Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1872-07-20

ing could save her, and before morning she
was taken to the world where all children
have the constant care of wise Father.
"The two boys, Arthur and William,
for awhile stood aloof from this banc of
their parents life but at last the younger,
William, fell into the habit of tasting the
contents of the glass, out of curiosity he
said, when demonstrated with by his
brother. But once started on the fatal
road there was no halting. He went down
ward rapidly. After ten months career
at a gambling table, he was shot by COM
rade in drunken brawl To the dcaden-
ed faculties of the father and mother, this
terrible occurrence was not an affliction-
they scarce looked upon it as anything for
which they should grieve, and when they
stood together over the silent coffin of that
dead boy, the cup was there to comfort
them They went TO that beverage which
has been, not inaptly, termed the drink of
HE'LL for the comfort which only comes
from God.
"Their handsome property was long
since squandered-th beautiful house and
furniture passed under the hammer of the
auctioneer, and a lowly hovel received the
drunken couple and their wretched son.
''Oh, the scenes of horror which the eyes
of that son were forced to witness A
father-his noble manhood prostituled to
vile appetite, his intellect ruined, soul wan
dering in inlidelity-sbunned by respecta-
BILE people and condemned to the society of
those as low as himself A mother-her
gentle love turned TO stolid Indifference
her whole life but series of petty bicker-
ings with The man whom she had sworn to
love and honor. Her child was no longer
regarded with that holiest of all human
sentiments, mothers love, and when he
could have sought the grateful sympathy
in his pursuits which all true mothers are
so happy in giving, he was met by drunken
jeers and sent to the ale-house for rum.
Worse than orphaned The child of shame
and contempt Pointed at by boys of his
own age, Stunned by pur-faced little girls,
who whispered among themselves that he
was drunkard's child Judge what Joy
! in life there was for him
conservative miLds may cry out against
the use ofstrong language in speaking ofthis
demon lntemperancc, which yearly lays in
/ the grave its thousands but think you the
child of these miserable parents would call
my expressions too strongr Language is
weak and inadequate to convey to you any
idea of the loathng and hatred which Ar
thur Deane felt in his heart for intoxicating
drink. Would that every man, woman
and child throughout the length and
breadth Of the land felt the same.
But to return. Five years passed away,
during which poverty in all its grim gaunt-
ness was established in the house of John
Deane. Starvation more than once passed
| before the door and want was an every day
guest. Domestic strife began at sunrise,
and ceased not at the going out of day.
Oh that time is full of bitter memories for
Arthur Dane. But am making a long
story, and must on to the close.
lone day, in n fit of drunken fury, John
Stp,.l x,iE tl.,
head with fragment of a chair which hard
previously fallen n sacrifice to his rage.
She fell to the floor, and the man was So
bcIed i'll an instant by the sight. She lay
at his feet, still and white, beautiful in
spite of the ravagcs her sin had made, the
blood gushing i'll n dark stream from her
temple, and clotting the long, dark hair
which fell in neglected mass over her
shoulders.
''She was dead ! Murdered by her own
! husband
"Stung by remorse and fear, as he saw
the cold palor of death settling over her
features, John Deane placed the muzzle of
n pistol to his breast and in n moment lay
beside his dead victim. There was brief
struggle of the forces Of life and death--a
faint call for mercy and he had gone to
, his account
! And Arthur Deane, over the bodies of
his parents. took solemn oath--never SO
long as the spark of life burned in his
breast, to swallow one drop of Intoxicating
liquor And he has never broken the
vow. And now, Henry Graham, have
loved you as my own son--you are soon to
stand in that near and dear relation to-
wards me--and | wish to warn YOU against
an enemy which walks the land alike at
midnight and at noonday--an enemy which
is found domesticated in the homes of the
rich and the poor VIII you be admon-
ished ? Will you heed my counsel? Will
you shun more-aye, thousand times
more-than you would death, the wine
cup? Hell itself turks in its depths. and
eternal torment burns in its crystal bright
ness Henry Graham, will you beware ?"
There was a pause, during which no one
spoke, and the face of young Graham al
! ternately pa!ed and flushed. Helen NJ,
| the judges fair daughter watched him in
breathess suspense, for in two weeks she
was to become Henry Graham's wife.
IF anything more is needed, said the
judge, know all of you that John Deane
was my father, and the wife he murdered
was the mother who bore me ~
Graham stepped forward and took the
hand of the judge in both of his.
''lt is enough" he said solemnly, the
! light of a new purpose sinking into his
eyes "henceforth l will shun everything
that can intoxicate, and may God deal
with me as keep the vow ~
1t was even so.
Wine never entered the home Of Henry
! Graham, and water-pure, beautiful water,
! fresh from the sweet fountain of the earth,
was his daily drink.
The sweet face of Helen Graham never
! had cause to blush for the conduct of her
! husband, and when in after years the peo-
pile made him Governor of his native State,
and his house was the stronghold of hospi-
tality, wine was never seen upon his table,
but he offered to his guests instead the
drink that God himself provided free on
every hillside clear, cold water.
To PURIFY RooM.--Set pitcher of
! wafer in n room and in n few hours IL will