The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-16
Telnpt Not the Weak.

"James Dunton, arrested for drunk
enness and d~isorderly conduct. Fined
five dollars. In default of payment sent
to Jail for thirty days"
This item in the morning papers mel
my eye, and I read it again, for the
name seemed familiar. Could it be pos
sible that. this was my old schoolmateF
And my mind turned back to the time
when James stood among the brightest
of his class. True, he was a little wild,
and soon after he left school he com
menced drinking, and would OCCASION
ally become intoxicated. Then he joined
a temperance organization, and seemed
so deeply in earnest that I had really
thought him safe from all further temp
tation.
Such was the condition of things
when I moved to a distant city in the
far West. I had been absent for ten
years, and was now on a visit to the old
home. I had heard nothing of James
Dunton during my absence, and sup
posed him sill working in the temper
ance ranks.
Could it be possible that this was the
same man? On inquiry, 1 found 1t to be
true. James Dunton had become a VIC
tim of intemrerance, after abstaining for
three wears. He had not simply gone
back to his old way, but had fallen far
lower, until the chances of his ever re-
forming seemed almost hopeless. I called
on him. and learned the story OF his fall:
81 had tasted no kind of liquor for
more than three years, and had con-
ouered the old habit so far that it had
little or no temptation for me. One
evening I attended a party celebrating
the birthday of a lady friend. Wine and
other liquors were used quite freely. l
had twice refused to drink, when the
hostess approached and offered me a
glass of wine. begged her to excuse
me from accepting it, but she answered
7omewhat pctulantly:
"I should think you might drink "nce
with me in honor of this OCCASION
GAS I said something about the prln-
ciplc involved, and the possibility OF a
single glass leading to a further lnduig-
euce, she retorted rather sneeringly:
"'oh! 1 beg your pardon. I had sup
nosed that Mr.. Dunton was man enough
to drink a harmless glass of wine with
out fear of becoming a drunkard.'
"This stab at my pride, in the pres
ence of others who had no scruples
about taking an occasional glass, had lib
effect, and with some light remark IN
reference to the excuse l had been
making, l took the wine and quickly
drank it. This led to another, and then
another, for I wished to show the lady
that Ihad sufficient manhood to drink
several glasses of wine if chose. The
result was, 1 was carried home beastly
drunk. After that night all the old
cravings came back ten-fo'd. tried to
fight against it, but it seemed OF no use.
My courage all forsook me, and became
reckless. In my false attempt to sustain
my manhood I had lost all. feel now
that my fate is fixed and there is no help
for it. The sooner that the end comes
the better for all concerned"
Itried to encourage him to hope for
better things, but he would not listen.
AS I went away I thought of the Won
derful influence of woman, and how
sad that it should ever be put to such
bad use-that it should be used to lead
men downward, when it might do
so much toward lifting them up.
The loss of manhood through life, and
of soul through eternity, are too weighty
matters to be triaed away.-C. L. hill.
The unexpected report comes from
London that SO many members of the ia
nous Carlton club have become temper
NICE men that there has been q great
falling off in the consumption of its cele-
brated wines.