Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1877-11-17
A THRILLING STORY.

at certain town meeting In IenI-
sylvania, the question came in whether
any persons should be licensed to sell
rum. The clergyman, the deacon, the
physician, strange as itmay now appear,
all favored it. One mau only spoke
against it, because OF the mischief 1t did.
The question was about 10 be put,
when there arose from one corner OF
the room a miserable woman. She
was thinly clad, and her appearance In
dicated the uttermost wretchedness, and
that her mortal career was almost clos
ed. After a moments silence, and all
eyes being fixed upon her, she stretched
her attenuated body to its utmost height,
aud then her long arms to their greatest
length, and raising her voice TO a shrill
pitch, she called to all to look upon her.
"Yesl'' she said, "look upon me, and
then hear me. All that the last speaker
has said relative to temperate drinking,
as being the father of drunkenness, is
truth. All drinking of falcoholic poison,
as beverage in health, is excess! Look
upon me! You all know [ was once the
mistress of the best farm in town; you
all know, too, l had one of the best
the most devoted Of husbands. You
all know lad fine, noble-hearted, i'll
dustrious boys! Where are they now7
Doctor, where are they now? You all
know. You all know they lie in a row,
side by side, in yonder ohurch-yard; all
everyone of them filled drunkards
grave! They were all taught to believe
that temperate drinking was safe-that
excess alone ought to be avoided; and
they never acknowledged excess. They
quoted you, and you, and you, pointing
with her shred of a finger toward the
minister, deacon and doctor, as author
ty. They thought themselves safe un-
der such teachers. But | saw the
gradual change coming over my family
and its prospects with dismay and hor-
ror. | felt we were all to be over
whelmed in one common ruin. | tried
to ward off the blow, tried to break
the spell, the delusive spell, in which
the idea of the benefit OF temperate
drinking had involved my husband and
sons. l begged, l prayed; but the odds
were against me.
"The minister said the poison that
was destroying my husband and boys
was good creature of God; the deacon
who sits under the pulpit there, and
took our farm to pay his rum bills, sold
them the poison; the doctor said little
was good, and excess only ought to be
avoided. My poor husband, and my
dear boys fell into the snare, and they
could not escape and one after another
were conveyed to the sorrowful grave
of the drunkard Now look at Inc
again. You probably see me for the
last time My sands have almost run.
l have dragged my exhausted frame
from my present home-your poor
house-to warn you, deacon! TO warn
you, false teacher of Gods word!" And
with her arms flung high, and her voice
raised to an unearthly pitch, she ex-
claimed, 81 shall soon stand before the
judgement seat of God. shall meet
you there, you false guides, and be a
witness against you all
The miserable woman vanished. A
dead silence pervaded the assembly; the
minister, the deacon and ply ysician hung
their heads +; aud when the president OF
the meeting put the question, "Shall
any license be granted for the sale of
spurious liquors :" the unanimous an
swer was "NoT