The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1879-06-21

1 ~NOS@@OA- ".
Feb 20, 1879, I was returning from a
visit to friends along the line of the Erie
railroad, and having had what is known
rs good Time" was finishing up a
spree-thank God, the last VIII ever
indulge inl On the train accidentally
heard the conversation of felIowsm;n.
strel, and it struck me forcibly at the
time that if he could retain from iutox;s
eating liquors by the aid of Divine help.
l ought certainly be able to do the same
thing. Reflection convinced me that I
had all along been not looking persis-
tently in the right way for heavenly
help, and that if, in my sober moments
sought Christ TO aid me in my strug.
gle to resist, / would be able to keen
from temptation. On the way through
Jersey city to my home it had been NV
custom heretofore to stop in at Billy
Taylor's hotel and take a few drinks,
but the nev awakening that had its in
cepiion that evening already began to
work, and did not go that time. I
went no ne, and, although not exactly in
the condition suitable for church-going,
1 proceeded to the Baptist church, cor.
ner of Bedford and Downing streets, and
heard lecture Or the influence of
Christianity on intemperance. The
speaker, the Rev. J. @. Adams pastor
used some forcible arguments, and
pointed out SO clear the only way of
reforming Tor good--by seeking Divine
ind not depending on human aid-that
/ came home changed man. deter.
mined to dc as the pastor suggested. and
for four days lay on sick bed recover.
ing from the effects of the spree had
just gone through. I was firmly resolved
that would not bolster up,my shattered
nerves by either medicine or liquor, as ]
had often done before, and that if I was
to die, would leave the world in an
effort to become a man, and not in a
state that / feared / would one day, in
that of drunkenness. Well, the light
became more and more strong as the
days went by, and when ( rose I found
that with Gods help / might hope to
resist the tempter to whom for twenty
three years had been chained hand and
foot. / attended the church again and
listened to an able argument in favor of
temperance by William Mason Evans,
president of the American Temperance
union, and at its conclusion I went for
ward and signed the pledge. From that
day Senator B b Hart. became for the
balance of his life plain James M. Sutherp
land. have put away the tambo and
the bones foreyeI, and shall not don the
cork again. The curtain of my life as
negro minstrel has been rung down, and
when 60 before the world once more it
shall be as the humble earnest worker in
the cause of Christianity and total
abstinence."-[N. Y. Star.
Bsble.
The grand old book of God still stands,
and this old earth, the more its leaves
are turned over and pondered, the more
it will sustain and illustrate the sacred |
word.-[Prof. Dana.
In my investigation of natural science,
I have always found that whenever I i
can meet with anything in the bible, on
any subject, it always affords me fine
platform on which to stand Lieut..
Maury.
There is book worth all other books
which were ever printed Patrick
Henry.
The bible is the best book in the world.
L John Adams.
So great is my yeneration for the
bible, that the earlier my children begin
to read it the more confident will be my
hopes that they will prove useful citi-
Gems TO their country and respectable
members of society.-[John Quincy
Adams.
1t is impossible to govern the world
without God. He must be worse than
an infdel that lacks faith, and more than
wicked that has not gratitude enough to
acknowledge his obligations.-[ General
George Washington.
Pointing to the family bible on the
stand, during his last illness, Andrew
jackson said to friend: THAT book,
sir, is the rock on which our republic
rests"