The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-03-03
A StateSman,S Story.

/ once heard a statesman, of whom
America has beenaproud, tell story
that impressed me deeply. A grand
and noble man he was; powerful in in
,tellect, and of commanding presence.
America has been proud of him, and is
proud of his memory to-day. 1 sat in
his company one evening-it was at the
close of grand demonstration, which
had been wound up BY Symposium,
and he chad fallen sadly into the only
error of his lie! He had drank more
wine than he ought to have drank; and
he knew it. He Knew it, and spoke of
it; and in connection with. his remarks
on the subject of-his .own-'weakness, he
told the following story, (, 1, remember
it particularly because Of the manner in
which, and I the circumstances under
which, it, was told: i9P i.si ip Nrr 1riF'
"Once in Washington" he said, "a
gentleman dined with me for whom
had conceived a warm liking; and
wished to serve him. / knew he was
worthy, and that there were few, if
any, public offices which he was not
competent to fill. During the dinner.
observing that he had not yet turned
either of his wine-glasses, l filled one
of my own and passed it over to him;
and then, filling another, 1 proposed to
him that we should drink to our better
acquaintance. His lip quivered a little,
as he looked me steadily in the eye, and
asked me:
81 am free man here, of course
III told m, certainly.
"'Then, he said, would it not an
swer every purpose, and would not the
pledge be as sacred, if drank q por-
ton of it in Natures. own beverage,
pure water?' "a
Eyes said I; and I'll be with you.
I'll fill with cold water, too
"And when we had drank the senti-
ment in that curious fashion, fashion
which, at that moment, seemed very
tasteleSs and even chilling to mel
asked him how long he had been a
thorough cold-water drinker He told
me, in reply, that he believed he might
say all his life; but he had been self
pledged boy and man since his eleventh
year. Said he, with considerable emo
ton:
I" At that time saw an intoxicated
man. He was good man at heart
one of natures nohemen--and l saw
ulIll buOH-O! 81 lOWcE JHdH any
brute! Two men took him to his home,
to his wife and children. l saw him as
he lay then, "a But cannot express
it. Words fail me. When you have
said, a drunken man! what can you add
to darken the picturep 1 saw in that
hour what Intoxicating drink could do
to a strong, true-hearted man, and re-
solved that would never touch it to my
lips. And never have, to my knowl-
edge
"He remained silent for littlo time,
until he saw me push my glass away,
and move the bottles to far part of the
table. Then he added, trem ilously:
Sc Il may as well finish the story, SO
that you shall know the full measure of
the influence that has governed my life
in this respect. That man, whomI saw
so fallen, was my own father. But,
thank Heaven! he never-never-
intoxicated again! / will not avow that
he became total abstainer from that
time; but know that he was so in the
evening of his days; and that his son
has been SO. all his lifen
All! if the narrator on the occasion of
which speak could have been intlu-
enced in the same direction, and to the
same extent, it would have been better
far, far better Tor him!-M. Y. Ledger.