Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-06-20
The Story of Scotch Willie.

| OF shame comes to my face to-day as l stand
| before this immense audience. But there is
a thrill of gratitude in my heart that | can
stand here and tell you that am not now
drunkard. That is a thing of the past, and
by the grace of God | stand before you
sober, redeemed regenerated, saved. Twenty
years ago | was bright, happy boy, start
ing out from a country village in Scotland
to finish my education. | went to Glasgow
with the prayers of father and mother that
hoped to see me shine in society. They
thought brilliant career was before me,
but alas how their hopes were blighted.
In the city of Glasgow | commenced to
drink and fell in with friends that led me
on. | was an apt scholar Day by day |
got deeper into the vortex until few years
ago the last link in the chain was forged,
which bound me to a drunkards life.
was bound hand and foot. body and soul, by
this terrible curse of intemperance. LETT
my native land few years ago after had
BROKEN MY wIFE's HEART,
and laid her in the grave. She was the
truest friend ever had when all friends
forsook me she stood by me, and when
closed the big coffin lid over her pure white
face shut from my sight true friend that
God had sent me. She was a Christian wo-
~
nipped her young life. Whiskey did it,
loved her as | loved my life, but she died
after we had been married three years and
then, driven to despair and remorse, left
my native country without saying good.by
to kith or kin. The ghost of that pale face
haunted me for three years, drunk or sober,
at home or abroad, asleep or awake; it
| haunted me and drove me almost to mad
ness. ! tried to drown my sorrow, but there
has come to my heart different hope in
stead of that ghost of my wife's pale face
haunting me- there has come to me now the
hope that by-and-by we will meet together,
and if we did not live together in this world,
feel that by.and-by, in the endless years OF
eternity, we will be together. She left me
little daughter, and when she was a baby
used to perform the little offices devolving
upon her MOTHER who was sick, and the
child was very fond of me. have only
seen her once since that time, but now | all
on my way to Scotland to see my child. She
wiote me letter some time ago which said,
Dear papa, / am glad to know you are good
man, and you are coming back to see youI
daughter" and she sent me thousand
kisses and am going to have them. | am
going back to be embraced by my father
aud mother and to attend my sisters wed
| ulnB. Dul nave all luNlldJiOu W duoIuei
marriage, and that is the marriage supper OF
the Lamb, and | have accepted that invita-
tion and shall be there. | am going beside
the grave in that cold church-yard where
lies my wife, and to stand there before God
and thank him that | am able to come and
utter that prayer,
so GOD, SAVE ME, AND KEEP ME"
and God has done SO. Five months ago |
went into the Tabernacle in Chicago with
out hope and without a friend. What
took me there | cannot tell you. | sat
and listened to such testimonies as by the
grace of God am able to utter before you
to-day. | went into the second meeting, and
arose for the first time in my life for prayer,
and the prayers of Christian people touched
my heart. Mr.. Sawyer came forward and
asked me my name. | told him and he
started, and | wondered what could have
been the matter, and he said, "My dear sir,
we have been looking for you for two months
nearly; fifty praying men and women oil
Chicago have been praying for YOU" l Ger.
tainly could not understand this, because
did not know there was any one cared abou,
me. He then told me of the letter which
had been sent to Mr.. Moody. | could moi
stand the knowledge of this fact, that my
father and mother were still looking aftel
me. In this condition ! was led to Mr.
Moody's room, and Mr.. Moody knelt down
and prayed for me, and that prayer is still
riveted upon my mind, and will be as long
as | live; and then Christian people took m,
in hand and told me | was not the miserable
, degraded, wretched creature that people tolt
a me ! was that if | had no friend i'll thi
world had friend in Jesus that ii N,
earthly father and mother were seeking 10
me these many years, Jesus was seeking TO
Inc and had tried to save me that such
lost wretch as | might be saved; and tina
k truth sunk down into my heart as it hat
|. never done before.
d In my young days was told all abou
V e this, but | didn't understand it; but tina
!, morning the Lord of glory flashed into m
! heart that it was true and vas led thel
;; and there was partially intoxicated at tn
Sc time--to yield myself to God and did SO
: aud that night, in my room, begged an
E. prayed to God to accept such an unworth
IT, sinner as | was, and ere the morning su
shone there came to my heart still, sma
voice that said, " Son. thy sins be forgive
thee"
A few months ago started out in bus
ness hadn't cent, hadn't anything,
was engaged by firm who thought the
might trust me; people said | would NJ
stand, | could not stand in myself, but
a. STARTED OUT STRONG IN THE LORD,
nd and | stood, and am here to-day sober.
have travelled all over the Northwest throug
NJ y, Minnesota and Illinois. represent respec
,c- able firm, travel with plenty of money! liz
od at the best hotels, and | have honored u
it Lord for all he has done for me- But abo'
all there is peace and hope, not the drum
ards hope, but the most blessed hope tn
the Christian has, of eternal life. | beg
d, now TO realize what life is, and want
live now, not for myself, but to help tho
OF who belong TO the class of which ! on
,.s is formed part. have had temptations
M a the road, but overcame them. The fiji
nu, week | started out when | was in lar
md hotel, asked for a pudding and found
nd swimming in brandy sauce. tell you /
our old devil within me smelt it at once, but
GU, Lord was with me, and | called the wait
ao' atH and said Take it away, for | am afraid
it," and ! asked the landlord, as du
which he owed TO the class TO which !
nal longed, that it should be written on the |
IeS' of fare that there was brandy in that sau
red (applause), and went TO my room a
ef- thanked God that | was saved from tn
$ to My father wrote TO me that he was afrai'
should fall, because | was commerc
traveller again, but | replied | was a co
mercial traveller travelling with the Lo
and he was with me, and that he need /
be afraid; and in such moments of temp
tion whisper into the ear of him who
TO- mighty TO save, and come out more thai
0.er conqueror. | left Chicago last Tuest
me night, and the reformed men in that C
am asked me to tell the reformed men in II
Ne ton how glad they were TO hear that you