Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-06-09
The Midnight Conflict

p
The pledge then made TO her kept under
strong temptations. and in circumstances
that severely tried my good resolutions.
Serving through the war; came out with o
cough that threatened quick consumption.
My physician recommended cod liver oil and
whiskey. | took The prescription The for
mer cured me Of one disease; the latter
brought on one OF deeper and doadlier nature
Yet | was not conscious of it, till, one day, a
friend reused me with the words. "Maior
you must be careful You are bringing dis.
grace TO your family" ! was shocked, and
resolved that this should never be said of
me again but ! still pursued the evil way.
A little later, and my brother repeated To,
warning, and pledged him that would
heed his kindly words. That pledge wa.
broken. had delightful home, was blessed
with wife and children, and 30 her wifely
pleading again said IN drink no more. and
went out only 30 disgrace the name She bore
One morning, as passed the open door of
my daughters room, | saw her ON bcndcl
knees and heard hcr sweet voice crying out
"Oh God spare my father aud save him
from % druukmds gravel" Then and there
! vowed before God that ] would never driul,
again. ! was drunk before night littlc
later, ! was summoned to see loved sister
who was sick I hastanel 90 her bedside
only 30 find in q dukouod room her dead
body. As | leaned over that marble form,
and my tears fell upon her cold checks then.
with clasped hands alone with the dead, |
told my God that the cup would never again
soil my lips. I'm three days ! was as bad as
ever At last, in tit of desperation, | sent
for my father and mother 10 visit my home
securing for them palace car, making the
long journey as pleasant as possible. They
came to my charming home 10 meet their
drunkard son. The dear mother begged aud
prayed with and for me, THAT my lost purity
might be restored.
After their return, with the echo of her
agonizing petitions sounding in my ears,
said d" viii once more take the pledge.
and if broken now, | viii go 20 the Pacific
coast leaving wife and children, 90 hide my-
self whore they shall never hearof me again.
With this came the resolve 10 invite a few
friends to take one more social glass together,
and then sign the pledge. | sent 30 Boston
for the choicest liquors and one night when
| had been left alone n the house. invited
them in For an hour waited, and mo one
came. | paced the floor aud looked out into
the moonlight, longing for their presence
that | might satisfy the appetite that began
to clamor
And the clock struck nine, and mo- friends
came. Then rushed into my soul visions OF
my childhood. and the voice of my mother
sounded out; Keep your soul pure and
clean, my SOM and her words OF tenderness
awakened memories that had long beer
sealed, opened the Bible, and read y,
drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of God
All does that mean me Closing the bool
paced the room, and longed for compan
ionship that these busy thoughts might be-
dispelled and the clock struck ten. ! lis
tened for voices outside. hut there was quie
| everywhere save in my own tempest tosseC
soul. Then it flashed upon me that alon'
must meet the tempter, and alone take th'
promised pledge. reached out my hand q
unseal the bottle that never looked SO attrac
tive, when a voice seemed TO sound Let i
remain untouched now Is the decisiy
hour" and again | paced the room, ani
| again, with greater force, appetite beggc,
| for satisfaction. The struggle began to b
more bitter the tempter made a heavier rs
sault, the hour dragged weanly along, an,
| the clock struck eleven. Then | felt thai
| the next hour must be the point ON whici
my destiny for eternity was poised For
was impressed by the thought that ii c0ul,
/ resist the tempter till midnight in some way
| | knew not how, God would bring To me
way Of escape Oh how ! lougad % break
/ the bottle, the contents of which were NOR,
attractive than anything else ON earth auC
yet that voice sounded ont Touch bat
single glass, and You are lost
| again opened the Bible and read GOD
so loved the world that he gave bis only Doe
gotten Son. that whosoeyer beheyeth in him
! should not perish but have everlasting life
| | fell upon my knees, and with the open Ri
/ ble before me and the hotU hy my side. inn
plored and prayed for strength ohoIon til
/ midnight. Oh how lppetiti begged ant
/ clamored and vet was conscious that it
Welded it would be fatal and my soul woull
| be lost. The minutes dragged along. oh, S,
slowly, tin eleven and q half O'clock, and th,
voice cried. "only hold on til twelve, an,
You are safe
Fifteen minutes passed, and then cameth,
sorest, bitterest conflict of soul which eye
man experienced had been iu tha mid,
/ Of great physical poril ON the battlefield
many time when death came on The righ
and the left in fearful form, but never ha,
| been in such deadly danger as now, for i
was a conflict with heaven ON the one sid
and hell on the other one who has ncve
been under the maddening control OF mas
ter passion cannot realize the agony that cai
be concentrated into even few moments
and so the bitterness OF that last fifteen min
ntes seemed prolonged into hours Can
hold out win this struggle end ia liie an,
peace WIN the tempter yanquish battle,
spirit and leave me freey Five minute
more and the agony increased as appetit
begged and clamored with tenrod power
There pealed ont ON the stil hour Of nigh
the stroke of the distant clock, one--two-
-fve--six x-seyen-eight- min
-ten-eleven- leaned to my Zee
of Coli Tbe burd,n rolled int, tbe I'M,
sernlcbro and fsIt that WAS soveJ an,
soieJ foro,ar, - won't o,t n, nv, bacl
,';a,,a a,,1 LA tho Ma. .,n, IN Az ,,o,,,
to'h, tS omI All i,aled ~ n c,l,dI, a. ,nntbo
,,il ms"i' ~ INai' ~ Siaa,i,,,r ai}lJ al tLa,
t,,,j;a Ill !, -, ia ,il,as,t ls f,u ,,,, ,''n ,,'
uan ~ llt1 GtI" @ and ta, Fo" ~" w.
~ -, - ,.,i ',,
e"ulo ~ y'e''u ~ i''9 oJ''' "'' III co., ~ ,'''
III T,'o ''''' '''''''''" "''' us i''''''
IL al ..,.i.o - .i., .,;1.;.l.Ii
:; ine n'',', S',uN' o' ,'p '',','i''a H. u'.i, ~ 81
II 'lelaiu1u ,.i n'" "uyi "'N I'i' un"il o'
ne" hIe Iar lle' "lS l"apT m voiI'o,''',s u.s. =
i,e instant iny slNs VII 81, M'i''ru VA, a"''l
rioin ''''V s'o"i ~ ''''s "u' i"u ~ N'''