Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-07-11
Two Sides of One Canvas.

One beautiful afternoon in August, there
came TO me the heart-broken wife of a state
prison convict We tried to plan for his
pardon and restoration TO home and ,e
world. II was sad case. lie was the only
surviving sou of very noble man--one who
had lived only to serve the poor, the tempted
and the criminal. All he had, all he was,
he gave unreservedly to help thieves and
drunkards His house was their home; his
name their bail to save them from prison ;
his reward their reformation. II was happy
| hour TO hear him tell of the hundreds he had
| shielded from the contamination and evil
example of prisons, and of the large pro-
portion he had good reason to believe per-
manently saved. Out of the hundreds
yes, thousands--only two left him to pay
their bail, forfeited 10y neglect to show
themselves in court according to agreement
only two
Bred under such roof, the son started in
life with generous heart, noble dreams and
high purposes Ten years of prosperity,
fairly earned by energy, industry and char
acter, ended in bankruptcy, as is often the
case in our risky, changing trade. Then
came a struggle for business, for bread,
temptation, despair, intemperance. He could
not safely pass the open doors that tempted
him to indulgence, forgetfulness and crime.
How hard his wife wrought and struggled to
shield him from indulgence, and then to
shield him from exposure How long wife,
sister and friends labored to avert conviction
and the state prison al would spare him
gladly" wrote the prosecuting attorney, :" if
he would stop drinking. He shall never 90 to
prison if he be a sober, honest man. But all
his wretchedn ess and crime comes from rum"
Manfully did the young man struggle to
resist the appetite. Again and again did he
promise and keep his promise perhaps a
month, then fall. lie could not walk the
street and earn his bread soberly while so
many open doors-opened by men who
sought to coin gold out of their neighbors'
vices-lured him to indulgence. So, right
fully, the state pressed on, and he went to
prison. An honored man disgraced a low
ing home broken up; wide circle of kim
dred sorely panied; worthy, wel-meaning
man wrecked. Sorrow and crime "all come
of rum" says the keen-sighted lawyer.
As parted from the sad wife on my door
step, looked beyond, and close by the
laughing sea stood a handsome cottage.
The grounds were laid out expensively and
with great taste. Over the broad piazza hung
lakily an Eastern hammock, while all around
were richly painted chairs and lounges of
very easy and tempting form. Overhead
were quaint vases of beautiful flowers, and
the delightful lawn was bordered with them.
On the lawn itself, gaily dressed women
laughed merrily over croquet, and noisy
children played near. A span of superb
horses paved the earth impatiently at the
gate, while gay salutations passed between
the croquet players and the fashionable
equipages that rolled by. 1t was comfort
able home as well as luxurious one. Ma
ture, taste and wealth, had done their best.
1t was scene of beauty, comfort, taste,
luxury and wealth. All came from rum.
Silks and diamonds, flowers and equipage,
stately roof and costly attendance, all came
from rum. The owner was one who in
great city, coined his gold out of the vice OF
his fellow-men.
To me it is dissolving view lost sight
of the gay women, the frolicsome children,
the impatient horses, and the ocean run
ming up to the lawn | saw instead, the pale
convict in his cell, twelve feet by nine; the
sail wife going from Judge to attorney, from
court to governors council, begging for
mercy for her overtempted husband. | heard
above the children's noise the croquet laugh
and the surf waves, that lawyers stern rea-
son for exacting the full penalty of the law
all this comes from rum.
'Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor
drink. Woe unto him that buildeth his
house by unrighteousnes and his chambers
10y wrong for the stone shall cry out of the
wall, and the beam out of the timber shall
answer it,"