The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-06-06
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Thr 8utland daily Glohe.
FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 1878.
[From the New York Trlbune.l
The story of Rodgers.

One of our family papers breaches u
strong temperance sermon, by simply tell
ing the story of a woman who, after strug-
Cling with the preternatural strength of u
loving wife and mother for years against
the demon of drink that possessed her hus-
band, conquered it, and made him once
again a freeman. In his last illness brandy
was prescribed, which lie was strong enough
to use only as a medicine; but after his
death she turned to it in her grief, and died,
not many months later, hopeless, helpless
drunkard."
Let us tell a companion story as true as
this but of as different Al complexion as day
light to night. A few years ago on any
sunny morning heap of filthy rags might
be seen stretched on some of the bales Of
paper warehouse in neighboring city, with
"A strong smell of stale tobacco and whiskey
hanging about it. Turning it over (Which
you can do as though it were a log, any
time after 10 o'clock in the morning,) you
would find the swollen, purple face of what
had once been n handsome young man, but
there was little hope that the bleared eyes
or thick tongue would give an intelligent
answer. The porters passing by would
push him aside, but not roughly. The time
had been when he had been jolly, gener
GUS young fellow and favorite in the office.
his history in five minutes "Taken to
rum-no chancc-poor devil. Stokes (the
proprietary could not turn him out to
starvc, so still gave him nominal salary
and suffered him to hang about the house
lest he should take to worse courses than
drinking" There were hints, too, of wild
owed mother, away off in the country who
had been dependent on him, and sweet
heart, Il pretty, clingng little girl both of
whom long ago he had abandoned. But
there was nothing to be done. The end,
through the usual horrors of delrium tre
mems, was apparently not far Off
One day, as Rodgers was creeping to the
nearest bar for his morning bitters, man,
whom he barely knew by sight, took him
by the elbow and walked with him into a
queter street. "They tell me you are
Richard Rodgers son." he said. " Dick
Rodgers was the only friend had for years,
and for his sake I'd like to save his boy.
Are you willing for me to try?" "Oh, you
can try" muttered the lad with an imbecile
laugh. The nameless friend, nothing
daunted, took him to chamber in his own
house and put him to bed. There he and
his sons kept watch and guarded this poor
wretch for months, like prisoner, keeping
liquor from him, and trying to supply it by
medical treatment. A physician he en-
| ployed, but he was not able to pay for
nurse. Any one who has had to deal with
victim of mania-a-potu can guess how
difficult and loathsome n task he had set
himself Ungrateful enough it was at first,
for Rodgers struggled against his tormen-
tors with the ferocity of-just what it was
starving animal. As reason began to re-
turn and his unnatural strength to vanish,
he would beg them in his intervals of rea-
son not to fail him, but to work out the ex-
pertinent either in success or death. g It's
my last chance" he would cry =" for Gods
sake be patient" This friend, with his son,
did work it out through all the foul, un-
mentionable details, and the end was not
death, but success. How soon," asked a
friend of Rodgers, afterward, "were you
trusted alone?" "Not for two years." he
answered laughing. :" was out Of Jail,
but in Jail bounds. Do you remember that
lank, muscular young fellow who had a
desk beside me in the office? He took it
with the condition that he could leave it to
dog me night and day, to my meals and to
my bed That was the son of the man who
saved me. He was taken from lucrative
situation in order that he might become my
jailor. God bless him. How | used to
curse him. g Can't you trust my honor?
| would cry. " I'm no convinced that
your honor has not the consumption" the
Scotch rishman would say. Gwen put
no burdens on it until it has regained its
health"
"Your friend was n wealthy man, no
doubt, and so able to give both time and
| money to your case?" Son the contrary,
he is but the owner of a small hat-store,
and supports his family out of that. He is
rich and noble only in the deed and spirit
of friendship" All this was years ago.