Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1877-11-08

&C. views; but OH, what CONSERVATION!
stead Of the pale-faced man of thirty
! when lie wrote Common Sense. they behe
7 an old remnant Of mortality. drunk, blol
NO ed, and half asleep. Very few of the BE-
"a ter sort ever retl rnCd.
ot "Mr. Paine WAS sensible of his fOrbit
d. ding appearance. and generally WAS vcr
~ morOse when strangers were introduced
III An old lady from Scotland wished an il
r. |: Mr.. Paine. this is Mrs. Bruce. fror
i Scotland Scotland" "a country of biz
=. OTIS and f:lnatics.'' Yes said |. '.but it
the only country in Europe where ever
II man, woman and child can read the Bible
V and write their own name Our stay wa
h short. When we got on the pavement
$ "Wllat do you think of Paine?' inquired
J. Il think lie is tou (drunk). but ocA man,
g she added, what an amfu' judgment look
$ ing .tace he's got
: Ills chief companions were .iourncymcl
p mechanics of the baser sort. One evellin.
q | stepped into his room. Ike was settin.
! forth the Bible to Il dozen OF these cllarac
! tiers. and painting it in the blackcst colors
, When he ceased. said, Mr.. Paine. you
have been in Ireland and Scotland" lie
had. ''They have very few Bibles in Ire
, land. and there are very few who en- read
them. and those who can read. are pro-
hibited by tie priest from looking in the
Bible" This was also conceded. Now
said |. ''Mr. Paine. if the Bible was bad
book, those who used it most would be
the ro''st members Of society. but the con-
trary is the fact, for While our jails. peni-
tentiaries, State prisons and alms-houses
are filled from ireland, this day there is not
4 Scotsman or woman in any of them. and
such Was the fact ut that time. Observe.
this was folty-tivc years ago. Besides"
[ continued. Il see in this room few of
my own shOpmates. In months past. when
they read the Bible, they went to churcl.
with their families. There they rested
from the labors of the past week, kept
their children under their eye, rose early
on Monday morning, and entered on the
labors of the week with sound head and
quiet conscience. And what are they
now: Having heard the lectures Of blind
Palmer, and read your Age of Reason
they became free-thinkcrs: and if they con-
tinUcin the same course they now are fol-
lowing. they will soon be fipc-thinkcrs
also" ''-And what are they followingy'
said Paine. Said l. They now 90 to the
tavern on Sunday. sit drinking, smoking.
and talking politics. their children in the
streets or fields. learning everything that
is wicked; having spent fifty or sixty cents.
each one comes home late. and better than I
half drunk; he has 4 headache next moru-
ing. and perhaps is unable to work till 2 p.
M. thus losinga half days wages. Disease
and death soon follow. when his widow
and orphans are sent to the ;.lms-hou.c."
continued: Mr.. Paine. Hume. your
self. and other fice-thinkers. all profess TO
write tor the good of society,"" lie assent
ed. Well said /. (which is the most
useful member Of society; he who spends
his time and money in the tavern. leaving
his children to grow up a curse to the
world; or, the man who leads his children
to church on Sunday, keeps them in sight
tilC udN. lIIttS p1CSCl NCS tIICul
from the patti Of the destroyer. besides
the saving Of his money, and the preselva-
ton of his own hcaltll:' The clock in the
room struck ten as spoke the last SEN
tence; two candles were burning on the
table; he took one and walked off to bed
without saying word. His disciples and
| looked on one another for 4 moment af-
ter; after Il few friendly remarks on the
same subject, each man went to his own
house. They never all returned. and some
Of them walked no more with him.
''On subsequent evening, he told me
the particulars of his remarkable escape
from death, but the narrative is too long .
for this article. Twill state the particulars
in my next, only rcmarking. by the way,
that when he stopped speaking. said, !
What did you think at the time of this ;
preservation?" He said the Fates
had ordained he was not to die at that
time. Said /, Mr.. Paine. will tell you +;
what think; You know you have written
and spoken much against the religion of
the Bible; YOU have eXtollcd the perfecti-
DlI ~ Vi IitttIliI ICtSUIl "tiCIi ICIt ~ uS I
own guidance. unshackled by priest-crlft
and superstition. The God in whom you
live and move, and have your being, has
spared your life, that you might give to
the world a living comment on your own .
doctrines. You now show to the world
what human nature is. when left to itself
10 wander in its own counscls. Here you
;it, In an obscure. uncomfortable dwelling. !:
powdered with snuff, and stupetied with
brandy. You who were once the conf
Danion OF Washington, Jay and Hamilton,
,ut are now deserted by every good man.
md even respectable Deists cross the street !. /.
20 avoid yOu?" He said he cared not a !,
straw for the opinions OF the world. Said !.
|. IL envy not your feelings, for wish so !,
% conduct, that may gain the esteem of .
ny fellow men,"
.'IIe died ON the Sth Of June, 1863. Few
NEW that he was alive that month, till :
hey saw his death announced in the pa
,ers of the 9th. Had he died on the day '
yhen he was chalked for the guillotine in
caris, his name would have stood high in =
he temple of fame. But he was spared !"
en- years longer, till his proEinc and hate =" =
ul life put veto on his infidel writings.
GRANT THORBURN.'
The subject of Paine's character having T
ONE up more than year ago, We received il
he following letter from the Rev. ]. ID.
Vickham, ID. d., of Manchester, Vermont, g
gentleman of the highest character. with $
whom We have been acquainted from our n
oyhOod. He is an uncle to cx-Mayor o
vickham, Of the city of New York. The "A
Ollowing is an extract from his letter, as :
in the Observer at that time:
H4ar.F z.-G GtH* h
From he New York ObSeryer Feb II IS7R I | II