Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-08-04
The Power of Love.

Mr.. Cough, in one of his recent lectures,
preceded to confute the idea that drunkards
eSs 80 far brutes as to be beyond the power
OF Christian love, saying "No, they are
not brutes. l have labored for eighteen
years among them, and have never found
brute. | have had men dance around me
as if possessed of a devil, and spit his foam in
my mouth but never found man that
would give up. 1t may take long time to
reach his manhood but he is not brute.
think it is Charles Dickens who says
Away up great many fight of stairs in
a very remote corner, easily passed by, there
is a door and on that door is written
Woman Aud so in the heart Of the vilest
outcast, away up great many flights of
stairs in remote corner, easily passed by,
there is door on which is written Man.
"Here is our business, to find that door.
It may take long time, but begin and
knock Don't get tired, but remember Gods
long suffering for us, and keep knocking-a
long time if need be. Don't get weary if
there is no answer remember him whose
locks were wet with the dew. Knock on
Just try it you try it; and, just as sure as
you do, Just so sure, by.and-by, will the
quivering lip and starting tear tell you you
have been knocking at the heart Of a man
and not a brute. II is because these poor
wretches are men and not brutes that we
have hopes for them.
| al once picked up man in the market
place. They said He is brute; let him
alone | took him home with me- and
kept the brute fourteen days and nights,
through his delirium and he nearly fright
ened my wife out of her wits, one night,
chasing her all about the house, with a boot
in hand but she recovered her wits, and he
recovered his.
He said to me you wouldn't think
had wife and child 2
"Well, shouldn't
al have, and-God bless her little heart
my little Mary is as pretty a little thing
as ever yet stepped said the brute
81 asked, Where do they live p
"They live two miles away from here
"When did you see them last 2
"About two years ago.
"Then he told me his sad story. I said
you must go back again
al mustn't go back-I won't-my wife
is better without me will not 60 back
any more. have knocked her, and kicked
her, and abused her. Do you suppose will
ever go back again ?
al went to the house with him. knocked
at the door, and the wife opened it,
"'Is this Mrs. Richardson p
"' Yes, SIR
well, that is Mr.. Richardson. Aud
Mr.. Richardson, this is Mrs. Richardson
Now come into the house,
"They went in. The wife sat on one sid,
of the room and 'brute' on the other.
waited to see who would speak first and i
was the woman. Before she spoke she fidg
eted great deal. She pulled up her aproi
until she got hold of the hem, and theI
pulled it all out again. Then she folded i
all up closely, aud jerked it through he
fingers an inch at a time, and then sh
spread it all down again, and then sh
: looked all around the room, and said well
} Williaml'
} "Aud the brute said well, Mary
ale had large handkerchief around hi
neck, and she said You had better take tn
handkerchief off, William; you'll need
when you get out
"He began to tumble about it. The kno
was large enough he could have united it
he liked, but he said, will you unite il
Alary?'
, "And she worked away at it; but he
fingers were clumsy, and coul Int get it off
their eyes met, and their love-light was nc
. at all quenched; she turned her arms gentl,
, and he fell into them. If you had seen thos
i white arms clasped about his neck, aud h,
y sobbing on her breast and the child lookin
I in wonder first at the one and then at tn
I other, you would have said, 1t is not
T. brute; it is man with great, big, war;
n heart in his breast"