, 1873-06-08
THE STORY OF RODGERS.

One OF our family papers prcachea" strong
temperance sermon, By SIMPLY telling the storJ
Of woman who,. after struggling with tho pre-.
ternatu1h strength OF 8 loving wife and mother
Tor years against the demon Of drink that pos.
sessed her husband, conquered it, and made him
| once again freeman. In his last illness, brandy
was prescribed, which he was strong enough to
use only as medicine but after his death abe
"turnod to it in her grief, and died, not many
months later, a hopeless, helpless drunkard."
= Let us tell q companion story as true aa this
but Of as different q complexion, as daylight to
| night. A few years ago, on any sunny morning,
heap of filthy rags might be seen stretched on
| some OF the bales OF q paper warehouse in a
neighboring city, With . strong smell Of stale
tobacco and whisky hanging about It. Turning
it over (Which you could do as though it werc q
log, any time after 10 o'clock in the morning),
you would find the swollen purple face Of what
had once been handsome young man, but there
was little hope that the bleared eyes or thick
tonguo would give an Intelligent answer. The
porters passing BY would push him aside, but
not, roughly. The time had been when be
had been jolly, generous young fellow, and q
favorite in the Office. "Young Rodgers:n some
ono would give You his history in Are 1ninrttea:
"Taken to rum-no chance-poor devil
"stokes {the proprietor) *'could not turn him
ont to etarye, so still gave him nominal salary
and suffered him to hang about the house, lest
ho should take to worse courses than drinking"
away of in the country, who had been depend
ent on him, and sweetheart, pretty, clnging
little girl, both Of whom long ago he had aban-
donsd: But there Was nothing to be done. The
end, through the usual horrors OF delirium
tremens, WAS apparently not far of.
One day, as Rodgers VAS creeping to the near-
est bar ior his morning bitters, man, whom he
barely knew BY sight, took him by the elbow
and walked with him into = quieter street.
IS They tell me- you are Richard Rodgers SON."
he said. st Dick Rodgers was the only friend
had for years, and for bis sake I'd like to save
Ills boy. Are you willing for me to try ~ tsOh,
you can try" muttered the lad with an imbecie
laugh This nameless friend, nothing daunted,
took him to . chamber in his own house and put
him to bed. There ha and bis sons kept watch
and guarded this poor wretch for months,
like a prisoner, keeping liquor from him, and
trying to supply it By medical treatment. A
physician he employed. but he was not able to
pay for nurse. Any one who has had to deal
with q victim OF mania-a-potu. can guess how
difficult and loathsome task he had set himself.
Ung1ateful enough it was at first, for Rodgers
struggled against his tormentors with the fero-
city of-just what he was-a starving animal. As
to vanish, he would beg them in his intervals OF
reason not to fail him, but to work out the ex- !
pertinent either to SUCCESS or death. 's1t is my |
Inst chance. y he would CIT; q for Gods sake be |
patient. luis 1r1end, With nus SOD, dld Work 1t |
out through all the foul, uncomfortable details, |
and the end Was not death, but SUCCESS "How
Boon," asked friend Of Rodgers afterwards,
II were you trusted alone?" "Not for two |
years, " he answered, laughing. Y VAS out OF
Jail, but in Jail bounds. Do you remember that
ank, muscular young fellow who had
1esk beside me in the Office? He took
t with the condition that he could leave
t to dog me night and day, to my meals
md to my bed. That WAS the son Of the
nan who saved me- He was taken from q lucra-
i've situation in order that he might become my
ailer God bless him How used to curse
lin! 'Can't You trust my honor7 -: would
:ry. I'm no convinced that your honor has
rot the consumption the scotch-Irishmaa
would Say. well put no burdens On it until it
las regained its health"
Your friend was wealthy man, no doubt, and
10 ab le to give both time and money to your
:ase?' "0n the contrary, heis but the owner OF |
small hat store, and supports his family out OF |
hat. He is rich OF noble only in the deed and |
pirit Of friendship" ALI this was years ago.
dodgers is now an industrious, honorable man,
married. to his old love, with his gray-haired
mother By his hearth, bringing to it the perpetu-
j banediction Of benignant old age: His friend
ellis hAts-makes no speeches nor bruit OF any
ort in the world Nobody has recognized in him
hero. Yet, who for the sake OF = dead or living |
riend would 60 and do Gkewse7