Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1874-03-05
Rescued from u Drunkard's
Room.

| UcScueu from u Ofunkar07S
Room.
Washingtonian societies and inebrj
ate homes and asylums are doing
| good work, but for the sake of man,
drunkards whom these means will no
or can not reach, we could wish tha
instances of heroic private benevolenc'
such as the following were more abund
ant:
A lew years ago, on any sunny NOR
ming, heap of filthy rags might be
seen stretched on some of the bales of s
paper warehouse in a neighborine city,
with strong smell of stale tobacco anC
whisky hanging about it.
Turning it over (Which you could dc
as though it were log, any time after
| ten O'Clock in the morning, you would
ind swollen, purple face of what had
once been a handsome young man, but
there was little hope that bleared eyes
or thick tongue would give an intelli-
gent answer. The pOrterS passing by,
would push him aside, but not roughly
The time had been when he had been
aJolly, generous young fellow and IA
vorlte in the office. "Young Rodgers, T"
some one would give you his history in
hve minutes, "taken to rum-no chance
poor fellow. Stokes (the proprietor)
could not turn him out to starve, 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 widowed
mother, away off in the country, who
had been dependent OH him, and a
sweetheart. II pretty, clinging little
abandoned.
But there was nothing to be done.
The end, through the usual horrors of
aet"Iuna hemefs, 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 gutter street.
"They tell me YOU are Richard
Rodgers son." he said. s.Dick Rodg-
ers 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?
80, you can try" muttered the lad,
with an imbecile laugh.
This naneles5 friend, nothing daunt-
ed. 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 pris-
oner, keeping liquor from him, and try
ing to supply it by medical treatment.
A physician he employed, but he
was not able to pay for a nurse. Any
one who has mad to deal with victim
of nadntd-a-potn c;in guess how difficult
and lOathsGlne task he had set him
self.
Ungrateful enough it was at first, for
Rodgers struggled against his torment
ors with the ferocity of-just what he
was-a starving animal. As reason be-
gan to return, and his unnatural
strength to vanish, he would beg them
in his intervals of reason not to fail
him, but to WORK out the experiment
either to success or death.
"lt Is my last chance" he would cry;
"fOr Gods sake be patient"
This friend, with his son, did work
it oTt through all the foul, unmen-
tSopabe details, and the end was not
death, tN lsqecess.
"HOW s0on," asked q friend of ROdg-
ers afterward, iweEe YOU trusted alone?'
Not for two years be answered
laughing. Il was out of jail but in Jail
bounds. Do you remember that lank,
young fellow who had q desk
beside me in the office !? He took it
with the condition that he could leave
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 a lucrative situation in order that
be might become my jaiIor. God bless
him! How used to curse him!
Can't yoq trust my honor? p would
".T'm not eanNinsed that your hon.
or has not the eGnsN Nmgtion,' the
ScOtch-Irishman would say, FWe'll put
no burdens on it till it has fegaiReG its
health.'" |
"YOur friend was wealthy man no |
doubt, and SO able to give both time |
and money to your case ?"
ION the contrary, he is but the OWL
er of a small hat-store, and supports his |
family out of that. He is rich or noble |
only in the deed and spirit of friend
ship.
All this was years ago. Rodgers is |
now an Industrious, honorable man.
to his old love, with his gray |
haired mother by his hearth, bringing |
to IL the perpetual benediction of be |
nignant old age.
His friends sells hats-makes no |
speeches NOR bruit of any sort in the |
world. Nobody has recognized in him |
4 hero. Yet, who fog the sake of dead |
orliNing friend wonle go and do like
sNisee-Erihune.