The Dawson journal., 1883-09-27

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roads, the convict had tobe taken to
the capitol on horseback, under a
strong guard. In this instance four
armed men accompanied the prisoner
and among the number was a young
man who was a member of Mt
Pisgah church. The guard were
several days in getting to Nashville
and it was in the middle of August,
very hot, dry, dusty and sultry.
After reaching the city, the swelter-
ing guard turned over their protege
to the penitentialy authorities and
Went down town" Passing along
one Of the streets they came to
fancy, brilliant saloon with the sign
over the door: Dep Drop GIN"
They went in and called for drinks.
The bartender made up four glasses
OF the most palatable juleps, made
up Of ice, sugar, mint and unadulter-
ated Kentucky whislzey. The party
drank too frequently and freely Of
the liquors; aud before they got
away from the city they were all
drunk. Among the number was
young man, member Of Mt. Pts
gah church. Of course it was a good
joke for the rest Of the "boys," and
when they got home they told the
story on the young brother, and it
rapidly spread through the neighbor-
hood of old Mt. Pisgah church.
Drinking then was a privilege not
to be prohibited; butdrunkenness was
a crime. The church heard of the
brothers backsliding; and at the
first church conference he was cited
to trial, under appropriate and well
drawn charges and specifications to
appear at the following church meet
ing. He duly appeared aud after
preliminaries, the charges were read,
and the young brother called npon
to say whether he was guilty or not
guilty. He arose, with great en-
barrassment and sorrow, and said
"Bretbren, I admit the charges
and specifications. 7 did get drunk
at Nashville, and I don't know that
I have any excuse to offer. We ar
rived at the Penitentiary about the
middle Of August, ona very dry, hot
sultry, dusty day and we were
very dry and thirsty ourselves. We
went down into the city, and coming
to a very fashionable saloon we
wentin. The bar-keeper gave us drink
all fixed up with ice, sugar, mint and
other things which made the liquor
mighty cool and good; and I drank
too much of it before | knew it.
1 did get drunk and I am sorry for
it. If the church will forgive me
am certain it will not happen again
He then took his seat. One broth
er after another arose and declared
his sympathy with confidence in the
young brother. Each felt that he
had been simply overtaken in
fault; each was willing to forgive
him, upon his frank and honest con-
fession. A vote of absolntion was
about to be taken upon motion to
forgive, when a venerable gray-haired
deacon arose in the corner of the
building. The tears were
streaming down his wrinkled cheeks
and be faltered and trembled with
the deepest emotion. After compo-
sing himself for a moment, amid the
subdued silence of the occasion, he
said:
"Brother Moderator and brethren,
don't mind the young brothers
getting drunk. We might all have
been overtaken in such fault, un-
der the same circumstances. [ don't
mind this; I could readily forgive
him on this point but the worst fea-
ture in his case is, that he has lied.
am seventy seven years old
have lived long time-but I never
heard Of ace IN 3ugust before. He
says they put ice, sugar. mint and
the like in his whislzey. The sugar
and mint are very common among
us but know the ice is a lie
This is fixed up job on US to excuse
his fault as far as he can. move
he be excluded from the fellowship
Of this church for lying"
Suffice it to say that the only way
the young man escaped exclusion,
was by getting the church to send a
committee to Nashville to actually
ascertain whether such thing as ice
was used in the summer, or not.
Upon the report of the committee,
the young man was retained and
the sin FORGIVEN. G. At