Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-06-14
THE STORY OF THE RODGERS.
How Drunkard Was saved-some
Practical Work For Temperance.

FROM new NIX liuuu"'
One Of our family papers breaches a
strong temperance sermon, by simply
telling the story Of woman who. after
struggling with the pretenaiural strength
of Il loving wife ard mother for years
against the demon Of drink that possessed
her husbsud, conquered il, and make him
once again freeman In his last illness,
brandy was prescribed. which he WAS
strong enough to use only as emedicine
but after his death she " turned to II In
"her grief, and died, not many months
later, a hopeless, helpless drnkard."
Let us tell a companion story as true
as this but of as dltlerenta a complexion Us
daylight to night. A few years ago on
any sunny morning a heap of filthy rags
might bs seen stretheed Oh some of the
bales of a paper warehouse in a neigh
boring city, with u strong smell of stale
tobacco aud whisky hanging about 1t.
Tuning il over (Which you could do as
though it were log, any time after 10
O'Clock in the momug), you would find
the swollen purple face Of what had once
been handsome young man, but there
was little hope that the blearcd eyes or
thick tongue would give an Intelligent
answer. The pOriers passing by would
push him aside, but not roughly. Tue
time had been when he had been a Jolly,
generous young fellow and iavorite iu
the Office. - Young Rodgers :" some one
would give you his history in five minutes;
" Taken to rum-no chancc-pOor devil.
" Stokes" (the proprietor) "could not
"turn him out to starve, SO still gave him
ga nominal salary and suffered him to
chang about the house lest he should
take to worse courses than drinking" p"
There We're hints, too, of a widowed
mother, away oil in the country, who
had been dependent on him, aud sweet
heart, pretty, cliuging little glrl, both
OF whom long ago he had abandoned,
J But there was nothing to be done. The
end, through the usual horrors Of deli
rum tremens, was apparently not far of,
One day, as Rodgers was creeping Ia
the nearest bar tOr his morning biLlers, a
man, whom ne barely knew by sight
e took him by the elbow and walked witt
, him into qnicter street. "They tell hi
= "you are Richard Rodgers SOD" he said
S ''lIlck Rodgers was the only friend | haI
o ''for years, and for his sake I'D like u
! "save his boy, Are you willing for m
] SO try3'' ooh, YOU can trSi" muttere
II the lad with an imhecie laugh. Thi
II nameless friend, nothing daunted, tool
= mt him to bed. There he and his son
n kept watch and guarded this poor wrete
n for months, like a prisoner, keepin
% liquor from him, and trying to supply
hy medical treatment A physician b
employed, but he was not able To pay ll
"A nurse. Any one who has had to del
with victim Of mauia-a-potu can que;
d how difficult and loathsOme a task he ha
y set himself. Uugrateful enough IL WI
10 at first, for Rodgers struggled again
i his tormentOrB with the fsrocity oi-iu
" what he was-a starving animal. =
y reason began to return and his unna
" ural strength To vanish, he would b'
~ them in his intervals of easOn not to IA
him, but 10 work out TIE eXperlmc
either 10 success or death. ''lt is my IL
''charce," he Noltl cry "i0r GOT
"sake he patiert." This friend, with Il
he son. did work il ont through all the iol
se nnmentionable drtailr, and cue cnd VI
10 not dath, nut success. "lIoW soon
ne asked fiji nd Oi Rldgrr- ait,rwarI
Is ''werr you trusted ale, - Not
IN 'stWo Year,, q" heHnswticd, angling.
Isl was ont OF III but ia jail buunls,
III ''yon remember that luk, muscu'
ca Young fellow who had desk beside d
NJ sin the office II took / with lhe cont
as s'tion thst he could leave il 10 iQr .
.ne "nighi aud iay, 70 fny mcns AM to p
'Ns "hd. Thai WIS the son ~ thr man 4"
nj sssavyd lnr. H.. v' tfi,.it from luc
',r 'tivc situation in otd'r ihhi hr uli4
.dN .hrcottcuiv Tailor. God bless himi ~
veg ~ used 10 curse him Can't YOU tr
lAi nv louorH . ] wngld cry I'm
N' convinced That your LuHur bls not
'l consumption tho HcouN lfl5hn
q .HaH 70