The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1888-10-05
TEE MOTHERS LAST PRAYER.

MS physician, Dr. Arnold, who had been
his playmate in childhood, his bosom friend
in youth, and who had never failed him
dation of the confirmed drunkard. But
even those two friends could hardly mourn
that the ruined life was drawing to an end.
Their grief was for the fine nature pervert-
cd and a promising career blighted by this
one terrible madness of drink. They knew,
too, that he had reached a stage in intern
peranee where there was no possible hope
OF reform, save by ONE special mercy of
Coda stage where q mans conscience is
dumb, and reason, honor, natural affec.
ton, every quality that elevates man above
the brute, is swallowed up by the insatia-
BILE thirst of the drunkard. Charles Gran
dali had been a young lawyer of exception
al talent, and had married a beautiful girl
with a handsome fortune. Her father, Mr..
Brooks, for a long time refused his con-
sent.
Hes a rising young man, | know he
said, "and don't doubt he'll make his
mark. He's amiable and kind-hearted.
but he hasn't any force of will. Why, he
can be led into anything; and besides he
comes of an Incorporate stock. I believe
in bad blood and good blood, and l want
the best i'll my Mary's husband"
1t was a long time before Mr.. Brooks
yielded; and time proved that his .judg-
ment was correct, though he lived too
short a time after his daughters marriage
to see the fulfilment of his prophecy,
Charles Crandall was led into intemper-
ate habits, and in a few years his wife's
fortune was wasted, and they were reduced
to poverty. Fortunately, her far-seeing
father had settled her home upon her in
such a manner that it could be neither
mortgaged nor sold; so that, at least, she
had the shelter of a roof for her child and
herself. But it was an empty house. Sill
yer, furniture, table and bed linen had
been taken off, piece by piece, by the mis-
cradle i~nebriate, and bartered for the fiery
poison. He was a gentleman by birth and
breeding, and yet he did not scruple to
steal his wife's watch, and even her we'd
ding-ring, to satisfy the cravings of his
appetite.
He was only thirty years of age, but now
the end had come. Crandall had been
wounded in a drunken brawl, and though
the wound would have proved a mere trifle
to a temperate man, the fcverish, poisoned
blood of the drunkard made it a fatal iniu-
ry. For some hours he had been lying in
a more conscious condition than usual, APP
parently thinking deeply.
$50 this is the end, Arnold" he said
feebly to the doctor. who was bending over
him.
DIR. Arnold bent his head in assent.
"Well, it's the best thing for Mary and
little Harry. Pity it wasn't five years ago
before | came to this. Where's Mary ?"
'sShe went out a few minutes ago. She'll
be back directly"
The dying man sighed.
otis been a hard master, Arnold-drink,
l mean. did try to break off; I swear to
you | did; but it held nue. tight. 1t never
gave me time to be sorry for my wife, or
myself, or to see where I was going. It's
a devil always crying, More? more = and
and rending you when you try to
Oh, you don't know; you can't
understand it It's a madness, you know;
and when it got its clutches on me, I wasn't
responsible"
DIR. Arnold did not answer. 1t seemed
to say to the dying man, "You were
responsible for the first drink that fired
your blood. l warned you; but you took
voluntarily the first step on the downward
plane. That the velocity increased, until
you could not stop, is only IN immutable
He did not utter these thoughts,
but said, kindly and g~ravely. sit is useless
to look back now, Charles. Think of other
things"
s'Yes y cried Mrs. Crandall, who en-
tered at that moment, and threw herself on
her knees by the bedside, ''there is one
thing now to think of, my husband. Throw
yourself upon the mercy of Him who can
save the worst sinner, even at the eleventh
Cry unto Him; for you repent, alb,
you repent, | know !"
Repent" he repeated family; 81 don't
know. l can't feel anything much. There's
dark cloud over my mind, and l can't
think now. Don't let Harry ever touch a
drop, Mary. It's too late for me-"
Too late ! Terrible words in this world,
bringing lifelong grief and despair with
them. But no human finite mind can COM
prehend their full meaning until the lost
soul hears their echoes sounding and re-
sounding through the endless courts of
Mrs. Crandall, left a widow, found her
situation rather ameliorated after her hus-
death. Friends who had kept aloof
in disgust at his habits We're now willing
to assist her, to the extent of educating
her son. For herself, she needed no help
supplying her with orders for the
by which she had supported
her family for some years past. Though
she did not acknowledge it to herself, her
husband death W Us a relief. His life and
bad example had been a perpetual menace
to the future welfare of their son-that
son in whom all the hopes and Joy of her