The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-08-08
Wrecks.

1 once heard a graphic description Of
the agony of q woman, the wife Of a
fisherman, who, battling with the fierce
storm, made her way to the seashore to
watch for her husbands boat. Grasp
ing with all her might the projecting
point of rock, she strained her eyes
seaward. The drifting rain ceased, but
turbulent winds tossed the waves noun
tain high-conld the boat have outlived
the storm? She feared not, but in tear
less agony gazed on and out. A speck
in the distance drew near. It was the
boat; now it rose upon the crest of an
immense wave; then was lost to sight
in the trough of the sea. A faint hope
beat in the wife's breast. The man was
doing his best, fighting for life and for
her; but as he came into the white foam
of the breakers he was engulfed. Ex-
hausted, he could only struggle for a
brief moment more and was gone-gone
before the eyes of the woman who had
no one else to love, whose faith and
hope could find no other human stay.
One walks the shore on haleyon sum-
mer DAYS, and, listening to the moan of
the sea, thinks with shuddering pity OF
the woman who had to live On-if that
be life when hope is dead-and prays
God to bear for her the burden of her
grief.
It is pitiful tale, but there are those
more pitiful. This woman's tragedy
was compressed into day; Others watch
with strained hearts their coming fate
through awful years. They signal to
the men they love, ''This way lies safe
I ty," but blind eyes cannot see. They
utter warning cries, but the deaf ears
hear not.
When at last the end comes, a dead
! face drifts out into the infinite waste oi
waters, there is nothing to mitigate
their anguish. To them time will bring
no healing balm. These women keep
( ing watch over their endangered sons
and husbands are among us. They wall
our streets, and sympathetic souls know
their secret, although they make nc
outward sign of their intense disquiet.
Their beloved ones have dallied Will
an appetite for strong drink, and it has
become their master and tyrant; they
struggle with more or less earnestnes:
to escape their doom, but they go down
before those who would give their life
to save them, but are powerless.
do not envy the man who can con
template this vast sum Of misery, who
can think of these wasted lives, anC
]
help can come only from changes o
morals through individual effort anC
example, yet coolly intrenehes himsel
behind the general truth that that W,
are each responsible for our wrong do
ing, and refuses to give the impetus o
his self-denial toward the uplifting o
fallen or falling souls.
So we are responsible for our sins, bu
you, o man of ice, are you not response
BILE for the use you make of your wealth
your culture and all the gifts of God
and will he hold you guiitless IL, having
80 much to enjoy, you will not lay upoI
his altar a mere appetite?
In view of the thousands of wrecks
that yearly sink beneath the surface o
society because Of their love of intoxi
eating drinks, is it not time for Chris
tians TO ask themselves il the time ha
not fully come when fidelity TO COLDER
rule forbids them TO maintain the win
drinking customs in which so much o
this ruin originates Elisabeth Church
nall "a Christian at Work.