Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1875-07-02


ton for the choicest liquors, and one
night when had been left alone in the
house, invited them in. For an hour
waited, and no one came. | paced the
floor and looked out into the moonlight,
longing for their presence, that / might
satisfy the appetite that began to clam
or.
And the clock struck nine, and no
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 been
sealed, opened the Bible, and read:
" No drunkard shall inherit the kingdom
of God" ALI does that mean me?
Closing the book l paced the room, and
longed for companionship that these
busy thoughts might be dispelled /; and
the clock struck ten. / listened for
voices outside, but there was quiet every
where save in my own tempest tossed
soul. Then it flashed upon me that |
alone must meet the tempter, and alone
take the promised pledge. l reached
out my hand to unseal the bottle that
never looked so attractive, when voice
seemed to sound: "let it remain untouch-
ed now is the decisive hour !" and
again paced the room, and again, with
greater force, appetite begged for salts
faction. The struggle began to be more
bitter, the tempter made heavier as
sault, the hour dragged wearily along,
and the clock struck eleven. Then l
felt that the next hour must be the
point ON which my destiny for eternity
pas poised. For was impressed by the
thought that if could resist the tempt
er till midnight, in some way | knew
not how, God would bring to me way
of escape. Oh how l longed to break
the bottle, the contents of which were
more attractive than anything else on
earth; and yet that voice sounded out
"Touch but single glass, and you are
lost"
/ again opened the Bible and read
"God so loved the world that he gave
his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish but
have everlasting life" l fell upon my
knees, and with the open Bible before
me ana the bottle by my side, implored
and prayed for strength hold on till
midnight. Oh howappet ,geed and
clamored and yet | was conso ..us that
if yielded it would be fatal, and my
soul would be lost. The minutes drag
ged along, oh, so slowly, till eleven and
a half o'clock, and the voice cried, ON
| ly hold on till twelve, and you are safe. !"
Fifteen minutes passed, and then
came the sorest, bitterest conflict of soul
which ever man experienced. l had
been in the midst of great physical peril
on the battlefield, many time when
death came on the right and the left in
| fearful form, but never had been in such
deadly danger as now, for it was con-
hict with heaven on the one side and
hell on the other. One who has never
been under the maddening control of a
master passion cannot realize the agony
| that can be concentrated into even a
few moments, and SO the bitterness of
that last fifteen minutes seemed prolong-
ed into hours. Can hold out? Will
this struggle end in life and peace !?
Will the tempter vanquish a bafied
spirit and leave me free Five minutes
more and the agony increased as appe-
tite begged and clamored with tenfold
power. There pealed out on the still
hour of night the stroke of the distant
clock, ee-four-ive--six
seven eight nine - ten - eleven -
twelve! l leaped to my feet and shouted
Victory Saved by the grace of God
The burden rolled into the open sepul-
chre, and felt that | was saved, and
saved forever went out ON my back
piazza, and held the bottle up in the
moonlight, and looked at it calmly as
mother would look at sleeping child,
and then, hurling it upon the pavement,
fell upon my knees in glad thanksgiving,
and then and there yielded my soul. my
life, my all to Him who had redeemed
me with his precious blood.
The final stroke of the midnight bell,
as it heralded new day, was the dawn
of new life for me. / was made con-
scious on the instant my sins were all
washed away. From that hour to this
have had no taste or craving for liquor.
and my life is devoted to scattering the
leaves which shall be for the healing of
the nations"
Such is the story of my friend, who
in Western city, is to-day doing loyal
service for his Master. Years have pass
ed since that midnight conflict, and his
life has been one of conservation, and
| many a soul has heen lifted and in