Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-02-08
The venOmous Worm.

The following article upon the Venom
GUS Worm," written by John Russell some
time between 1880 and 1885 and published
in the Illinois Magazine, should not be lost
to the world. II was at time before we
had large distilleries. In that day they had
the little Golfer distillery, set up by the
brookside or by a spring when one could be
found. DIR. John Russell lived Green county,
Illinois. His home is said to have been sit
uated in beautiful spot-a little miniature
Paradise-a spot where the visitor might
suppose one might while away his days as
in apleasant dream, where no sorrow could
come, where no viper's sting could ever
be felt; where thoughts would go from Ma
ture up to Natures God. The doctor named
his home Bluff Dale, He was one of Abra-
ham Lincoln's warm and intimate friends.
If | could stop here and let the reader finish
the picture by the fight of the imagination,
perhaps it would be as well. If did so the
story would be but half told. In this life
joys and SORROWS are all intermingled. 1
must tell you what turned this heaven into
hell-what caused John Russell TO pen the
following lines, 80 condensed, powerful and
touching. An enemy came into his neigh
borhood. 1t was little Golfer distilery, set
up by the bluff by the spring. Gods green
forest was used to shade the monster that
brought sorrow and desolation to that COM
munity. No pen can picture the pangs and
hearts caused by the location of that little
Golfer distil!ery. Among those that were
dragged down TO death whose agony would
be but the picture of hell was John Rus
sells only son. Do you wonder that the
father wrote as with pen inspired, and dip
ped as it were in the blood of his own
bleeding heart He who had oft asked with
a voice that indicated the beatings of his
own heart, "Oh where is my boy to-night2"
and at last heard the cold clay fall upon his
dead hopes, wrote the following article:
THE vENoMoUs WORM
outvenoms all the worms of the Nile. Who
has not heard of the rattlesnake and the
copperhead An unexpected sight of
either of these reptiles will make even the
lords Of creation recoil. But there is spe-
cies of worm found in various parts of this
state which conveys poison of nature SC
deadly that, compared with it, even the
venom of the rattlesnake is harmless. Tc
guard you against this foe of the human
kind is the object Of this lesson. This
worm varies much in size. 1t is frequently
an inch in diameter, but as it is rarely seen
except when coiled, its length can hardly
be conjectured. 1t is of deadly lead color
and generally lives near spring, or small
stream of water, and bites the unfortunat,
people who are in the habit of going there
to drink. The brute creation it never mo
Tests, they avoid it with the same instinc
that teaches the animals of Peru to shuI
the deadly cobra. Several of these reptile
have long infested our settlements, t,
the misery and destruction of many o
our fellow citizens, l have, therefore
had frequent opportunities of being tn
melancholy spectator of the effects pro
duced by the subtle poison which thi
worm infuses. The symptoms of its bit
are terrible. The eyes of the patient be
comes red and fiery, his tongue swells to al
mmoderate size and obstructs his utterance
aud delirium of the most horrid characte
quickly follows. Sometimes in his madnes
he attempts the destruction of his neares
friends. II the sufferer has family, hi
weeping wife and helpless infants are no
infrequently the object of his frantic fury
In word, he exhibits to the life all the d.
testable passions that rankle in the bosor
Of a savage, and such is the spell in whicl
his senses are locked that no sooner has tn
unhappy patient recovered from the pal
oxysm of insanity occasioned by the bit
than he seeks out the destroyer for the sol
purpose of being bitten again. have see
a good old father, his locks as white q
snow, his steps slow and trembling, beg i
vain of his only sou to quit the lurking plac
of the worm. My heart bled when b
turned away, for knew the fond hope ths
his son would be the staff of his declinin
years had supported him through many
sorrow. Youths of America, would 70
know the name of the reptile? 1t is calle
the worm of the still.