The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-02-15
gaaggsJH 5sIllsGflfggENfSE.
OH THE BRINK.

came 70 paS fif9vlgftf&SDnDugn nSEPYH
observation, and part lie told me him
self
Arthur came of an old, well.dcfined
and respectable stock, with just enough
of aristocratic prido inherited from his
progenitors to give him refinement and
selt-reliance. At an early age he was
left an orphan, and received the mnst ef
his educatio1 fsiia iasf the tafe 6fa3 46cle'
When he was one-and.twenty he Tas add
mittcd to the employ of Il banker named
Vanderlain, and very soon took u position
Of tristS Sa9d dFesbdpsi4iliH inA,he hobsA
Sommerton, one of the fairest and sweet
her long aud truly, and her love in re-
szigia had dBeen !dnpiei and devoted,
Thus was life opened for Arthur Gravely
with bright and happy promiscs. DaH 1
One enemy, and one enemy alone, ut
this time stood in Arthur's path. His
wife did not see it then. She loved him
5" not leassSd ses a. g 'ru'',pe 'asslle could
A few of Arthur's friends feared dan
ger, and one of them more bold than the
rest, spoke to him warningly, but kindly /;
fbuti he. TUNED away from the warning
with sreer Of derision.
From early youth Arthur Gravely bad
found the wine cup among the symbols
Of likes social phase. He had used il
upon his sideboard and upon his table !;
and he had partakeu freely abroad II In
the early years it was wine and only wfne-
OF the best and the purest Later,
stronger liquors we're required to Eeep up
the tone. At the age of eight-and TWEEN.
~, there had come an undue flush upon
Ar:hur's cheek, and there were blotches
in the eye which ought not TO have been
there. He now took brandy before
bTeaktast. and through. Tbs, day. he MAS
forced to supply fuel to feed FIRE which
else might agscoIlsunfed sii iApdily ycs5fn- 4
fort. AS yet .he ded never 4been Lope5
iessly intoxicated. He was confident in
his own strength.
Alas for the man thus fallingl He
knows not that his powers OF ahder3tand.
s;;shss ,@a,edy1lng out as the BODY RS fhdes ana
: At length Mr.. Esndcrlain called Ar
thur into his private closet, and told him
that. he was going to Buspend business. "a
II have money enoughiH said Mr. Van
icrlain, "and know that my close ap-
plichtion TO business is wearing upon me.
| am gffoWing into years, and need rc5t.
think Of going to Europe" ,.,
"And of closing up your business p
Yes 4, .rr@et3II .f.f "A
But, sir, there is no need of that. If
you-will trust your bank under the ~gu?d-'
auce, Of .some responsible agent, with
yoeFr|ane af itshedds It higW 10 nb1s-
peFodsf,' on, and you could 60 upon your
trip at will"
A cloud came upon the bankers face
and he shook his head
"It 10 too late" he said. "At some
time ] may tell you more"
Shortly after this, in process of closing
his business, Dir. Vandcrlain sent Arthur
to u distant city to make some important
settlement. Arrived at his destination,
the young man called upon the CORES
pondent OF the bank, and having made
the preliminary arrangements, he found
himself with few days upon his hands
which he might enjoy. On the very
with John Hat,on and William Roberts,
two friends and classmates of earlier
years. He was startled when he SAW
them. They were evidently going down
hill-were drinking 70 exccss, >Heepent
first and dsecohd night in their comphhy.
On thiaaecond -night,-fuY- the firse-tiIaeiu
his life, Arthur Gravely drank to o state
ofbeb esS ptuf fefacti6S. HGA%dke the
neAt T kieefipg seAA and t9iAhIl ID
WheAslls: A::.-et liio companions i'll u pflvAte
parlor connected with their sleeping
apartments. be found them with q boWl Of
hot brandy between them. A spirit OF
true friendliHess came npon him when he
saw tho MARKS ofsthe' destroyer so deeply
!isnd ,lApcn sthe companions lof his boy-
hood,
"Boya,'' saia he, 'tbis wont do. you You
A'S TE5y sssssded him ictds4ioausy a and asked
him what he meant: az q. d, AZ. o., .l.,sq.l
He, told them what he meant. They
wefc In a dangerous way.
you forget, cid boy sa;:i EssEaoEs,
that you are in the same boat. live TOOK
passage before you, it Is no. less sure that
our route is now thesane. Don't preach,
Arthur 94TFy bis Of hot brands.h .Y,,:i
"Lss it alone" ha said solemnly. .I
tell you Jack, and you Will, that you are
going down. You'can't last much longer
"WaJfeEdeGG Ro6@bG -sstthsaaJat-
tempt 70 laugh, lit appears TO me that
what 10 sauce for the goose is sauce for
the galpder,i Had, you not better try to
let it alone youseiff"
HFfTtry Il, will you try II 2" he asked.
"Will you try ~" demnrfdcd HattoD..
II will if you S,i'i join me-"
And they cid Il. They joined hands, !,
and promieed' one another that they
would be true aud steadfast, .u
a new surprise waS In store for Arthur
Gravely. he found upon cutting off his
spirituous liqhbfS thae his b5Sdiy weaken
ed, and bis hands shsok, as though with
palsy. He applied to q physician for
help. Fortunately she ApnlleS 70 man
of sense and 'nhdeistandihg..h =
Cant you give me something 70 ateady.
my nerves and restofe2 my appetite ~
Arthur asked, after having frankly stated
the Rs aeaSs SRa 4S &ha sSaF dangerous i
state you have iaiien. Gnu. Eiys, ysui
something to steady your nerves, but
would Lnbt heips yoa IN the end fy6u
ii Tl lshsE Si sEaEs aaa Sgs gene out
Arthur aaid he should not, go back.
He wanted sno atitAdiaht Anc more Of
that. -,4.s s,4,a 80 ,a,& =
The trial was a severn one, and it mag
have ,besp 8yblsssed ss.iing for .ArthuF
Grayely fhaE twas so. He felt more
heroism III the conquest, and he also saw
more clearly how deeply the. evil habit
hadsbeeoins fixed upon !himpcqGn the
morning of the fourth day OF his htfiaI he
awoee with. IN appetite for food, and .WdA
able 10 ,eafJh hearty breakfast. he was
neFg gdnani From this time f1yth. ! 5s. = -
On the flfth day the business which