The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-05-24
SAVED.
A TEMPERANCE SKETCH.

from the power OF QrulkaIQ appetlIe
were related at meeting for the intem-
perate in tho Hippodrome, New York.
A middle aged man, of gentlemanly ad-
dress, arose and said: I have known
what it is to be prosperous, even
wealthy man.. q church member, and an
active worker in the church Of Christ.
But the curse Of intemperance seized
me, held me, till it took my money, my
friends, and my reputation. I at first
neglected to go to church on communion
Sundays, then altogether. Lower and
lower sunk, till suddenly brought to
nv senses by the death of my little boy,
a Child ten years of age. How I loved
that boy no words can tell I was not
happy one moment with him out of my
sight. could not take a journey un-
less could have the child 60 with me.
On one journey in a steamer, our boat
collided with another vessel, and we
were obliged to run into port. Hardly
had we reached land when my boy was
seized with illness. I summoned his
mother, and together we hung over his
bed, and watched his young life while
It passed away rom us. Before he died,
when he could 0 longer speak to us, he
placed his han in mine, folded one OF
his own little nands over both, and with
the other pointed upward.
When he was gone, partially re-
formed. 7 changed my outward life.
I tried to serve God with half my heart.
became diligent in business; I pros
pered; my friends came back; money
flowed in upon me; I trusted in my own
power to stand, and then-and then
fell Once having tasted the poison, l
was forced to 60 on, and little by little,
with ever increasing speed and force, 1
went downward, till second time,
home and health, friends and money all
gone, J. was hopeless drunkard. In
this condition I was persuaded by a sis
ter, who, through all, had loved and
prayed for me, to come with her to one
of MIR. Moody's meetings. His preach
ing touched my helrt, and started my
tears. but / was very careful not to let
nv sister see them. After the meeting
she would not let me 60 till she had in
duced Mr.. Moody to speak to me. I
was reluctant, but when he approached
and asked me if I was Christian, /
took courage and replied: GA very bad
Christian, indeed" Yet there awoke In
nv heart the desire to be again man,
and 7 persevered in coming to the meet
ines till, at last, found what it was to
really have freedom from sin through
the mercy of God. I am free now, be-
cause he that is " free in Christ, is free
indeed"
80 He sat down, and there came forward
a young man with fair face, and an
abundance of brown, curly hair. His
story was sad one of prolonged strug'
Gle and repeated failure, and the bite,
anguish of remorse. He begun to drink
at the age of fifteen at twenty-one he
was a hopeless drunkard. His father
and mother never ceased to prayfor him
His wife, after.he had one, never woulo
-. give him up, but these we're his only
frienEls. And he did all a man coulc
do to break their loving hearts. In the
army all his evil habits became con
frmed, aud he had been enslaved by
them all his life, except one interval o.
two years and seven months. And this
period of reformation was brought to al
end by the advice OF physician, q
whose suggestion he resorted again t.
the use Of etimulants. Soon he could
not live without them, yet such wal
his anguish of spirit at finding himsel
again nnder the dominion OF the tyrant
that he took every VOW, joined ever.
society, oven took an oath to abstain be
fore q magistrate. All was of no avail
He broke them all when he saw The cuE
nothing could restrain him In tn
presence of temptation. Twice h
would have taken his own life, but tina
his wife had stayed his hand when thu
knife had almost touched his throat.
He said: I need not dwell on wha
= was. Let me hasten to tell whenct
came my deliverance. On Thanks
giving day I went out in the morning
and by dinner time had had 80 many a.
six or seven drinks. Went home in {
condition in which 1 could only eat, ano
after eating, sleep. I slept on the sofs
till toward evening, then sauntered forth
After short visit at the house Of my
brother-in-law, I went out, not knowing
or caring whittier. having no definite
purpose, except to drink at every cornel
on my way home. At one place the bar
tender said: Fill up the glass, it,
Thanksgiving day, you know" And
filed it up, and went staggering on. Al
unaecountable impulse turned me bacl
-. several times that night when would
- have taken certain direction, and m,
steps wandered on and on, until I cam,
to tho great building where Moody ant
Sankey were holding their meetings.
drew nearer and nearer. A great confic
was going on in my mind, and it scenes
as if God and satan fought together TO
my soul. / could not go away; I coul'
not enter. And when at last I was en-
abled to rush to the entrance, it wa
more as maniac might have gone ther
than like q reasonable man. Once in
side, the lights, the throng, the choru
of hynn-they were singing-all hell
ed to sober me.
And when the hymn ceased, and M,
Moody called out: els there in a
this throng any poor sinner who is 6
lost that he cannot help himself3 bt
him come forward here and we Will as