The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1872-12-12
TWO ASPECTS or TuE CAsE.

I One beautiful afternoon in August
I there came to me the heart broken wife
ofa State prison convict. We tried to
plan for his pardon aud restoration to
home and the world. II was very sad
case. He was the only surviving sou OF a
very noble man-ono who lived only to
serve the poor, the tempted aud the Grim.
inal. All he had, all he was, be gave I'M
Ireservedy to help thieves aud drunk
ards. His house was their home llis
name, their bail to save them from prison.
His reward-tbeir reformation. II was
happy hour to hear him tell ofthe hun.
dreds he had shielded from the contami-
nation aud evil example Of prisons, aud
of the large proportion, he had good rca-
son to believe, permanently saved. Out
Of hundreds, he once told me, only two
left him to pay their bail, forfeited by
neglect TO show themselves in court ac-
cording to agrcement-only twol
Bred under such roof, the son start.
ed in life with generous heart, noble
dreams and high purposes Ten years Of
prosperity, fairly earned by energy, in.
dustry and character, ended in bank
ruptcy, as is so often the case In our risky
aud changing trade; then came strug-
gle for business, for bread d--tcmptation~-
despair-intemperance. lie could not
safely pass the open doors that tempted
him to indulgence, forgetfulncss, and
crime. How hard his wife wrought and
struggled to save him from indulgence
and then to shield him from ex-
posurel How long, wife, sister, aud
friends labored to avert conviction aud
the State prison. al would spare him
gladly" wrote the prosecuting attorney,
"if he would stop drinking" He shall
never go to prison il he will be sober
man, But all this wretchedncss aud
crime came from run,
Manfully did the young man struggle
to resist the appetite, Again and again
did he promise, and keep his promise,
perhaps a month then fell. He
could not walk the streets and
earn bis bread sobcry while 50 many
open doors--opened by @eu who sought
to coin gold ont Of their neighbor's wees
--Iured him TO indulgence. So, rigbtfuI-
Iy the State pressed on aud he went to
prison. An hdnored man disgraced, and
loving home broken up. a wide circle Of
kindred sorely paincd, worthy, we'll
meaning man wrecked: sorrow and
crime, Gan comes Of rum, says the keen
sighted lawyer.
As / parted from the sad wife on my
doorstep, looked beyond, aud close by
the laughing sea stood handsome cot.
tage. The ground. were laid ont cxpen.
siycly and with great taste. Over the
broad piazza hung lazily an eastern ham.
mock, while Oh around were richly pain.
ted chairs and lounges OF every easy aud
tempting form. Over head were quaint
yases Of beautiful flowers, aud the deli.
cious lawn was bordered with them. On
the lawn itself Rayly dressed women
laughed merriIy over cr0quet, aud noisy
children played near A span Of superb
horses paved the earth impatieniIy at the
gate, while gay situations passed be.
tween the croquet players and the fash-
enable equipagcs that rolled by Il WAS
a comf0rtabl home as well a. "a luxurious
one Nature, taste and wealth had done
their best. II was scene al beauty,
comfort, taste, luxury aud wealth. 40
came from rum. silks aud diamonds,
flowers aud equipage, stately ROOT aud
costly Attendance, all came from ram.
The owner wss enc who, in a great city,
coined bis gold ont Of the vices ofbs iel-
low men.
10 me ii was a disaoirtag rieie. lost
sight Of the gay women, tie iroliesome
children, tie impatient horses and tie
ocean rolling ~ 10 the lawn. saw Co.
stead thc Uals convict in bis cell, twelve
feet py nine, the ,ad wife going from
Judge % attorney, from court 10 Cover.
nor's Council, begging mercy for her
orsrteuptsd husband I heard shove
tbe clltdrea's Noise, the er0qaet, laugh,
aud the snri waves, that lasyers stern
reason f9r eKacting the falI penalty VI tie
law az ME canes ttom Fam Woe
auto him that gigetl hls neigbbof drink.
Boe unto him thar Du.idetA ii. hoase by
uufighie0usness aad hia chambers by
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