Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1872-12-20

Christ and leave it there. I have seer
death approach like stealthy thie1
in the night, stealing behind the strong
man, simply laying his icy hand upon
him, and in an instant bearing him a.
way without another thought. But
never, never have I seen the terrible
and grim conqueror assume all the hor-
rors of hell and bring with him in his
train before the very eyes Of the suffer
er whose life was passing away, all the
eternity of hell that awaited him-nev-
er have seen him approach surround
ed by devils except when he came to
the bedside of the drunkard dying in
his sins. Oh! if the greatest drunk
ard and the greatest sot and slave to
this vice that ever lived on this earth
were only to have heard what have
heard, and see what [ have seen, that
man would never taste the accursed
drink again even if it was to save his
life for thousand years.
[ remember being called to a man
who was dying from excess of drink.
| went into the room, indeed not with
out fear; four men were holding him
down to the bed. The idea that was
in his delirious mind was that in hold
ing him down in the bed they were
sinking him inch by inch into hell
He looked around him with awful,
terror-stricken lips. He cried, 'Pam
on bed of fire. Oh God! Pm burn
ing! away ye devils! let me rise from
this bed of tormenting flames! Don't
keep me DOWN. Whilst his great
chest was heaving and he was raving
like possessed with thousand dew
lis, he cried again, eco away from
there, ye accursed! l see the devils a.
round nev' Then sinking in abject
terror he clung to the men and cried,
"They are coming for me! Save me!
Save! save! save me! there they are!
seven there are. Oh God, where shall
I fly? All hell is around me herew
And thus was he raving when [ enter
ed his room. Shrieks terrible to hear
were ringing upon the air; the despair
Of hell was upon his face. I laid my
placid hand upon his head and tried
if there were any mesmeric influence
For a moment his eyes grew calm-he
knew me. "Ah! Father Toni" eyes,
[ am here" "Tell me, have you the
Blessed Sacrament with you?" eyes,"
[ said. "Oh! begone," he cried; "be-
gone! thou and thy God. Begone, I
know He is your God. Twill not have
Him here; there are those devils around
me; take Him away from me forever" ;"
Then shrieking out, "begone, oh God,
[ will not have Thee" he heaved one
mighty sigh; his heart broke from ex-
cess of his terrible delirum; he fell
back corpse with these words of
blasphemy upon his lips. Many
time, and oft [ knew him we'll and in
timately, 1 said to him, "My friend,
you are every day preparing for the
curse that will come upon you at your
last hour upon your deathbed. You
are preparing by drunkard's life to
meet a drunkard's DEATH" He would
not listen to me; that drunkard's death
he died. I greatly fear that an eterni-
ty of tears and of sorrow will never be
able to repair the loss of his immortal
soul.
Is there among you any one prepar-
ing for a drunkard's death? On my
very knees stand before that man and
ask him: AS you love all that is in
this world, as you love all which your
heart leans towards, as you love your
faith, your religion, your God; as you
love your Countrywide glorious coun-
try that you are in--I call upon you to
take the pledge and give up drink. If
not! if not! the word is written against
you in the book of God. ''Whatever a
man sows he reaps." Life is the time
of sowing; life is the springtime, and
after it will be the harvest in eternity.
What you are sowing to-day, you reap
forever either in Heaven or hell. All!
let it be Heaven. Let it be, dear
friends! It is priest who speaks,
with no interest under Herven save
for your souls, your freedom, Your hap
piness, for time and eternity.