Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-01-14
The Terrible Power of Drink.

was asked by an individual to go and
see the hardest case there was in the town.
said, al have no right to go and see him ;
he will say to me, who sent you to me
Who told you was drunkard You mind
your business and I will mind mine; you
wait until you are sent for, and when want
you | will send for you.' have no right"
| said, ito go to him. Well" said he,
he beat daughter of his, fourteen years
OF age, with boot-maker's strap, so that she
will carry the marks to her grave. His wife
is sick with bilious fever, and the doctor
says he thinks she cannot get over it. The
man has not been drinking for some days,
and if you could get at him now, think
you might do him good.
thought would go. knocked at the.
door, he came to open il. lie had bee. 10
one or two of our meetings. The moment
he saw me he knew me. Said he, "Mr.
Cough, believe" " Yes, that is my name
would you be good enough to give me
glass of water if you please 2" " Certainly"
said he, "come in" So got in sat on
one side of the table and he on the other.
There were two childeen in the room play.
ing together, and door halfway open that
led into the room where the wife was ill.
| sat and talked with him about everything
| could think of but the subject. | talked
OF trade and crops and railroads and money
matters, and then | got on to public houses,
| and then drink, and he headed me off in a
moment
/ began again talked of the rising of the
river and the badness of the roads, and then
drinking, and he headed me off again. |
looked and thought | saw malicious
twinkle in his eye, as much as to say,
"Young man, you are not up to your business
yet" | was about to give it up; but,
think, providentially l saw the children. /
said, You have got two bright looking
children there, SIR" "Oh, yes, yes bright
little thingsl" Said I, You love your chill.
dred, don't you ?" "Bess the children to
be sure | love them" Said /, Wouldn't
you do anything to benefit your children 2"
He looked at me as if he thought something
else was coming after that. "Well, to be
sure, sill" said he, ga man ought to do
everything to benefit his children"
Then / stood up, so that might get out
OF the door as speedily as possible, and said,
Don't be angry with me; | am going to
ask you plain aud simple question. You
know who | am therefore don't be angry.
| Suppose you never used any more ntoxica-
ting liquor; don't you think those children
would be better off "Well, WE'LL" said he
"you have got me this time" Said |, You
have got good wife, haven't you ?" " Yes,
sir, as good woman as ever man had for
wife," "And you love your wife ?" "To
be sure | do; it is natural that a man
should love his wife" "And you would do
ANYTHING you could to please your wife p"
"Well, / ought to-" "Suppose you were to
sign the temperance pledge, would that
please her 2" 81 rather think it would. [
could not do thing that would please my
| wife like that If ! were to put my name
down there, why, the old woman would he
up and about her business in two weeks,
sick as she is now." Said I, Then you will
do 1T ~ "Yes, | guess will do it," And
he at once opened closet, took out pen and
ink, and | spread out the pledge, and he
wrote his name. The children had been
listening with eyes, ears and mouth wide
open, while we wera talking about ter per-
ance They knew what drunken father
was; they knew what the principles of alb
stinence would do for him; and when he
had signed one said to the other, Father
has signed the pledgel' Oh, my |" said
the other, "now III go and tell mother y
and away she ran into the other room.
But the mother had heard it, and list
ened to her calling, "Luke, Luke come in
here moment" Said he, Come in here
aioHS Witn NE coInt III, ana see my Wl1e.
| went and stood by her bedside. The face
was ghastly pale, the eyes large and sunk
deep in the sockets and with her long, thin,
bony fingers she gripped my hand, aud with
the other took the hand of her husband, and
began to tell me what good husband she
had. "Luke," said she, sis kind hus-
band and a good father he takes care of
the children, and is very kind to them
But the drink, oh the drink, makes terrible
difficulty. That difficulty God only and the
crushed wife of the Incorporate man know
I anything about.
The man shook like leaf he snatched
his hand from the grasp of his wife, tore
down her night-dress from her shoulder and
said, Look at that" and on her white
thin neck, close to the shoulder was bad
mark. Said he, Look at that, sir; did
it three days before she was taken down
upon the bed; and she has told you she has
good husband. Am I ? Am good hus-
band to her God Almighty, forgive me I"
And he bowed over that woman, and wept
like child, gripped the bed-clothes in his
hand, and hid his face in them. And she
laid her thin hand upon his head, and said,
"Don't cry, Luke; don't, please don't; you
wouldn't have struck me if it had not been
for drink. Mr.. Cough, don't believe him !;
he is as good a man as ever lived. Don't
cry, Luke"