The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1877-01-20
For The Cecil Wing.
Jones and Smith on Turning Over New
Leaf.
BY REV. T. l.. TOMKINSON.

about you. learn that you have turned
over new leaf with the New Year, and
have entirely given up the habit of indulg-
i ing IN strong drink.
.SmiM.-The fact is, friend Jones, have
seen for some time that my power of self
control has become less and less strong, and
this drinking habit has become necessity
some time back l must make an effort to
break the yoke of this power that is threat
ening my destruction, or soon l will be so
far gone that l cannot do it; and l have
turned over new leaf this New Year and
have resolved to make an earnest effort to
| quit drinking rum from this time.
Jones-Well, Smith, am delighted to
hear it, for l know how blessed will be the
result upon yourself, your wife and chill
dren, and how your dear old silver-haired
mother will rejoice, for they have been more
anxious about you than you have thought.
Smith, am aware that have been the
cause of much trouble to them, though l
love them all better than my own life, and
this is one of the reasons why l have come
to this purpose of becoming strictly tenn
perate in my life. But, Jones, you were at
one time in as bad state as | am or have
been. How did you get along so we'll and
overcome your bad habits in this matter so
thoroughly for confess am making sorry
work of it, | have not drank any thing
stronger than tea and coffee since the New
Year began, but at times my desire for rum
is awful. l said boastingly while l was
drinking, | am man; can drink, or can
let it alone; but now do not know what
to do with myself much of the time-my
thirst is SO great. What shall doc
Jones.-I am glad to he able to answer
your questions, and l hope in way that
will be of help to you. l was in the habit
of drinking and of gambling too, and my
life was devoted to these terrible habits,
until lost all confidence in myself and had
made up my mind that it would be useless
for me to think of ever trying to reform.
| found myself getting steadily nearer the
vortex of habitual drunkenness as the
months rolled on, and found also that when
| went home at late hours in the night my
wife would meet me with the regular well
come kiSs-though more and more fire.
quently, with that kiss | would feel the
touch of scalding tears dropping upon my
cheek, and would regret and resolve and
with stout purpose determine that for the
sake of her love l would reform and become
a sober man; but was powerless, because
of the fact would resort to my old places
| of lounging in the evening, and because |
only trusted in myself in the purpose to
reform. | am sure, from my own expert
ence in this matter, that unless we quit
the companionship of the bar-room and its
associations, and look to an arm that is
stronger than cur own we can never be free
men.
SmiM.-Now. Jones, hold just at that
point is much of my trouble. You know
how many have talked with me and have
urged me to reform, and have many and
many time over my glass at WIS bar
laughed at all this cant and fanaticism, as
| called it, and have really felt that what
said was true, and have despised them
with all my heart, and now that | have
come to my present mind l find that they
were right and l was wrong, and that
was the real object of pity that they thought
was; and to tell you the truth, Jones, l
don't like this fact bit. think Mr.. w.
and G., who have kept tavern here now for
the last fifteen and twenty five years, have
given evidence enough to everybody that
| they are honest men and good citizens and
| hate to break fellowship with them, and
yet as you say l suppose l must keep away
| from them or | will not to able to hold out;
but this is hard-very hard to do.
Jones.-Your condition is just like mine
in this matter; did hate the nonsense, as
| | thought it was of these temperance men,
and believed that it would be degrading
my manhood to be led by them. And yet
saw my danger and | resolved-and in
my resolve put it all in humiliation-giv-
ing up drinking associations, and to my
earnest desire said "God help me- and
because did all this am able to say
am free and have been for years; and mole
than that have now no tears of grief shed
over my waywardness by those | love. l
am conquerer in this matter; and Smith
If you mean it, and will take all these steps
as | did, the tyrant's chain is broken and
you may be sure you will soon be entirely
the master.
Smith Il am really thankful to you for
your advice, and | see plainly that great
result like this am determined to continue,
can only be reached by great effort, and
am resolved that it shall be made; SO here
promise for the sake of my wife and chill
dren, the community around me and my
own personal character, that will never,
intoxcate, except by the order of my ply
sician, and that will not allow myself to
spend my time near the places of tempta-
ton, and | ask the help of my heavenly
Father to support and keep me in this de-
termination.
Jones-Give me your hand Oh that pro-
mise, my dear old friend, and remember
that not only your own prayer just made,
but your wife's, your mothers, and as
sure you that my own prayers shall go up
to God that you may be so helped. Good
morning; God bless you.
Smith. Good morning, Jones, with many,
many thanks for this meeting.
Ia Long indulgence in over eating or
drinking produces dis nganized Liver,
and all the evils attendant upon such de-
rangement: depression of spirits, habitual
costiveness, nervous exhaustion, indiges-
ton; pain in the head, with nausea; full
ness of stomach after meals, chiliness.
general debility and languor. Seek relief
L .l,4L, IL