St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-01-31


every article, out of doors, or in his
rented hOvel, that could be sold, had
been given for strong drink, he could
get no more and was driven into the
street. He became furious, and tor
tured his wife and children to compel
them to give him anything they might
have, that would buy him some rum,
for as yet he had not thought he could
sell the bible. Seeing stranger give
his little daughter six cents for a cup
of water, he snatched the money from
her and ran to he'salOOn and gave it
for rum.
When that was gone and his thirst for
more was great, then he took the bible,
but he dare not sell it. He put it in
pawn for rum sufficient to satisfy for
the time being, hoping that at some
future time in some way he would be
able to redeem it again but that time
never came. He became delirious, and
after short sickness, died among
strangers, where he had wandered un-
der the madness of rum. His body went
to the medical college at Hanover,
without the knowledge of his family,
and his children were soon scattered in
search of bread.
Long years have passed since the sad
death of Ezra LacOunt. The sutferings
of his wife are ended. She died as she
lived, in the full assurance of hope in
Jesus, and Il plain marble slab marks
her resting place in the cemetery near
by.
A few weeks ago one OF the grand
Sons of that deluded man, hearing OF
this bible, and seeing it i'll my hands,
borrowed it, and took it to his mother
to see if she would recognize it without
help. She took it and turned it slowly
over, aud began to sob most piteously,
saying 80, my poor father the rum
sellers led him astray. ., my dear,
dear mother! how much she suffered y
| was present and witnessed that
scene and then more than ever before
my to man, unless fenced about and
chained down like any other poison
But the worst enemy of all men-the
most actual incarnation of all evil tC
the human race on earth, is the person
who, for the sake of money, sells al.
cohol to be used AS beverage. The
murderer who kills his viclim with q
shot or IL single blow, is II friend tC
society, when compared to the rum.
seller.
If Ezra LacOunt had been killed by
one certain man, in minute, when
they first met, his good name would
have remained, and his family would
not have been disgraced but selling
him rum, he blasted his name, and dis.
graced his family for all time. The
men most tn be dI eaded by every fam.
lily, and everywhere are the creatures
who sell rum for Il living in these DAYS
of so general knowledge of the wreck and
ruin, the SORROW and suffering, which il
carries in itself.
AT one time before the last chair was
sold from the house, Mr.. Laconnt listen.
ed TO reason and abandoned the groe
shops. He had the bible brought and
read TO him by his wife as they held il
i'll their hands again together. His lit.
tie children climbed on his knees anG
tied their arms around his neck anG
kissed away his tears till he could weel
no more. There was one ray of hope
and they were glad. Days passed
pleasantly, and he began to feel the re.
turn of his manhood, and the old-timt
tenderness appeared in his words and
ways.
Then ii rnmseller called to visit him
holding in his hand the while, bottle
of his best liquor. The mother and
children begged him not to give papa
any, but he laughed them away and
handed it to Ezra.
The work was done-reform was end
ed-the rumseller took the table, and
some kettles, and handkerchief be-
longing to one of the girls, and some
bedquilts, in his wagon when he went
home, and Ezra Lacount never spoke a
kind word to his family again.
Was it man or devil that carried that
bottle to Ezra then ? That same being
took the bible in pawn for rum. Pity
for the rum drinker, for he is a slave to
appetite; but vigorous law fol the rum
seller until he stops his bad work.