifted his syes, but was too ex-
hausted to rise as be entered.
Eyes, pray my soul into hell =" heard
him say, as left the room.
A hole ~, h0.,- L.A- ~
cane from the room.
'He will never see another sun arise, "
nc said fearfnlly. "Oh! IL is sad, sad.
So young, so talented! have seen men
lie ln my ministerial experience, short
rs it has been, have stood by many death
beds; but | have never seen anything to
equal this. have heard a dying infidel
'uleLly wish there was no God, the care.
ess sinner plead hOpelessly for mercy, and
! false religious professor agonize 10 the
hOllowness Of hypOcrite's hope but, all
put together, they cannot compare with the
-snny Of that yretched boys spirit, just
n my heart to pray that death might speed
ly end bis sufferings; but the words
,hOked me, as they rose to my lips, for
BOW could hasten wretch, with his cup
'f iniquity full to overhOwing, all loathsOme
and polluted with sin, aud with hOrrid
'aths and blasphemies on his lips, into the
presence of bis angry Maker To be ut
erly forsaken of God, and tortured by the
lnited power Of earth and hell, with not
inc hope left, not one place Of refuge re
naming, the body on fire. the soul already
n bell-that is deArtsE'S treD'sas Z"
He led me back into the room as he
lnished Thank God it was almost over.
The de,irium Of my former friend sank to
Ow mutteriug. The trembling hands
vent searching after objects he saw on the
bed, or floating in the air. Gradually the
dreadful acuteness of sense and nerve
passed away and was succeeded by a quiet,
unconscious state, which the doctor called
conn.
And, SO he died. ..
closed the staring eyes, still seeming |
to look at some hcrrid object, folded the !
poor, tired hands, still at last, and left him, |
with heavy woe, at my heart.
The next day we buried him out of our |
sight laid pure, sweet, white flowers on
his coffin and tried to think Of him when he
was an innocent child and his mother loved
him as OILY mother can love-as be was
when Le was the betrothed of the fair young
being whose heart he had broken, and whose
picture lay nesting next to his heart. /
tried not to think Of his mis-spent life, his
awful suferiBss, his premature death, and
the dread beyond. / looked up at the blue
heaven, SO wide, 80 mercifully wide, for all
the sorrowful, and for the SHINING, too,
thank God if, even at the lost hour, they
repent and cry for mercy. But l could not
deceive myself-hc had died in the midst
of his sins, and had gone all unprep~ed to
meet his God
Brothers, sisters. 60 forth from this day,
with the talisman Of giant power-Lovc for
your fellow men, fallen, though they be-
renewed in your hearts it will make weak
men strong, and warm the hearts Of frozen
lives; its silent, burning eloquence will
nerve you to mighty deeds, and bring the
erring and the weak TO repentance Your
every effort will be crowned with success.
Your labors viii be rewarded by Him Who
looks down upon you, and blesses tie
great work Of Temperance
On tho Air in WorkGnops,