Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-10-26
Encouraging Vice.

"No; | shall not employ you again. You
have deceived me twice, and shall not give
you a third opportunity TO do so would be
to encourage you in your vicious course-a
thing am determined, on no consideration
whatever, to do. | told you when | en-
ployed you that / would have nothing to do
with drunkards and / always keep my
word. | owe you nothing: your wages were
paid up to Saturday night. Good-evening.
I'm sorry you can't control beastly appe-
tite but you can't, / can have nothing more
to do with you"
at is beastly appetite, know it, sir 4;
my father, from whom inherited it, said so
before me. I'd give my life and soul to get
rid OF It, IL only for Mary's sake and the
baby's. Sir, they've had neither food nor
fuel these three days. In Gods name give
me work, or, If not that, give me half a
dollar to get something for them. | didn't
ever think I'd be beggar, but you see |
am. can't let them starve'
"No, never encouraged vice." said the
rich, complaisant merchant, as he turned
away from his dismissed clerk TO the wait
ing friend who was to accompany him home
to dinner, and before whom he planned to
set the choicest sherry and Madeira which
his cellar afforded
The poor victim of combined strong appe-
tite and weak will turned into the first low
grog-shop he passed, partly to drown the
agonizing thought of the pale, suffering
wife and child in their freezing garnet by
spending the few coppers his empty pocket
still contained in the strongest, most stupe.
flying spirit he could find; and the mer-
chant, following him down the street,
pointed him out to his friends, saying
a. 7 -. - .,
His friend said nothing then, but when
dinner was over, and he had persistently
turned his wine-glass upside down, to the
establishment, and perhaps indignation, of
his host, as he said half playfully, al do
| nestly al want to tell you how dear
| friend of my own, to whom owe more than
| ever can repay, once encouraged vice as
you call it, and the result. | was once a
poor, wretched druDkard Unlimited indul
gence and highly-strung nervous tempera.
ment, added to an inherited appetite, had
done their work of degradation for me.
had run through my patrimony; my own
| friends had cast me off; and but for the
situations which this one noble young man
procured for me, and which, one after
another, | managed to lose in consequence
of my excuses, | should have starved. Al
length / seemed to have come to the very
end, and stood one day with b)ttle in my
hand beside the railroad track, hesitatinl
whether to put an end to my misery by
| swallowing it or by throwing myself undei
the rushing train turning the curve, when g
strong arm grasped me, turned me from tn,
track, and wrenched the poison from my
hand. Let me alone said, vainly strug
Cling to get Free you've done all you car
for me- let me go to hell now, as deserve.
No, | shall not said my tireless friend
I'm one of the seventy-times.seven men
aud when l get there I'll begin again, i
need be- I'm going to take you myself now
and If you can't keep the place, why tn,
place will keep you, that's ALL He hat
entered into business for him self, and 1t
took me in as confidential clerk, though he
could have had many steady, sober mar
far more competent than for the salary h,
paid me. But no one could have loved hin
better, and the consciousness of his unmer
tied kindness and interchangeable friendship
did more than any other thing could have
done to sober me and break the chains o,
the dreadful tyrant which had enslaved me
Twice broke the pledge he had prevailed
upon me to take-once in the deirun
which followed entailing heavy pecuniar,
loss on my employer and benefactor-bu
his forgiviDg love never faltered, and a
length came to seq that it was but a fain
reflection of his who received sinners and at
with them-nay, even died himself thai h
might break their chains and set them free
Thus 1 was saved, and ever since, through
out very successful business career, hav
devoted myself to discouragiug vice, as yot
see" touching the upturned wine-glass
land to retaining the vicious by the un
limited power of kindness and the aid o
the omnipotent grace of God. Beware m,
friend, so long rs it is written that Jssu
said to the woman taken in adultery
Neither do condemn thee; go and sin n,
more and to the Magdalen, Her sins, which
are many, are forgiven her. how you, calm,
yourself by his name, refuse to stretch GU
a helping hand to the fallen lest you SHOULD
encourage vice."