The clarion., 1885-09-23
Temperance Drinking.
A woNAN's TEsTIMoNY-wHAT SHE
HAD SEEN, AND KNowE AND FELT
A DRAMATIC INCIDENT.

At a certain town meeting in Pennsyl- |
yania the question came up whether any
one should be licensed to sell rum. The
clergyman, the deacon, the physician,
strange it may now appear, all favored
it. One man only spoke against 1t,
because of the mischief 1t did. The
question was about to be put, when
there arose from one corner of the room
a miserable woman. She was thInly
clad and her appearance indicated the
utmost wretchedness, and that her mortal
career was almost ended. After
moments silence, and all eyes being
fixed upou her, she stretched her
attenuated body to its utmost height,
and her longest arms to their greatest
length, and raising her voice to a shrlli
pitch, she called 10 all to look upon
her.
"Yesp' she said, 'locN upon me and
then hear NE, All that the last speaker
has said relative to temperance drinking,
as being the father of drunkenness, Is
true. All practice, all experience.
declares its truth. All drinking OF
alcoholic poison, as beverage in health,
! is excess Look upon mel You all
know me, or once did. You all know L
was once the MISTRESS of the best farm
in the town; you all know, too, | had
one of the best-the most devoted-ot
husbands. You all know [ had line,
noble hearted, industrious boys. Doctor,
where are they now? You all know.
You all know they lie in row, side
bv side, in yonder church-yard; all
every one Of them filling the drunk
ards grave. They were all taught to
| 4 IL 70 Arfn EfpO safe
that excess alone ought to be avoided !;
and they never acknowledged excess.
They quoted you and you (pointing with
| her shred O.. finger to the minister,
/ deacon, and doctor) as authority. They
thought themselves safe under such
teachers. But | saw the gradual change
coming over my family and its prospects
with dismay and horror. felt we were
to be overwhelmed in common ruin: l
tried to ward off the blow; | tried to
break the spell, the delusive spell, 10
which the idea of the benefits of tenn
perate drinking had involved my hus
band and sons. l begged, l prayed
but the odds were against me.
"The minister said the poison that
was destroying my husband and boys
: was good creature of God; the deacon
. who Sits unQer the puiplt iHcIC, an
took our farm to pay his rum bills, solo
them the poison; the doctor said little
: was good, and the excess ought to b'
> avoided My poor husband and my dea
5 boys fell into the snare; they could no
7 escape; and one after another they wer
: conveyed to the sorrowful grave 0
u the drunkard Now look at me again
J Nv sands have almost run out. L hav
! have dragged my exhausted frame iron
Il my present home-your poor nouse-t
;. warn you all; to warn you deacon {
, u warn YOU, false teacher of Gods word
And with her arms flung high and he
:, tall form stretched to its utmost, an
y her voice raised to an unearthly pitcf
Il she exclaimed: 81 shall soon stan
: before the judgment-seat of God:
rs shall meet you all there, you falls
e guides, and be witness against yo
d allr'
d The miserable woman vanished.
q dead silence prevailed in,the assembly
= the minister, the deacon, the physicla
Ie hung their heads; and when the pres
y dent of the meeting put the question
y ''Shall any licenses be granted for the sa
le of spirituous liquorsT the unanlmol
ID respose was: Nol-Memoir Of Geo.
le Briqqs, late en- Governor Of Mdssachaset