Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-01-16
oRemOvs the prisoner from the bar

Remove the prisoner from the bar"
IA hard case that" remarked the associ.
ate Judge as the prisoner was taken away.
EYES," answered Judge Blair, che is the
most hardened criminal ever saw inside the
bar"
Judge Blair went home from the court
room. The terrible imprecation uttered by
the prisoner troubled him "Cursed be the
man that taught me to drink"
Whenever he recalled the words he could
not help thinking Of his own son. He had
taught him to taste the intoxicating cup and
then driven him from the door to wander
Perhaps he, too, had become a criminal. Ali
he might some time return and curse his own
father in the same way. And how hard il
was to be childlOss old man going down TO
the grave bearing such weight of suspense
such constant burden Of remorse
The next morning Judge Blair was start
led by rumOr that William Ogo had COM
mitted suicide in his cell. The Judge hast
sned to the Jail to ascertain its truth A
crowd had collected around the entrance,
but the judge forced his way through, and
entered. A CHASTITY sight met his view The
wretched man had cut bis throat with rag
ged piece of iron and then torn the wound
open with his fingers, evidence of
his frenzy and desperation. There was the
same hardened, desperate look in his face.
The body and floor were covered with blood.
He had died as impenitent as he had lived.
The Judge shuddered as he beheld the sick
ening spectacle.
"Is he dead ?" called out voice among
the crowd.
Eyes; he is dead" returned the Judge,
placing his hand over the criminals heart.
ale told the truth when he said the way of
the transgressor is hard
ayes. And | know another passage of
Scripture just as true as that" retorted a
half-drunken stranger who had been attract
ed to the spot.
"Wbat is it ?" asked the Judge.
These are the words, replied the inebri-
ate, fixing his eyes upon the Judge: thine
own mouth condemneth thee, and not yea,
thine own lips testify against thee"
"What do you mean2" exclaimed the
judge in startled tone.
"Let me tell you story returned the
other. II once knew rich, proud man.
He moved in the highest circles of society.
He was learned, and honOred by his fellow
men. He occupied high position of pub.
lie trust But he INDUCED in strong Idrink
he kept the sparkling beverage on his table,
and used it daily. He boosted that it would
not hurt him. He even went to the Script
ures to justify his sensual indulgence. He
had one bOy,-a noble, beautiful boy as ev-
er lived. But he inherited his fathers APP
petite intensified hundred-fold And that
cruel father with his own hand fed the &C.
cursed stuff to him day by day until he be-
came hopeless drunkard. Then because he
disgraced the family by his drunkenness his
father drove him from the door, leaving him
to 90 to destruction uncared for. And he
did 90 down down down! until his hands
were stained with another's blood, and then
with his own! That bloated body Of the
murderer and suicide is all that is left of
that once noble boy. Look, now, and feast
your eyes upon the work of your own
hands,"
The judge had stood spell-bound while the
other was speaking, but when he finished,
andI the terrible truth came home to him, he
exclaimed, my God it is my boy! and
then fell senseless upon the floor He had
ruptured blOod-vessel. Judge Blair was
dead.
ale has his reward at last" growlcd the
inebriate with drunken leer.
Then sense of his own drunken habits
sobered him instantly, aud he muttered to
himself, as he staggered away -
81, too, am another candidate for some
such miserable end. All the way Of The
transgressor is hard Whatsoever a man
soweth, the same shall he also reap"