The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-03-24
TEMPTATION.
The Sad Result Of One Glass Of wine Just
"f0r Old Acquaintance's Sake"

young men, and have come TO ask II
you will take my poor son here. and
do something for him. Don't refuse
me, for l seem to be passing through
the valley and the shadows, and to be
forsaken." The speaker was an aged,
Woodworking woman.
II have no authority to admit any
one to the Home, but that power be-
longs to the superintendent"
"Win you ask him9"
"Go right to the house and get that
boy" said the superintendent, to whom
l presented the case. "I'E give him q
good room and keep him as long a.
you think best; and If you find the
woman needs coal, or food, or money
to pay her rent, I'll help her"
I found him on the verge of delirium-
tremens, trembling like an aspen leaf,
and in that condition in which person
Graves for something to cling to, and
for the support and control of a
stronger nature. took him to the in
stitution, gave him . warm bath, ad-
ministered sudorific, and put him to
bed in a dark room. After sleeping
about three hours, he awoke, with 4
frantic craving for liquor, begging me
on his knees to allow him "just one glass,
to steady his nerves and to taper off
with; only one glass, and then he could
60 to sleep, and would love me as long
as he lived" protesting he ''should die
if he didn't have it" refused, but
gave him strors coffee and some light
food, and finally got him into bed,
when, after sleeping more than five
fours, his rest broken with convulsive
starts, he awoke somewhat refreshed,
and submitted to my control like 8
child. talked with him. took long walks
with him in the open country till his
strength and appetite returned and he
obtained command Of himself. and re-
solved to make another effort to con-
quer the demon of appetite. His old
master under whom he had worked,
consented to try him again, saying that.
"when sober, he was the best work
men he ever employed" He was then
able to return home. At the end of
three months his mother came to see
me; there were tears in her eyes, but
they were tears of gratitude and Joy.
"Ohr' she said, 1--WE are happy once
more, both of us. My son is himself
again; he says he is done forever with
liquor and with his old associates. He
sits and reads to me in the evenings,
while l sew or knit, or plays on his
flute; we 60 out together to lectures.
He seems to feel safe only while he ID
with me.
This happy state of affairs continued
for nearly three years, when ! received
summons from Mrs. l. to come
Immediately, for George was dying.
One of his former companions had per-
suaded him to take tea with him, just
to show that the latter retained no
hardness, and finally induced him to
drink glass of wine, merely for old
acquaintance's sake. nothing more,
''for he was a sober man now. and
could take glass without injury"
The result of this was to wake up the
old appetite. He drank again and
again, and went home to his mother in
toxicated. Despairing now Of his ability
to resist temptation, he procured some
laudanum, and lying down on bed in
the room where his mother was u
work, unperceived by her, drank the
poison. So long a time had elapsed
before his mother discovered his condl-
ton and could procure physicians, that
the poison had passed into the circula.
ton, and could neither be removed mol
neutralized. He soon after died.
Could Imagination conceive q more
somber picture than is here presented
| in the hardest lines of naked fact Of
fiction portray any thing more affecting
than the melancholy experience of tina
mother when compelled to realize tha
all maternal anxieties, long years Of I'M
renting toll and struggles with pow
erty, endured for the sake Of that son
had resulted in rearing him to die b,
his own act and fill drunkard's grave
We pity him, but the man tina
tempted him-what shall we say o
himp Society has too many men lik
him.-Rev. Elijah Kellogg, in Youth
Companion.