Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-02-12
A MARROW ESCAPE,

ANARRow ESCAPE.
Prevention What word :how much it
implies! Many persons are lost to good
society and become floating wrecks for
want of preventive means. Columns
upon columns have been printed in the
religious and temperance press giving
heartrending particulars of once noble
men and women who have, in an unguard-
ed hour, started on the downward path.
and never had the courage to halt, or turn
about, and retrace their steps. | could
fill this page with just such histories. that
have come under my own observation;
but the object of writing this article is to
relate narrow escape of man from
making the first fatal step.
The gentleman alluded to had always
been temperance boy and temperance
man; was a church-member: IA public
speaker and connected in business with
an institution that was doing all it could
to make the world better by its publica-
tons. The desire to taste liquor was
something he knew nothing about; nor
could he understand how a respectable
man could part with his character, or do
his family the injustice of taking that in
to his system which would "steal away
his brains" and break down his health
the only capital he possessed in the world.
Over forty years of his life thus passed
away, and not temptation to drink cross
ed his mind.
But Gas is often the case) business cares
of a very veXatious nature came thick
and fast: the dark clouds every week
grew blacker. At first lively DISPOSE
ton enabled him to laugh at them: but
they became so monotonous and without
even an inch of silver lining, that depres-
sion of spirits would sometimes take pos
session of him. \ loving wife and kind
children fondly brushed them away, and
daily he went to the unwelcOme tasks of
fighting against impossibilities with re-
newed vigor only to return home with
hopes crushed and faith in ultimate tri-
umph sadly weakened.
There came a Saturday afternoon when
darkness was no word for the surround
ings that hedged his pathway and that of
those with whom he was connected
Light-heartedneSs was all gone: and, aS
with downcaSt heart and head he walked
down NeSey street. New York. to cross
the ferry, the sound of merry-making fell
upon his ears. Looking up, his eyes took
in the situation at once. Over IA dozen
men were standing drinking at the bar of
a gilded saloon. What fun they were
having. How they laughed. not care
appeared to cross their vison. As he
looked upon the carnival of merriment,
the thought burst upon him: IL am mis-
cradle and detected. and for ten cents |
can be Just aS happy a they are, and
without further reflection he started to-
ward the door. As he entered a thousand
thoughts crowded upon his mind among
Others, that it was a dangerous experiment,
and might cost him his reputation, which
was all he had to provide living for his
family with. The good spirit and the bad
spirit struggled for ascendancy; at last
love of home. pride for the cause in which
he was laboring, and a sweet small voice
whispering in his soul, so, am with
YOU" conquered. Notwithstanding he
had given the bartender ten-cent piece
he Stammered out. II don't want any
thing" and turning around walked out of
the gates of hell" and on the sidewalk
realized what narrow escape he had had.
"a IL. Il,
of his soul broke forth in saying; "Oh,
to grace how great Il debtor" On Mon
day morning he mentioned the occur
cnce to one of his intimate friends and to
a Methodist clergyman of Brooklyn.
Owing to the peculiar disposition of
the man. if he had fallen captive to the
temptation, the probability i, he would
have sunk under the disgrace that his fall
would have brought.
Society and his friends would have
blamed him. and perhaps they would
have done right in So doing His former
life would have counted but little against
that one false step and it, natural couSe-
queuceS.
1t occurred eight or ten years ago; but
he never thinks of it without Il peculiar
feeling coming over him. In speaking to
the Rev. VIM. II. Boolc ON the subject
this fall he said II hope God would
have forgiven me for it, il had ~uccumb-
ed, rs He knew how physically weak
was; but it would have gone heavily
against the authorities and voters of the
city of New York for permitting such
place to exist by law. to trap aman when
he was shorn of almost all power to re-
sist."
1t is grand to be saved by grace. But
''lead US not into temptation" means that
it is wrong to set temptation in the way
of poor, weak, frail humanity.
There is not a boy or man in this coun-