The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-10-07
A GRAPHIC PICTURE
From the Splendid Address of Father
Burke,
BEFoRE THE NEW JERSEY CATHOLIC
TOT AL ABSTINENCE UNION.

The woman that, in her youth. and
modesty, and purity, and beauty, put
her maiden hand into his before the
altar of God, and swore away to him
her young heart and her young love:
the woman who had the trust in him to
take him forever and for aye; the woman
who, If you viii, had the confding folly
to bind up with him all the dreams that
ever she had of happiness. or peace, or
! JOY in this world; the woman that said
TO him, Next to God, and after God,
viii let thee into nay heart, and love
thee and thee alone;" and then before
the altar of God received the seal of
sacramental grace upon that pure love-
| this Is the woman, and her children and
his children, upon whom the drunkard
brings 10 bear the most terrible of all
calamities-poyerty, blighted beauty.
premature old age, misery, heart-break-
ing, sleepless eyes, broken hearts, ragged,
wretched poverty of the direst form
the woman whom he swore to love, and
to honor, and to cherish, and to render
her the homage of his true and manly
ateetionl o, my friends, every other
SIN that man may commit may bring
against him the cry of some soul scandal
the accusing voice of the passionate cry
of misery wrung FROM the broken heart,
and the curse laid at the foot of the
altar where the sacramental blessing
was pronounced when that young heart
was given awayl Such one did l meet.
HEAR NE.
/ was on mission some years ago, in
manufacturing town in England. /
was preaching there every evening, and
man came to me one evening after
sermon on this very subject of drunken
ness. He came ina fine man; a strap
ping, healthy, ntellectual-looking man
But the eye was almost burned in his
head, and was CLASSY. The forehead
was furrowed with premature wrinkles.
The hair was steel-gray, though the man
was evidently comparatively young. He
was dressed shabbily; scarcely shoe to
his feet, though it was a wet night. He
came in to me excitedly after the SER
mon, but the excitement had something
of drink in it. He told me his history.
81 don't know" he said, "that there is
any hope for me; but still, as l was
listening 70 the sermon, | felt that /
must spf al % you. If | don't speak to
some one this heart will break tonight"
WHAT WAS HIS STORY?
Five years before he had amassed in
trade 100000, or 100000. He had
married an Irish girl-one of his own
race and creed, young, beautiful, and
accomplished. He had two sons and
daughter woman. He told me for a
certain time every thing went on well.
At last" he said, 81 had the misfortune
to begin to drink; neglected my busi-
ness, and then my business began to
neglect me. The woman saw poverty
coming and began to fret and lost her
health. At last, when we were paupers
she sickened and died. / was drunk"
he said, "the day that she died. | sat
by her bedside. | was drunk when she.
was dying" "The sons-what became
of them?' 'Well, he said, ''they were
mere children. The eldest of them is no
more than eighteen, and they are both
transported as robbers to Australia "
"The girl?' "Well,'' he said, 81 sent
the girl to a school where she was well
educated. She came home to me when
she was sixteen years of age beautiful
young woman. She was the one conso-
lation | had, but was drunk all the
time" "Well, what became of her?'
He looked at me.
"Do YOU ASK ME ABOUT THAT GIRL ?'
he said, ''what became of her?'' And,
as if the man was shot, down he went,
with his head on the floor "God of
heaven! God of heaveni She is on the
street to-night-a prostitutew The mo-
ment he said that word he ran out. L
went after him. 80 mol O mop he
said; "there is no mercy in heaven for
me. l left my child on the streetp'
He went away cursing God to meet
drunkard's death. He had sent broken
hearted mother to the grave; he sent
his two sons to perdition; he sent his
only daughter to be living hell, and
then he died disappearing God.