The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1874-02-04
miscellaneous.
%O
AN EFFEGTHVE TEMPER
ANCE SPEECH.

ton," cried tho thoughtlcss fol.
lows.
ole can't mako a speech on
cold waLcr. defy him." said one
oftho number.
"My fricnds," began Wilton.
"lloar, hoar! hos roalIy in for
it now" criod young man whose
! flushed checks gavo pitiful signs
OF his devotion to tho bottle. evil.
ton is on his foot"
The comrado they called viii.
ton was u young man somo twon-
ty-throo years Of ago. Upon his
taco, within his eyes, y sottled
melancholy rested his manncrs
were rs grave rs those of an old
man. lie was often called aNVil.
ton Tho steady" on account Of his
quiet adherence to principle.
The head partner in tho firm in
whose employ Wilton was, gavo q
groat party once year, and it
was to this gathering that Wilton
was persuaded to como.
In vain his companions tempted
him with the wine that flowed
freely The "frm" considered
themselves good christians, as, in
decd, did tho world generally.
They gave largely to charities and
to the church, whero their seats
were seldom empty. Thoy did n
great deal Of good with their mo-
ney, yet in placing this fiery tenn
tntion before young men, somo
Of whom were as yet without fix
cd principles, thoy committed q
gross and almost fatal error.
Looking about him, Wilton saw
already many faces flushed with
inobriation; many oyos that, spite
of their flash aud sparkle, moved
with difficulty, and that diro un-
stcadiness that marks tho Incl
pient stage Of drunkenness.
"My friends," he said, and thon
paused, rs if TO give greater ON
phasis to what migbS follow, II
am going to mako confession"
Some Of the company smiled at
this, but by far tho creator nun
Der were awed at the sad yet earn
est tones Of his voice.
"Fivo years ago l had u brothor,
a bright, beautiful lad, in whom
tho hopes Of a largo family circle
center cd. lie was calIod genius
and he was ono. Sensitive, gcn.
tlc-hcartcd, and generous to a
fault, he also gavo promise of OK
traordinary vigor Of mind. One
night several boys in the village
where | was born resolved to have
q frolic. The party was to be q
secret one, and we wcrc each to
carry from our homes, if we could,
, provisions and wine. l camo of
with success. There was good
cheer; there were bright and flow
ing liquors; we wore all young and
bouyant. My brother had novol
tasted wine. Whether it was n dis
; inclination caused by natural dis
like, or whether it was intuition
that led him to avoid it as danger.
Gus to him, | do not know. I on.
ly know-and tho recollection at
, this moment is burning in my
brain-that wo all thought if we
could get Herbert drunk it would
be fine fun. lNicnds could not have
set themselves moro ingcniously
, to work to accomplish this object
than wo did. / was foremost in the
attempt. l will not cxcuso myself
nor in aught palliatc my conduct.
; L know he had manuscript poem
at home that had boon pronounced
remarkable by competent critics
[ know he could improvisc almost
without mental effort, and expect.
cd, under tho stimulus Of tho forv
scrpont--whose sting L dread
moro than / dread dcath-his
brain would bo quickonod, and wo
should be charmed, perhaps amazed
at tho exhibitions Of his raro gift.
AT last wc prevailed, but in.
stead Of quickoning tho vino stu
pified his faculties. a fcw glasses
reduced him to state of utter in.
obricty.
"Tho party broke up. We were
all wild with excitement; he alone
was immovablc, and quito inscnsi,
Bile. There WAS no arousing him
from q state Of deathly sleep into
, which ho had fallen. I dared not
take him home that night, fearing
our frolic might bo found out in
gotting him to his room. So we
loft him there lying as comfortably
as wo could place him--his hand.
some face flushed and almost pur.