St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-03-12
The Power of Strong Drink.

b.ir evening last tail. u messenger
t..~ ~"iII Ia m" hcg@lm% me {" come in
uIrt!iattlN Ioa certain room IN d wretch
rh rear tenement. where i little child
lay apparently IT. juy. | found. on ny
arrival rh,Ir. that had been summoned
I" bdptiIc Il lilli, baby ni some fourteen
months. Il WAS /, ing in a rude cradle.
over which the m".ltrI and father were
>oihin@ pjtc"lr>ly. Their story Was
plaiul} Wiiftrn in tn" room: il was
''tallcu. and one glance at the man
added the cause. ''thIough drink" Ills
iIrc Mas thin and >icklN. n"rhiug vi
ri"u~ ab"ih il. but everything noble
crrI -ctic. spiritual. gone. had rather
look nut" HIi evil face where force re
mains. than int" such a one full of the
cnIl,.r> and ashes of noble forces even
natural weakness j. less sad than the
unnatural weakness of Il wreck. He
u.l> >nh,I and rcmol>rful now. and
t.Lcd me pltc"u>ll to haptilr his
baby.
I'VE Was baptized in the old country
~Ii. and always went to church regular
and respectable like. Wr'~ fallen away
III. bat Il" bdptizr the little one: it
uiahr> H. feel 80 hcaiIIrni>h to sec him
DYING. and We never had him baptized. ="
For the sake "t Il faithful mother. we
baptized the child. G"d bless these
tdithiul V"m,n clingiug To wrecked
husbands Ii Ms n Solemn scene
Iirl both ht,.l. tie. mother holdm.
Ihr "l>piIg "itiid .icr">> her knees and
the husband answering tine solemn
chang" with:
II will try. sir: viii, God help me-"
AMI TIA" Woman adding:
~ -. .IoiIunir. We will try. and YOU
must pray. dear; wont YOU. old boy ,"
one Ucck after he was persuaded to
come tu our chapel. and came. bringing
with lin several cninI;id,>. They were
plc>cnt a. attentive listeners to all the
services al the day, and shall not soon
forget his thin. eager face uptuIncd to-
wards the pulpit, Il face that was Il
prayer for help. That night, us he
vent t" hrd. he said to his lie. bend
ing over the still sick. but rcviving
child
"WrlI. sally, old girl, how has to-day
pleased We ,"
">pIrndidll. Johnnie, if it could only
90 oII.
SAY y"u prayers, my girl, and I'll
pray too perhaps il will"
But il WIS already 700 late for reform:
cod grant not for repentance and for
giVcnr>>. That night he WIS taken
sick, and i'll the morning. when he start
cd tor his work. he Was sick and merry
"uSll trembling.
They parted at the door. full of hope.
HE patient wife. holding the sick babe.
cried after him:
Nov rrmcmh"IJ Johnnie. you wouldn't
hr i SPENDING NouI sick child'> money
tor drink to-day: would Nou. dear ,"
Mud the p"oI uNcr-cumIidrnt man
called back into the room a:
''N"Vci tr;r. sally. my girl: I've bid
den farewell To drink."
But night came and passed. and John
me dId rot return to the anxious. wait
lil@ Woman. Gu. >'laN the news of his
long Lh>cncc WAS sent tn the chanel
and "Wednesday morning | knclt in
Bellevue Hospital hy the hrd-ide of Il
poor. jihhelimg wreck. 1t WAS all that
Wa> LETT OF Johnnie. \ few hours after
he left hl> home % that Monday morn
in@. the police found an imtoxiratrd man
lying ON the sidewalk. inimcd bv =
tall over pile of stones. and frantic
with dclirium. They carried him in =
straight Jacket to the hospital. The
resi- at his story l. soon told. Friday |
broke the news "i his death To Il >nbbiur
widow. around whom the frightened
children chung. Saturday. Il plain pine
coffin stood in the little room: and