The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1873-04-24
Two Sides Of one Canvas.

Two Sides Of one Canvas.
One beautiful afternoon IN aug.
there came to me the hesn-OvT. ~.
wife of a State prison conv.o's ..s
tried to plan for bis pardon ana fes,
.ar.,;on 10 home and the world. II
'.arv al case. He was the
80, Ewing son Of very noble
omy our who lived only to serve
.hs nor. the tempted and the crimi.
nj An he had, all he was, he gave
Innreservedly to help thieves and
drunkards. His house was their
home. His name their bail to save
them from prison. His reward, their
reformation. 1t was . happy hour to
hear him tell of the hundreds he had
shielded from the contamination and
evil example of prisons, and OF the
large proportion. he had good reason
TO believe, permanently saved. Out
of hundreds, he once told me, only
two left him to pay their bail. for
feited by neglect to show themselves
in court according to agreement
sonly two.
Bred under such a roof the son
started in life with generous heart,
noble dreams and high purpose. Ten
years of prosperity, fairly earned by
energy, industry and character, ended
in bankruptcy, as is so often the
case in our risky and changing trade,
then came struggle for business.
for bread-temptation-despair-in-
temperance. He could not safely
pass the open doors that tempted
him to indulgence. forgetfulness, and
crime. How hard his wife wrought
and struggled to save him from in
diligence and then to shield him from
exposure. How long wife, sister,
and friends labored 10 avert convic-
ton and the State prison. Il would
spare him gladly. wrote the prose
cutting attorney. If be would stop
drinking He shall never go TO pris-
on if he will be sober man But all |
this wreteheiness and crime came
rom Run.
Manfully did the young man s'rug-
,Ie 10 resist the appetite. Again and
gain did he promise. and keep his
NOM Sc. perhaps month-then fail.
ie could no, walk the streets and earn
Is bread so5erly while 50 MANY open
Io5rs-opened 81 men who sought
. coin gold ont Of their neighbors
Ices-lured him 10 indulgence. So.
ightfu!Iy. the State pressed on and
e went TO prison. An honored name
isgraced. loving home broken up,
wide circle OF kindred sorely panied,
worthy, well meaning man wrecked:
1rrow and crime. "1H comes Of rum
I'VE the keen-sighted lawyer.
As | parted from the sad wife oa
: doorstep. ! looked beyond, and
ose by the laughing sea stood a
andsome cottage. The grounds
ere laid out extensively and with
reat taste Over the broad piazza
lng lazily an eastern hammock,
lille ali around were richly painted
lairs and lounges of every easy and |!
.mptinS form. Over head were
laint vases Of beautiful flowers aud |
lie delicious lawn was bordered with |
lem. On the lawn itself gaily |
ressed woman laughed merrily over
and noisy children played
ear. 4 span Of superb horses paved
ne earth impatiently at the gate,
Thile gay salutations passed between
ne croquet players and the fashiona-
lie equipages that rolled by. 1t was
comfortable home as well as lux
lrious one. Nature. taste. and
wealth had done their best. 1t was
! scene Of beauty, comfort, taste.
luxury. and wealth. Ill came from
-aa. Silks and diamonds, fow9s
md equipage, stately roof and costly
attendance, all came from rum. The
owner was one who, in great city.
coined his gold out of the vices Of
his fellow men.
To me il was dissolring rie,c. l
lost sight OF the gay women, the
frolicsome children, the impatient
horses and the ocean rolling up to the
lawn. | saw instead, the pale con-
vict in his cell, twelve feet by nine,
the sad wife going from Judge to at
torncy, from court to Governors
Council, begging mercy for her orer
husband. | heard above the
noise, the croquet, laugh.
and the surf waves, that lawyers
stern reason for exacting the full
penalty Of the law, All this comes
from rum.
Woe unto him that giveth hi.
neighbor drink. Woe unto him that
buildeth his house by unrighteous-
ness and his chambers by wrong
For the stone shall cry out OF the
wall, and the beam out of the timber
shall answer it Wendell Phillips.
an the National Standard.