Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-05-08
THE JUDGES STORY.
BY CLARA AUGUSTA.

BY CLARA AUGUSTA.
"YOung mani" said the late emf
nent Judge NJ, at a fashionable
party where wine flowed in album
dance. young man, put down that
glass There is death in it,"
Henry Graham dropped the cut
glass goblet upon the table, startled,
by the abrupt exclamation Of the
Judge, and the wine flowed in q ruby
stream over the velvet carpet.
"Sir! what mean your" he asked.
his face flushing and his eye brilliant
with excitement.
"I mean,n said the Judge, impress
sively, "tO discountenance always, in
every place, at every time, and in
every available manner, the use Of in
toxicating drinks. My young friend,
you were about to place to your lips
an internal poisonl You were doing
it gayly, thoughtlessly, recklessly.-
Would you dare. if you stood within
the gate of deaths domain, in the
face Of God and the angels, would you
dare to quaff the drsught which but
moment ago filled yonder shattered
glass? When you remembered the
Divine edict that no drunkard shall
inherit the kingdom Of Heaven, would
you run the risk OF falling under the
terrible banTi
The young man grew pale, he
shrank little before the penetrating
gaze of his intorlocutOr, and his voice
was slightly unsteady, as he said:
"I do not think quite understand
you, SIR"
"Sit down. my friend" said the
Judge, for the gay company had been
smitten to stiffness by the unusual
earnestness with which he had spo-
ken, and many of them had risen to
their feet, "and / viii relate to you .
little story which will, perhaps, have
a double interest when tell you that
the incidents are strictly true. And
to you, Henry Graham. as one Of
whom 1 feel deep degree of interest,
1 wish particularly 70 address my
self"
Young Graham took seat near the
Judge and gave him his attention.
"Thirty-five years ago. said the
Judge, There resided In the township
of Milan q happy family. 1t consist
ed OF q father, q mother and three
children-two boys and a girl. The
father whom 1 will call John Deane,
was a lawyer of high repute, man Of
brilliant intellect and solid education.
His wife was q beautiful woman,
richly gifted by nature, and she had
received all the cultivation which
wealth can give to its daughters l
said they were . happy family.
think have never known happier.
Peace sat all day with folded wings
by their hearthstone, and content
ment had there q constant bid1ng
place.
"John Deane stood very high In
the opinion of his townsmen, as wei
as with the people Of the whole dis
trict, and by and by his name was
mentioned in connection with the
nomination for Congress from the
Milan district. He made no effort TO
obtain this nomination, but 1t was
given him, and at the final election
he received the hearty support Of his
party, and was the successful eandi-
dase. It would have been strange II
he had been otherwise than pleased
with this testimonial Of esteem, and
his hitherto quiet house was thrown
open for the reception Of political
friends. It was fashionable then, as
it is in some circles at the present
day, to set forth wine for the enter
tainment Of company, and 1t would
have required q great deal OF moral
courage on the part Of Mr.. Deane to
make the first innovation, and refuse
to ''treat" the friends who had raised
him to a position Of so much honor
He was what Is called Temperance
man , that is, he never drank him.
self: he had horror of drunkenness
and could make a very eloquent
speech at the monthly meeting of the
Cold Water Society. At first be had
a struggle with his conscience in re-
gard to placing wine on his table, but
confidential friends ridieuled ms
scruples, and at last he grew to think
that dinner was very fnsipid which
lacked the crowning charm of wine.
Thine passed on, and having dis
charged his duties at Washington to
the satisfaction of his party, he was
elected for the second term. His tai
ents well fitted him for the highest
rank in society, and ct the busy, in
triguing Capital no party was deemed
complete without the presence OF the
witty and accomplished Representa-
tive from the Milan district. At these
eonyiyIal parties he drank the highly
favored liquors set before him be-
Cause it would not do to seem odd, so
he excused himself to his conscience;
but after awhile he did not make any
excuse-he drank from pure love OF
doing so.
"Wine became almost necessary TO
his existence; luxurious living had
vitiated his tastes and enervated both |
mind and body, and to prevent reac- |
ion and consequent Temorse, he en-
deavored to cure the disease with the
very poison which had engendered
IL. Thus many others have done the
same, until the intellect given OF GOD
has been quenched in more than
idiocy, and the star CT hope has set
forever in the black shadows Of the
drunkard's grave!
John Deane, at the expiration of
his second term in office, came home |
to his family a confirmed inebriate.-
Promise after promise he made to re- |
form, but appetite always triumphed. |
Friends entreated him, temperance |
votaries did all in their power to save |
him, but they all produced, at best,
but a momentary feeling of self re- |
proaeh in the breast Of the miserable
man.
"Onee in his course, he was stayed |
for brief space by terrible discoye- |
ry-a discovery which made even his |
besotted soul shrink with horror. His |
wife-his beautiful and accomplished
Annie-had yielded to the Vaccinations
of the wine cup, and, following the |
example Of her husband, she drank /
daily, and was fast becoming that
thing Of which all men speak with |
loathing-d female drtnkdTd.
"For a time, John Deane retreated
in alright from the yawning abyss
which intemperance had opened at
his feet; he Stunned the bar-room OF
the hotel where he was wont to meet
his Wine-loving friends; he abstained
from the daily glasses at home, and
for q little while it seemed as IL his
feet were turning from the slippery /
places and taking hold upon the path
of Truth-but alasl Il was only for q |
little whileI His wife might have in
fiueneed him to cling to the hope |
which seemed damniDg TO him, had |
she only been stronger than the temp
tations which beset her, but she only |
lent the strength OF her example to 1
the destinations of the Wine Demon.
'They drank together, and together