Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1873-07-02
TWO SIDES OF ONE CANVASS.

One beautiful afternoon In August
there came to me the heart-broken
wife Of Q State prison convict. We
tried 10 plan for his pardon and restor-
alton to home and the world. 1t was 9
very sad case. He was the only sur
viving son OF very noble man-one
who had lived only to serve the poor,
the tempted and the criminal. All he
had, all he was, he gave unreserVedly
to help thieves and drunkards. His
house was their home. His name
their bail to save them from prison.
His reward, their reformation. It
was q happy hour to hear him tell OF
the hundreds he had shielded from
the contamination and evil examples
Of prisons, and Of the large portion,
he had good reason to believe, perma-
nently saved. Out Of hundreds, he
once told me only two left him to pay
their bail, forfeited by neglect to show
themselves In court according to agree
ment-only two!
Bred under such q roof the son
started in life with a generous heart.
noble dreams and high purposes Ten
years Of prosperity, fairly earned by
energy, industry and character, ended
in bankruptcy, as is often the case
in our risky and changing trade. then
came a struggle for business, for bread
Observation-Disclosures
He could not safely pass the open
doors that tempted him 70 indulgence,
forgetfulness and crime. How hard
his wife wrought and struggled to
save him from indulgence and then
to shield him from exposure! How
long wife. sister and friends labored
to avert conviction and the State pris-
on. "I would spare him gladly"
wrote the prosecuting attorney, "1f
he would stop drinking. he shall
never 90 to prison II he will be So
Der man. But all this wretchedness
and crime come from rum" Manful-
ly did the young man struggle to re-
sist the appetite. Again and again
did he promise, then keep his promise
perhaps q month-then fall. He
could not walk the streets and earn
his bread soberly while 80 many open
doors-opened by men who sought
TO coin gold ont Of their neighbOrs
vices-lured him to indulgence. So,
rightfully, the Stale pressed on and
he went TO prison. An honored name
disgraced, q loving home broken up,
q wide circle of kindred sorely pained,
q worthy, well meaning man wreck
ed sorrow and crime "AH come Of
rttrlln SAYS the keen sighted lawyer.
As I parted from the sad wife on |
the doorstep, I looked beyond, and |
close by the laughing sea stood a
handsome cottage. The grounds were |
laid out extensively and with great |
taste. Over the broad piazza hung
lazily an eastern hammock, while /
all around were richly painted chairs
and lounges Of every easy and tempt
ing form, Over head were quaint |
vaees Of beautiful flowers and the
delicious lawn was bordered with
them. On the lawn itself gaily dress
ed women laughed merrily over GRO
quet, and noisy children played near.
A span Of superb horses paved the
earth impatiently At the gate, while
the gay salutatiOns passed. between
the croquet playsers and the fashiona-
BILE equfpages that rolled by. 1t was
q comfortable home as well as luxu-
rious one. Nature, taste and wealth
had done their best. 1t was a scene
Of beauty, comfort. taste, luxury and
wealth. AH came from rum. silks
and diamonds, flowers and equipage,
all came from rum. The owner was
one who, in q great city, coined his
gold out Of the vices Of hisfellow
men.
To me It was q disS0EviRg VietC. 1
lost sight of the gay women, the
froics0me children, the impatient
horses and the ocean rolling up to
the lawn. 1 saw instead, the pale
convict in his cell, twelve feet by
nine, the sad wife going from judge
to attorney, from Court to Governors
Council, begging for her over tempt.
ed husband. / heard above the chill
dren's noise, the eroquet, laugh and
the surf waves, that lawyers stern
reason for exacting the full penalty
Of the law, Al this comes from rum. {
Woe unto him that giveth his neigh
bor drink. Woe unto him that build {
eth his house by unrighteousness and
his chambers by wrong-for the stone
hall cry out by the wall, and the
beam out OF the timber shall answer {