The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-02-24
Sam Small's Experience.

homeless for business, hopeless Tor
al eoci,I standing, hopeless for all
the temporal interests Of this world,
bopeless for eternity; and in the very
badness of my disordcrcd brain, and
in my very soul, there seemed at
times no avenue of escape at all from
this self.imposed bondage except
through insanity on one hand, and
through suicide on the other.
saw that my wife aud children
had given up all hope; they did not
know, from day to day, how 1
would come home to them. They
had seen me brought there, day after
day, time after time, inscnsible and
unable to recognize them from the
influence of this deadly and poison
Gus drug. They had seen me when
l was brought ir and laid on my bed
covered with blood, and it seemed as
though my days were indeed num-
bered, and that | would soon fall in
the midst of my iniquity. They had
seen me when | was brought home
with the wounds Of the knife and
pistol on my body, and they had
heard the rumors from the streets and
dives Of the dangers with which | had
been constantly surrounded Of late.
To them it seemed as though there
was no avenue, no loophole Of escape
for me from terrible death. There
was not the sign of hope or spirit
beaming out from their beautiful
faces. They knew not, from day to
day, whether l would live to greet
them another day. They knew not
whether, if my life were prolonged,
they would be able to procure the
very necessities Of life from day to
day.
They knew not at what hour the
very shelter that shielded them from
the storm and from the heat would
be removed from over their heads,
and they removed from under its
shelter. There were visions Of un-
certainty, of the sheriff to dispOssess,
of the heartless landlord to distrain
for re4t, OF the creditor to come and
take all. There was no future ahead
of them, except q future of impene-
trable gloom through which seemed
to come nothing but warnings Of
deeper woe and agonies yet to come.
o, Lord. how good thou vast to me;
~.sAAau hast given me relief from that
bondage at my seeking.
At last there came time when
seemed to have reached the limit.
Something strange impelled me to
take my little children, rs loving
act, an act it seemed to lie Of repa-
ration for neglects Of weeks preced,
ing, and go upon the train TO Carriers
Vile, whera Brother Jones was preach
ing to immense audiences, and from
whence the report had come that
there were many and many hundreds,
and even thousands, who were COM
ing back into harmony with God
And as l sat upon the platform en-
deavoring to take in stenography the
words as they fell rom his lips, it
seemed to me that God had inspired
him to preach upon one certain line.
He preached it with the faith that is
his alone; he preached it with that
fidelity which is his distinguishing
Characteristic; he preached with the
earnestness and with the conviction
that broke down the easements Of my
heart and went home to it. When he
had finished those words Of "Con-
sciencer' Conscience "COn-
science land of Record .''"Record -
Record" :" God, the infinite, the all
seeing, and the eyerjudging God,
came home to me.
went away from there troubled
in mind and soul. | went home, and
back into the devious ways, back
into the bar-room, back into the open
highways, back to the maddening
bowl, in order to get away from the
torments | was suffering from an
awakened conscience. But they
would not leave me. | could find no
solace where | had often found in
sensibility. l could find no relief in
potarions where | had often found
indifference and capability to take on
cool exterior. There was nothing
there to give me surcease from tie
sorrow in my bosom; and | went on
and on until the second day, on Tues
day, at noon. l went into my H.
brary-rcom, fell upon ny knees,
buried my face in my hands; and l
pleaded with Christ that he would let
me cling to his cross. lay down I'll
my burdens and sins there, and I've
rescued and saved by his ccnpassio";
that might be washed in the stream
, Of his blood from his bleeding side; g;