The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-02-08
RECLAIMED.
a Temperance Incident.
BY GAsKELL.


poor, frail man has to contend with,
is love of strong drink. This I'M
natural desire ence obtaining mastery,
step by step downward Eanders the
erring one, until the gutter becomes
bis bome, and stepped 10 the lip in
crime and suffering, he falls unknown
and unmOurned into q dishonored
fgreve. Who cannot recall cases OF
this kind, sorroWiul to contemplate,
yet fraught with warning instruction?
In the young morn and flush OF
life, how confident such sn one
appears. Judging by the rcsY bues of
his own Lopes, there Is % CANCER OF
his losing control OF his appetite; yet
little by little, constant dallisnce
deadens sensibility; repeated assaults
overturn the pedestal Of virtue, and
the overconfdent one fills drunk
ards grave.
Sometimes a rude shock, changing
the current of a lifetime, may ef1ect
an entire and lasting reformation.
One that shows man in his nob!er
ard better phase of character, soar
ing above the groveling selfshness of
earth into the region OF self-1enial
and abnegatiop.
So had it been with George Els
worth. Born OF parents in moderate
circumstances, he had to depend
upon his Own talerts and labor, Tor g
livelihood. OF a sociLl turn and
! generous DISPOSITION, be had many
friends. Though at fiat caring little,
or nothing, for the wine cup, 10
please his friends he frequently in
dulged, rot to the extent of intoxica-
ton, yet imperceptibly drawing
nearer and nearer to il. The hattery
of some, the affected careless indifer-
ence of others kept them silent, and
the timely reproof, which if uttered,
might have saved him, rose not to
the lips OF those who professed ex-
traordinsIy friendship for him.
When young he had married an
amiable girl and already two children
were dependent on him for susten-
snce and teaching. With a family
of which any man might be Justly
proud, precious moments of his time
we're spent in idle gossip, or in the
worse and more debasing pleasures o
the wine-cup. Depressed and gloomy
at times, the fiery stimulsnt caused |
bright images to arise, float before |
tha mind end vanish away, leaving
not thu semblance OF deserving
actions, or of perseverance,, behind |
them. Bright dreams and funeral
gloom followed in regular and rapid
succession, until energy became dead |
and the mind Wavered on the con-
fines of paralysis and im0ecility.
AS the power of the debesing habit |
increased, his physical strength de-
creased, and bic worldly prosperity
was stayed, became stationary and
taen gradually declined. His wife
struggled bravely and hopefully
against the demon, but even she be-
came discouraged at the frequency of
his lspses, and the transient nature
of his reforme.
so, my dear husband, why not
cast of this dreadful, soul destroying
habit? You know, as I do. its groVel
ing, debasing influence. 1 ask it not
for myself, but for the welfare of |
your own soul-for the innocent
helplessness of our babes. There is
no safety but in abstinence-in un-
finching conflict with its evil in
fuence."
"There is no danger, my dear
Mary, none at all. Stimulant l
must have, l cannot exist without it.
Some day I may entirely abstain, but
not now"
"Ah! you know not what you say.
Already are our friends forsaking us.
Already are we Strengthened for
means; aye really suffering. OIL
think of our love, our hopes, our de-
sires and the welfare of our children
those pledges of our affection and |
love-think of their eternal vel
fare"
No more, Mary 1 will not be
driven to anything Of the kind. l
care not for the opinions of others.
You have no cause to complain. Do
not think even you can change me-"
Such was one Of the many CONVEX
sations that took place between them,
to be followed most likely by a
drunken spree that almost destroyed |
him. Alter that would come q season |
of repentance and remoEse-a period |
Of making new vows-VoWs only to be |
broken. In q moment of forgetful-
ness the fiery poison would be sWal-
lowed, to be again followed by despair |
and gloom. as his wife said, his |
friends fell of one by one, and he
was pointed out as meier do welP'
fast going to the dogs. The grip OF
poverty became harder and more Sc
we're. Responsible work was no lon
ger submitted to his care, for the |
most eDient of men dislike to be .e-
peatedly disappointed. He would |
promise its accomplishment in good |
faith, but the dropping in Of COM
Iade, the drinking of glass Of spirits,
almost any trife, would cause him to |
put it of, for tomorrow with him was
as good as today.
One night, as he wendell his way |
gloomily towards his miserable home,
he heard the sound of voices. Hearing |
his own name, he could but stop and |
listen. The night was dark and his
presence was unperoeived, and in his |
despairing, half-intoxicated mood, he
felt no shame in playing the caves
dropper. As the conversation pro.
oeeded, what was merely idle curiosity |
deepened into earnest and intense |
lnterest-an interest that was, for
tunately. to give a complexion to bis
whole future life.
81 tell you, Mr.. Hunter, there
is no good in George Ellsworth. Man
hood seems entirely banished from
his bosom. His suffering family has
in him no kind protector and no |
bountiful provi1er; in fact, be is but
a blight upon them. The gutter and
pauper's funeral will be most likely |
his end; aye, and fitting one to his |
life of senseless debsuchery."
'Nay, my friend, l cannot look
upon him as entirely lost. | remem-
Der of old no more manly form, nor
warmer heart, beat in the bosom of
anyone. Nor can [ look upon him
now, as go entirely debssed, so dead
to better feelings that no shark Of his |