The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-11-16

mountain home. Then, enc by on
the traveller purchased thes
csges and released their Ell
prisoners, who Ia t1rn circle
al, # az the first hsd done when
quit its cage giving forth its gree in
melody as il etarted for it, moun'ail
home. Aud when tina traveller va
ked why be did this he 'u'ntd hi
Eyes on the quesiioner, and with tear
streaming down his cheeks, b,
sWered; 81 was once a prisoner
myself, and I know something o! tn
sweets of liberty" 80, my friends
standing here tonight before you,
would say to you that / was once I
prisoner. l was once in a bondsg
that was far more CALLING tLan that o
The man who opSned these cages anc
gave freedom to these songsteIs OF the
mountsip. / WIS he'd IN chains Tia
we're tearing out the strings OF my
heart; that were burning into my sou
from day 10 day, but ] was delivered
by one who had come from afar. j
was purchased and redeemed and set
free, aud made 10 fing new Gong,
and have tssted again the sweets oil
Liberty. | come before You tonight
with a disposition, with a desire in
my heat, to show how you can be
need from liEe bondsgs. j would
purchase for You, with the precious
promise OF God, your libe ion
from that slavery and bondase from
which / suffered, and introduce you 70
that new song that | now siig, In
relating to YOU how my liberty csme
about, how l came 10 stand before you
tonight, II will be- necessary TO refer
somewhat at leuglh 10 my psss h sto.
ny. was well born. | was reared
by Christian parents I had q loving,
atlectionets aud tender mother who
ives devoted in her services TO God,
and Who taught me right thinking,
and right speaking, and right actions
She was assiduous in her labor to
make me all that fOnd mothers
heart would want to make If her boy |;
to insthl into me the right principles
that should bs the very safeguards
through all my life; to inspire me
with love ( those thiugs that were
noble and spiritual IN their character,
ard that would give me the true ho-
illness. [ lad father who
was brave, staunch and noble
man; a father who had 10
himself all the feelings that father
should have for q son; a father fred
with am btion for his sons suct ess ;
fred with desire to see me t,ke a
proper station in the world and to be-
come a useful and an honored citizen.
| had all the surroundings OF loving
home, 4 family altar in the home, and
a family knelt with me morning sn5
night, listening TO household payer.
l was thus reared arc thus educated
and thus inspired with noble thoughts,
and besides this had the hope within
me; the belief that | was a child of
God; that | was to 90 on mating my
way toward heaven. But when l
passed out from the influence OF that
father aud mother, when | lost the in
huencs Of my mothers affection snd
my fathers godly counsel, when l
went out from the old family roof
tree, and was separated by distance
from the family altar. / went to col
lege to seek an education. There wera
gathered together young men from all
pats Of the country. naturally
found those who had more knowl.
edge of the world than had. Some
OF them already had tasted the Sc.
ductive pleasures of the world; who
had pushed far into those pleasures
which had been here olore forbidden
me; and in the midst off tho allure
ments aud Temptations held out to
mo, /, like Others, ye ded myself TO
the first strong inf lences that led me-
away fiom the memories of home and
the prayers OF my youth. | was led
to pleasures that hsd been iofb d len
TO me before. yielded 60 tbess
temptations. learaed how to drink
! learned how 10 do many things that
were not of riRhteons character in
With al the lusty pas
sions, and with oil tue many inslincts
and sepirationn OF young man away
from home and thrown largely upon
his own strength ss hisouly safeguard,
/ thought that, perhaps, l had upth
enough in me yet. ! thought | pos
eessed will enough, selt.reepect enough
to pi reserve myself from the contsml-
nation that follows upon yielding TO
these Blductions and allurem ents; /
felt thatin danger l had power enough
to put on the brakes Of my maj ure,
aud stop before should run upon a
catastrophe. | Thought like many are
thinking today, fred with the same
ambition for loftier aud nobler things,
that l would be able to discover that
point when IL came. When passed
out from college into the broader
paths Of lie found the professional
men with whom associated bad their
professional and social customs, their
own particular opinions about person
al habits, their own opinion about the
means OF obtaining popularity in their
profession and advancement in II. /
fell 10 readily into their ideas, and
thought that II l would be a hail iel-
low we'll met with my fellow men; IL
/ would be popular among them; II /
would have their praise, and their as.
sistan0e in climbing the hill Of pro-
iessional preferment, l must do as
they did. Aud in this way went on
from year to year, increasing those
appetites had formed by indulgence,
increasing my desire for drink.
/ soon found that / was rap
idly failing in my power OF resist ance.
! found that I was losing ground
10 my profession rather than gaining
| found that / had not that boasted
power of will that | once thought |
had to master my appsti,es and to re.
hain from those induleences knew
were wrong. / married a woman OF
splendid disposition, of high instincts,
OF ambitlOn,a woman with sill the true
ideas OF nobility, and yet, notwith- |
standing her lavish affection, her pray
ers, hsr patient endurance, and all her
and sacrifices 10 induce me |
to rise again 10 the hight of true man |
hood, l repaid her by tramplinR upon
her every effort aud endeavor, and |
went on aud on In my downward ca. |
reer There came 10 me at this time
no rebukes OF conscience at the course
| was leading. went on until l could |
see that there was hopelessness In her
eye. l went on until my friends had |
exhausted every eudeavor to stop me |
Ia my mad career. | took, by profess