Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-05-08

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 hell, ~
for the comfort which only comes
down from GodI
"Their handsome property was
long since sauandered-the beautiful
house and furniture passed under the
hammer Of the auctiOneer, and q
lowly hovel received the drunken
couple and their wretehed son.
"Oh, the scene of horror which the
eyes of that son were forced to wit
ness! A fatheF-his noble manhood
prostituted to a vile appetite, his in
telleet ruined, his soul wandering in
| nfidelity-shunned by respectable
people, and condemned to the society
Of those as low as himself. A mother
her gentle love turned to stolid in
differenee-her whole life but q series
of petty chickering's with the man
whom she had sworn to love and hon
or. Her child was no longer regarded
with that holiest of all human senti-
ments, q mothers lore, and when he
would have sought the grateful SYM
pathy 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 pure faced little
girls, who whispered among them
selves that he was drunkard's child!
Judge what joy there was in life for
him!
conservative minds may cry out
against the use Of strong language in
speaking of this demon, Intemper-
ance, which yearly lays in the grave
its thousands but think you the
child of those miserable parents would
call my expression too strong Lam
guage is weak and inadequate to con-
vey to you any idea Of the loathing
and hatred which Arthur 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 gauntness was established in
the house of John Deane. Starvation
more than once paused before the
door. and want was an every day
guest. Domestic strife began at sun
rise, and ceased not at the going out
of day. Oh! that time is full OF Bit
ter memories for Arthur Deane But
am making long story, and must
hurry on to the close.
zone day. in q fit OF drunken fury,
John Deane struck his wife a blow
upon the head with q fragment Of
chair which had previously fallen
sacrifice to his rage. She fell to the
floor, and the man was sObered In an
instant by the sight. She lay at his
feet. still and white, beautiful in spite
Of the ravages her sin had made, the
blood gushing in q dark stream from
her temple, and clotting the long.
dark hair which fell in a neglected
mass over her shoulders.
iIShe was dead! Murdered by her
own husband! J"
AStung by remorse and fear, as he
saw the cold pallor of death settling
over her features, John Deane placed
the muzzle of a pistol to his breast and
in a moment lay beside his dead vic
fiml There was a brief struggle OF
the forces of life and death-a faint
call for 'mercyr and he had gone to
his account!
"And Arthur Deane, over the bodies
of his parents took a solemn oath
never so long as the spark o. 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
Won as nv own son-you are soon to
stand in that near and dear relation
towards me-and / wish to warn you
against an enemy which walks the
land alike at midnight and at noon
day-an enemy which is found
domestieated in the homes OF the rich
and the poorl Will you be admon-
ished? VIII you heed my council?
Will you shun more-ayY thousand
times more than you would death
the wine cup? He'll itself turks In its
depths, and eternal torment burns in
its crystal brightnessl Henry Graham,
will you beWare?"
There was q pause, during which
no one spoke, and the face Of young
Graham alternately paled and flushed.
Helen NJ, the judges fair daughter,
watched him in breathless 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 mel"
Graham stepped forward, and took
the hand of the judge in both Of his.
1t is enoughl he said sOlemnly,
the light Of q new purpose sinking
into mis- eyes; heneeforth, l will shun
everything that can intoxicate, and
may God deal with me as l 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 con-
duct of her husband, and when in
after years the people made him Gov
ernor Of his native State, and his
house was the stronghold Of hospitali-
ty, wine was never seen upon his
table, but he offered to his guests in
stead the drink that God himself pro-
vided free on every hillside-elear,
cold wafer!