The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-09-12
For the Vermont Waterman.
The Fatal Medicine.

Inc Fatal Medicine.
Iu my old Canadian home lived my
friend Ella, beloved by all who knew her.
The pride and joy of her father, the COM
fort of her mother, and the gentle COM
panion of her two stalwart brothers, one
older, and the other younger than herself.
Her father, a well-to-do farmer, lived to a
good old age. After his death her moth
er's health failed, and Ella was her con.
slant stay and comfort, ministering to
her wants, and doing the work OF the
family. Deprived of the freedom enjoyed
by most young ladies, she was yet cheer
full and accomplishing. Her hand was
sought in marriage, both in her young
womanhood, and in more mature years;
but to her, filial duty seemed paramount to
all other claims, and we'll did she fulfill
her mission. Night after night she would
rise and 60 to her mothers bedside, to re-
lieve her distress, and in case of severe
illness, would spend hours in faithful
vigil there. Now, as might naturally be
expected, under the pressure of work,
care, anxiety and loss of sleep, the daugh-
ter's health failed. During these years
OF feebleness, the mother had been accus-
toned by the direction of her physician,
to taking gin as medicine, until she
came to regard it as necessity to her
very existence, and she urged her daugh.
ter to partake of it also, that she too might
gain the strength she so much needed.
So during the night watches and days of
special WEAKNESS, mother and daughter
partook together of the stimulating drink,
and for the time being felt refreshed. At
length son and brother very suddenly
died, and then what more natural than
that the afflicted one should more than
ever seek the solace of the medicine which
had so often sustained her. Thus were
the letters drawn more closely around
their victims. There came time when
the remaining son and brother was stricken
with severe illness, which mis- physician
feared would prove fatal, but he recov-
cred. During these days of suspense,
when his life hung in the balance, Che
poor suffering mother passed away. Then
who can tell the sadness and loneliness of
the devoted daughter. To drown her sor-
row, deeper than ever she quaffed the in
toxicating cup; and flushed face and
bloated form. and tainted breath told the
sad tale, and strange conduct also revealed
the awful truth. Friends whispered to
each other, but few ventured to breach
the subject to one like her. To friend
who did so, and who pointed out her
danger, she said she could leave off any
time, but then, she needed it as a medi-
cine, she felt so sick at times. She only
took little. But the little" was taken
often, and thus she went on from bad to
worse. Irregularities of speech and be-
havior could not fail to be noticed. The
thoughtless laughed. Those who rejoice
in the downfall of virtue, were glad Her
nerves all unstrung, were source of dis
comfort to herself, and all with whom
she associated, and discord sometimes
reigned around her. She felt herself
abused by well-meaning friends. Poor,
unhappy Ella Many of the friends who
have long known and loved her, and who
know full we'll the insidious nature of the
temptations which have lured her on to
her ruin, still associate with her, for at
times, she seems like the Ella of former
days, while others feel her presence a dis
grace, and pass her coldly by. She seems
not aware of her danger. Still in poor
health, she continues to take it as a nledi.
cine, not realizing that what for the time
being seems an antidote, is in reality the
poison which is destroying both body and
soul. The intoxicating cup stirs up the
baser passions of our fallen nature, and
strange sad rumors reach me from my old
home in Canada, where she still resides,
OF misdoings that the Ella of former DAYS
would have shrunk from in disgust. But
human nature is the same in Canada as
here, and the tongue of scandal is busy
there, so l will not attempt to guess how
much is true, and how much scandal. l
lain would cast the mantle of charity In
all its clustering folds about her. o that
even now some voice might arouse her,
and other tried and tempted ones, to shake
themselves from the letters that bind
them, before it be forever too late. s.